Parametric Modeling and Hydrodynamic Analysis of Bio-Inspired Propellers with Position- and Height-Controllable Leading-Edge Tubercles

Abstract

Leading-edge tubercles provide a bio-inspired modification for regulating the hydrodynamic performance of marine propellers, but their controllable generation on complex three-dimensional blades remains insufficiently studied. This study develops a parametric modeling method for tubercled leading-edge propellers based on the David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB) 4383 geometry. The method combines B-spline smooth reconstruction with a Gaussian envelope function to control tubercle radial peak position and height. After validation with publicly available open-water experimental data, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is applied to uniform and locally targeted tubercled models. The results show that leading-edge tubercles modify the suction-side low-pressure region and redistribute local blade loading. The radial peak position mainly controls the concentration region of the pressure disturbance, whereas peak height affects its intensity. At the design advance coefficient, moving the target peak from r/R = 0.26 to r/R = 0.92 decreased the thrust coefficient by 0.77% and increased the torque coefficient by 1.75%. For a fixed target position, increasing the maximum amplitude ratio from 0.05 to 0.80 increased the thrust and torque coefficients by 0.25% and 0.88%, respectively. These findings indicate that tubercle design should balance radial position and protrusion height.

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