Propeller design software (for ROV thruster)

[deleteduser1731742]

I am designing a low cost thruster for ROV's to be used in secondary and university courses. Being an electrical designer, I have limited hydrodynamics skills (about all I know is "water is wet" :confused:) I do however have extensive 3D modeling skills using SolidWorks.

Is there a software package that I can use to match the RPM/torque curves of the thruster that will help design (or indeed select) the best propeller for the job?

Is there a "propeller 101" book that an engineer can use to come up to speed on propeller characteristics and uses?

Thanks in advance for your guidance, even if it is an admonishment to "RTFM" as long as you direct me to the relevant "FM".:cool:

David W.

[Rick Willoughby]

The propeller part of it is quite easy using JavaProp. It does all the hard work. It has a limited selection of foils and the default settings are for air prop but these are easily set to water parameters in the Options page.

Google JavaProp and run the applet. If you get to this point and get confounded then just post questions here. The real value of JavaProp is that it is an analytical approach so covers a very wide spectrum of use. It is based on the fundamental physics not some measured set of parameters. There is also a lot of information on prop design on the web site but you do not need to take all this in to use the tool to get good results.

The hard part is likely to be determining the drag on the ROV?? My brain is not all that clear at the moment but the TLA eludes me. In any event it is impossible to design a prop correctly unless you know what thrust it requires and this is simply the opposite of the drag on the ROV hull.


Rick W