The proper evaluation of the Rudder–Propeller interactions is mandatory to correctly predict the manoeuvring capability of a modern ship, in particular considering the commonly adopted ship layout (rudder often works in the propeller slipstream). Modern Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers can provide, not only the performance of the whole system but also an insight into the flow problem. In the present paper, an open-source viscous flow solver has been validated against available literature experimental measurements in different conditions. After an extensive analysis of the numerical influence of the mesh arrangement and the turbulent quantities on the rudder provided forces, the study focused its attention on the forces generated by the rudder varying the propeller loading conditions and the mutual position between the two devices. These analyses give a hint to describe and improve a commonly-used semi-empirical method based on the actuator disk theory. These analyses also demonstrate the ability of these numerical approaches to correctly predict the interaction behaviour in pre-stall conditions with quite reasonable computational requests (proper also for a design stage), giving additional information on the sectional forces distribution along the span-wise rudder direction, useful to further develop a new semi-empirical rudder model.

The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of the manoeuvre prediction of a twin-shaft naval vessel by means of a time-domain simulator based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) hydrodynamic coefficients. The simulator uses a modular approach in which the hull, rudders, appendices and propellers are based on different mathematical models. The hydrodynamic coefficients of the hull in the bare and appended configurations are computed using virtual captive tests performed with an open-source CFD code: OpenFoam. This paper demonstrates that the application of the CFD hydrodynamic coefficients led to a good estimate of the macroscopic characteristics of the main IMO manoeuvres with respect to the experimental measures. The adopted test case is the DTMB 5415M frigate both with and without appendages. This test case has been investigated in several research studies and international benchmark workshops, such as SIMMAN 2008, SIMMAN 2014 and many CFD workgroups.