This study aims to investigate the hydroacoustic performance of the DTMB 4119 marine propeller under non-cavitating conditions to reduce underwater radiated noise (URN), which is harmful to marine ecosystems. With growing concerns over climate change and environmental impact, minimizing sound emissions from ship propellers is critical for sustainable maritime operations. The study focuses on evaluating the impact of propeller skew on noise reduction, contributing to the development of quieter and more environmentally friendly marine propulsion systems.
A numerical approach was employed using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver to compute the hydrodynamic characteristics of the DTMB 4119 propeller under bollard pull conditions. The hydroacoustic analysis was conducted using the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy. Simulations were performed for both original and skewed propeller configurations under non-cavitating flow conditions. The CFD results were validated against experimental data to ensure accuracy and reliability. The study emphasizes early-stage prediction of sound pressure levels (SPLs) for noise mitigation.
The numerical results showed good agreement with experimental data, validating the CFD and FW-H approach. It was observed that the skewed propeller design resulted in a lower sound pressure level compared to the original, non-skewed configuration. This indicates that introducing skew to the propeller blade can effectively reduce underwater noise emissions without compromising hydrodynamic performance. The study highlights the importance of propeller geometry optimization in reducing URN and supporting sustainable marine transportation by mitigating the impact on marine life.
This study provides a novel contribution by numerically analysing the hydroacoustic behaviour of the DTMB 4119 propeller with and without blade skew under non-cavitating conditions using validated CFD and FW-H methods. Unlike many prior studies that focus on cavitating flows or general noise trends, this research isolates the impact of geometric modification (skew) on sound pressure levels in a controlled regime. The findings offer practical insights for early-stage propeller design, enabling quieter marine propulsion systems. This work supports global sustainability goals by addressing underwater noise pollution, a growing environmental concern in maritime operations.
