It is important to predict the self-propulsion performance of full-scale marine vessels during the design stage. With the development of high-performance computational techniques, full-scale ship-free running simulations focused on self-propulsion performance are receiving increased attention. This study presents the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for a full-scale submarine propelled by a high-skew propeller. An in-house CFD code with the dynamic overset grid approach is used to simulate the rotational motion of the propeller. First, model- and full-scale simulations focused on submarine resistance and propeller open-water performance are conducted, enabling a systematic convergence study of the model. The self-propulsion performance is then predicted at the model scale, and comparisons with other available results show only small discrepancies. Finally, full-scale submarine self-propulsion simulations are conducted and the results are compared with those from the model-scale simulations with the addition of skin friction correction. Discussions on the differences between model- and full-scale self-propulsion results are presented including propeller performance, pressure distribution, boundary layer, and wake flow.

The wake behind a 6:1 prolate spheroid at 45° incidence has been studied by means of direct numerical simulations (DNSs). The Reynolds number based on the minor axis of the spheroid was 3000 as compared to 1000 in our preceding study [Jiang et al., “The laminar wake behind a 6:1 prolate spheroid at 45° incidence angle,” Phys. Fluids 26, 113602 (2014)]. The resulting wake is no longer laminar and the transitional wake is fundamentally unsteady and highly asymmetric from the very beginning. A substantial side force resulted from the asymmetric pressure field. No signs of vortex shedding could be observed. The forces and the flow field around the spheroid exhibited a dominant periodicity with a surprisingly low Strouhal number of 0.0733. One part of the counter-rotating vortex pair which dominated the near-wake broke down into small-scale vortices as soon as the vortex left the shadow behind the spheroid. The other part appeared as a helical vortex inside which the mechanical energy was conserved over a substantial length. The axial flow within this vortex tube experienced a sudden change from having maximum to minimum at the vortex center while maintaining the sign of the circulation. The severe asymmetry of the wake is ascribed to a global instability and may impact on submarine maneuverability.

Estimating ship resistance accurately in different water depths is crucial to design a resistance-optimized hull form and to estimate the minimum required power. This paper presents a validation of a new procedure used for resistance correction of different water depths proposed by Raven, and it presents the numerical simulations of a Kriso container ship (KCS) for different water depth/draught ratios. Model-scale and full-scale ship resistances were predicted using in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code: HUST-Ship. Firstly, the mathematical model is established and the numerical uncertainties are analyzed to ensure the reliability of the subsequent calculations. Secondly, resistances of different water depth/draught ratios are calculated for a KCS scaled model and a full-scale KCS. The simulation results show a similar trend for the change of model-scale and full-scale resistance in different water depths. Finally, the correction procedure proposed by Raven is briefly introduced, and the CFD resistance simulation results of different water depth/draught ratios are compared with the results estimated using the Raven method. Generally, the reliability of the HUST-Ship solver used for predicting ship resistance is proved, and the practicability of the Raven method is discussed.

To examine mechanisms of the high speed and efficiency of propulsion of aquatic animals and to apply the findings to the design of underwater vehicles, this study uses dolphins as an example. The motion of aquatic animals is divided into three stages for the convenience of analysis of bio-propulsion: the oscillation of one-third of the rear body, the oscillation of the caudal fin, and the deformation of the caudal fin. We call the case multi-stage propulsion when all the stages are contained in a bio-propulsion. We investigate the effects of the phase difference between oscillations of the first and second stages φ on hydrodynamic performance and the chordwise deformation factor δ_c0 on hydrodynamic performance. The results show that when the phase difference was 90°, the propulsion efficiency was the highest and an appropriate caudal chordwise deformation could increase the propulsion efficiency, which was consistent with the result of previous studies. The key part of this paper is the comparative study between different propulsion modes in terms of fluid mechanism from multiple perspectives, such as the force generated by the oscillating motion, the shedding frequency of the wake vortex, and the spacings of vortices induced by different propulsion modes. The aim of this paper is to understand the mechanism supporting a larger thrust and higher efficiency of multi-stage propulsion and provide reference for the improvement and optimization of bionic propulsion in the future.

Deformation analyses during subway shield excavation considering stiffness influences of underground structures shield tunneling;stiffness influence;shield propulsion parameters;simplified theoretical method;3D FE numerical simulation;case study; Previous studies for soil movements induced by tunneling have primarily focused on the free soil displacements. However, the stiffness of existing structures is expected to alter tunneling-induced ground movements, the sheltering influences for underground structures should be included. Furthermore, minimal attention has been given to the settings for the shield machine's operation parameters during the process of tunnels crossing above and below existing tunnels. Based on the Shanghai railway project, the soil movements induced by an earth pressure balance (EPB) shield considering the sheltering effects of existing tunnels are presented by the simplified theoretical method, the three-dimensional finite element (3D FE) simulation method, and the in-situ monitoring method. The deformation prediction of existing tunnels during complex traversing process is also presented. In addition, the deformation controlling safety measurements are carried out simultaneously to obtain the settings for the shield propulsion parameters, including earth pressure for cutting open, synchronized grouting, propulsion speed, and cutter head torque. It appears that the sheltering effects of underground structures have a great influence on ground movements caused by tunneling. The error obtained by the previous simplified methods based on the free soil displacements cannot be dismissed when encountering many existing structures.

Due to the combination of the forward speed and the prevailing wind for surface ship traveling in the ocean, the airflow passing over the ship’s superstructure causes the formation of a disturbed flow region and the large speed gradients of the mean wind over the flight deck, known as the ship airwake. This airwake would cause significant influence on the performance of the helicopter rotor during its taking off or landing, increase the operation workload of the pilot and even cause safe-landing issues, especially when the wind sweeps over the deck. This paper presents a numerical simulation of flow across the ship superstructure using DES and LES turbulent model. The ship model used for simulation is the standard SF2 surface ship model with experimental measurement data which could be used for the CFD code validation. The simulation results are compared with the experimental measurement data, and the comparison with experimental results shows good match for both DES and LES turbulent models. Simulation results show that a series of vortex had been generated after the flow separation with asymmetric characteristics. From upstream to downstream, the vortex intensity decreases, but suddenly increases after encountering the chimney. The comparison between DES and LES turbulent models shows the similar flow field and vortex structure around the ship superstructure with same grid sets. Both DES and LES are superior to RANS in solving ship airwake. The comparisons of DES and LES turbulent models show that DES can reflect the separated flow with limited computational resource and LES simulation could get higher resolution of the fluid flow structure with enough computational resources.