Calculation of steady flow about propellers using a surface panel method

Abstract

A general method for making detailed calculations of flow about propellers with centerbodies has been constructed by adapting a surface panel method. Apparently this is the first method capable of obtaining reliable surface pressure distributions in the blade leading-edge region. New features of the program include input of an axisymmetric nonuniform onset flow, provision for blade symmetry, and generation of the helical wake, including a special far-wake approximation. Calculated blade pressure distributions for a ship propeller and propeller efficiencies for an aircraft propeller agree well with experimental data. Several sample calculations have been included.