Numerical investigation of propeller flow field using mrf model

This research employs computational fluid dynamics to examine the velocity field and bed shear stress produced by a propeller jet. A steady-state MRF approach was utilized to approximate the propeller’s swirling. 10 inflation layers were applied at both the propeller and the seabed to better enhance the resolution of the near-wall gradients. Model sensitivity to turbulence-model selection was evaluated by testing the SST and the realizable k-ε models. The findings indicated that both models effectively simulated the overall jet structure and shear footprint, yet they exhibited differences in detail: the k-ε model estimated a higher shear stress value of ~0,11 Pa with a broader scour pattern, whereas the SST model maintained a narrower jet core and a more concentrated vortex with shear stress maxima of ~0,078 Pa. The results indicate the importance of selecting appropriate mesh configurations and turbulence models for accurately predicting propeller jet scours.