An Experimental and Computational Study of the Effects of Propulsion on the Free-Surface Flow Astern of Model 5415

Experimental measurements of the Kelvin wake, and the near- and far-field wave field, both with and without the model propeller operating, were obtained from a surface ship model representing the preliminary design of the DDG-51 hull form, represented by DTMB Model 5415. Wave height measurements were performed in the Carriage II basin at David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB) using two different techniques. The first technique uses capacitance probes attached to the side of the model basin to obtain longitudinal wave cuts. The second technique uses mechanical probes attached to a traversing system at the stern of the model to measure the surface wave field behind the model. The data from the mechanical probes are used to generate a wave height topography map. The results from both measurement techniques are used as a basis for comparison with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions. Free-surface predictions from Mississippi State University's UNCLE code, with a. propeller body force-model incorporated, are documented and the trends are compared with the experimental data.