Preliminary results on acoustic modelling of cavitating propellers

The numerical prediction of the acoustic pressure field induced by cavitating marine propellers is addressed. A hydrodynamic model for transient sheet cavitation on propellers in non-uniform inviscid flow is coupled with a hydroacoustic model based on the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation. The proposed hydroacoustic approach, novel to marine applications, allows to split the noise signature into thickness and loading term contributions. Both hydrodynamic and hydroacoustic model equations are solved via boundary integral formulations. Numerical predictions of the propeller noise by using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation are compared to those obtained by a classical Bernoulli equation approach. The influence of cavitation on the noise waveforms is discussed by comparing non-cavitating and cavitating propeller flow results.