Influence of the hydrofoil inclination angle at free surface flow around junctions

Abstract

Free surface flow is a hydrodynamic problem with a seemingly simple geometric configuration but with a flow topology complicated by the pressure gradient due to the presence of the obstacle, the interaction between the boundary layer and the free surface, turbulence, breaking waves, surface tension effects between water and air. As the ship appendages become more and more used and larger in size, the general understanding of the flow field around the appendages and the junction between them and the hull is a topical issue for naval hydrodynamics.When flowing with a boundary layer, when the streamlines meet a bluff body mounted on a solid flat or curved surface, detachments appear in front of it due to the blocking effect. As a result, vortex structures develop in the fluid, also called horseshoe vortices, the current being one with a completely three-dimensional character, complicated by the interactions between the boundary layer and the vortex structures thus generated. Despite the importance of the topic, the literature records the lack of coherent methods for investigating free surface flow around junctions, the lack of consistent studies on the influence of the inclination of the profile mounted on the body. As a result, this paper aims to systematically study the influence of profile inclination in respect to the support plate.