Cavitation erosion of a ship model propeller¹

Article type: Research Article

Authors: van der Meulen, J.H.J.

Affiliations: Netherlands Ship Model Basin, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Note: [1] Paper presented at the 72nd annual meeting of ‘The American Society for Testing and Materials’, Atlantic City, U.S.A., June 22–27, 1969.

Abstract: A four-bladed propeller model has been tested in a water tunnel with flow regulator. Cavitation erosion of the aluminium alloy blades was caused by simulating the wake pattern behind a single screw ship in the test section of the tunnel. The relationship between the rate of weight loss and the time of exposure to cavitation was measured for each blade individually. Comparative tests, using the same material, have been carried out in a rotating disk apparatus and a magnetostriction oscillator. The erosion rates of the propeller model and of the specimens tested in the rotating disk apparatus show a similar dependence on time during the incubation, acceleration and deceleration period. A steady state period does not occur. The erosion rates of the specimens tested in the magnetostriction oscillator show a considerably different dependence on time. The mean erosion intensity of the test devices is 2.5–3 times larger than with the propeller model, based on the actual time of exposure to cavitation.

DOI: 10.3233/ISP-1971-1819803

Journal: International Shipbuilding Progress, vol. 18, no. 198, pp. 56-66, 1971