Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Propeller cavitation is of major concern for ships since it is the predominant source of propeller-generatedx000D
noise and vibration. Very limited efforts have been made to understand the impact of propeller manufacturingx000D
tolerances on the propeller performance. The majority of propellers manufactured today are hand-finished fromx000D
castings which are roughly machined using Computer Numerical Control (CNC). Manual grinding of propellerx000D
surfaces introduces inaccuracies and deviations from design, which could lead to degradation of propellerx000D
performance in terms of efficiency, cavitation and noise. Ship screw propellers are typically manufactured tox000D
meet the ISO 484 Standard, which specifies the manufacturing tolerances.x000D
As the key propeller manufacturer in Canada, Dominis Engineering needs the evidence that the high precisionx000D
of hydrodynamic surfaces, which can be achieved by the technology of CNC machining to final form andx000D
finish, improves propeller performance. The investigation into propeller manufacturing tolerances will bex000D
carried out using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The proposed research will focus on 2-Dx000D
CFD simulations of a full-scale modified NACA 66 section, considering the variations in geometry (chordx000D
length, camber and thickness) due to manufacturing tolerances.x000D
The outcomes of the project will enable Dominis to develop improved processes of propeller manufacturing inx000D
terms of efficiency of production and high precision for reduced noises and vibrations as well as increased fuelx000D
efficiency. It will also enable Dominis to further support the Canadian Shipbuilding Strategy and Canada'sx000D
global competiveness in marine propeller manufacturing, which will ultimately benefit the Canadian economy.