Fluid–structure interaction vibration experiments and numerical verification of a real marine propeller

The design of lifting blade shapes is a key engineering application, especially in domains such as those of marine propellers, hydrofoils, and tidal energy converters. In particular, the excitation frequency must be different from that of the structure to avoid resonance. The natural frequency in the cases where the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is considerably different if considering the coupling added mass (AM) of the water. In this study, vibration experiments were performed using a real propeller in air and water. The modal parameters, natural frequencies, and mode shapes were determined. Validations were performed using 3D solid and acoustic elements in a direct coupling finite element format. The modal results and AM ratios were in agreement with the experimental results. Convenient application and high efficiency are basic requirements for an engineering application. Therefore, an empirical formula was established for the first-order FSI natural frequency to enable rapid estimation, thereby satisfying this requirement.