Ship model wake analysis by means of PIV in large Circulating Water Channel

The survey of a ship model's wake is a typical step in the hydrodynamic design of a conventional and unconventional hull. Today, the adoption of Particle Image Velocimetry for this kind of applications has become feasible and allows us to obtain a detailed and reliable picture of the flow field, in particular for turbulent and unsteady features. At the INSEAN Circulating Water Channel, such a technique is applied to the wake of a ship model with installed propeller. Presented are the results of the analysis of the wake in a longitudinal plane for different propeller revolution angles. Advantages and drawbacks of applying the PIV technique in a large facility are pointed out.