This case study presents the benchmark validation of CFD simulation results of the Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC) using CFD Support’s TCFD flow solver with a Pointwise mesh. PPTC is a marine propulsor that was extensively measured by SVA Potsdam. The aim of this benchmark was to evaluate the combined use of TCFD with Pointwise and to compare the results with the measurement data available, specifically the propeller efficiency, torque coefficient, and thrust coefficient vs. advance coefficient.

The high demand for improving the accuracy, quality, and credibility of the CFD simulation results, should be assessed by providing a qualitative and intensive comparison with experimental measurement data.

The final mesh consisted of 4.1 million cells. The simulated predictions for each of the coefficients as well as the efficiency were very close to experimental results across the full range of operating conditions. All simulations and post-processing were performed using TCFD; visual post-processing of volume fields can be done with ParaView.

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