Experimental analysis of the flow field around a propeller–rudder configuration

The problem of an isolated free-running propeller–rudder combination is tackled in the present paper. The activity concerns phase-averaged velocity measurements by LDV along two transversal planes of the wake, just in the front and behind the rudder. In addition, visualizations of the chordwise interaction between the tip vortex filaments and the rudder, performed using a time resolved CMOS camera, are presented. The major phenomena that affect the performance of a rudder in the race of a propeller, with special emphasis on unsteady-flow aspects, are highlighted in this paper.