Effect of rotation on the 3D boundary layer around a propeller blade

Knowledge of the complex three-dimensional flow field around rotating blades is essential for accurate predictions of their performance and of the sound they radiate. We investigate the boundary layer characteristics through RANS computations with several turbulence models and through LBM computations. By looking at the Navier-Stokes equations in a local rotating frame, we highlight the spanwise flow patterns along the blade surface associated with the checkerboard secondary flow cells existing in the blade passage and investigate into the balance of the terms driving the primary and secondary flow for blades with straight or serrated edges. We look at the characteristics of the boundary layer resulting from the skewed flow and separation along the trailing edge and assess the velocity profiles in the wall-normal direction.