The effect of different endplate geometries on the hydrodynamic and acoustic performance of the tip-loaded propeller

The tip-loaded propeller design is one of the new methods for improving propellers' hydrodynamic and acoustic performance. This study investigates the effects of different endplate geometries on the performance of a 5-blade B-series propeller with normal skew and rake using the RANSE numerical method. For each of the different geometries, hydrodynamic coefficients, cavitation volume, and propeller noise are calculated. Using an endplate, this research aims to reduce cavitation, tip vortex, and propeller noise. As a result of the research, propellers with a contraction of 0.95R and a flap angle of 60°, as well as propellers with a contraction of 0.9R and a flap angle of 60°, showed better acoustic performance than other propellers, resulting in approximately 7 dB and 5 dB reductions in overall noise for the initial propeller. In terms of hydrodynamic efficiency, these propellers have a reduction of 0.2 and 0.8%, respectively. It can be stated that both propellers are generally optimal both in terms of acoustics and hydrodynamics.