The influence of the geometrical parameters of propeller on its hydrodynamic performance in forward and astern mode of operation is studied by numerical simulation.

Taking a 33 000 DWT oil product tanker as the application object, the hydrodynamic performance of a MAU-series propeller and three theoretical propellers operated in forward and astern mode is simulated using the RANS method combined with the Realizable k-ε turbulence model. The influence of the lift distribution coefficient, pitch and camber combination on the hydrodynamic performance of propeller in both operation modes are then discussed through comparison.

The results show that in forward and astern operation mode, the pitch of the blade will generate positive lift, whereas the camber of the blade will generate positive and negative lift alternately. Properly increasing the camber and reducing the pitch of the propeller in design is beneficial for improving its open water efficiency in forward operation mode. On the contrary, adopting the combination of a large pitch and a small camber is beneficial for increasing reverse thrust.

Based on the experimental data, suggestions on performacetrade-offs of designing a propeller in both operation modes are given.