Abstract

The hydroacoustic signatures of ship propellers can be identified experimentally through measurements of cavitation-induced pressure fluctuations and the accompanying noise distribution at model scale. These measurements have to be performed in a cavitation tunnel at the propellers operating conditions and with sufficient accuracy. In comparison, the numerical approach can be used to present a good general idea of the predicted results. Numerical methods can provide highly accurate tools for noise level and propagation prediction, as well as giving insight into the flow field and other key aspects. They are also not influenced by signal conditioning or disturbance sources present in a physical environment. So we trade scope and precision of the results for time and cost reduction. In this paper, we described both experimental and numerical methods currently in use and present advantages and limitations of the practical application of both.