Numerical simulation of hydrodynamic performance of hydrofoil with inner groove

  Objectives  Underwater hydrofoils have the characteristics of drag reduction and energy conservation. They are often used in the design of rudder and fin stabilizers for high-performance ships. From current research on the hydrodynamic performance of hydrofoils, such improvements as opening the inner groove and adding a leading edge nodule can significantly improve their hydrodynamic performance.

  Methods  In this paper, an NACA0012 hydrofoil with internal slots is improved, the influence of different internal slots on the hydrodynamic performance of the hydrofoil is studied by means of computational fluid mechanics, and the relevant action mechanism is explored.

  Results  Finally, it is concluded that the hydrodynamic performance of the hydrofoil can be improved most significantly by placing the elliptical inner groove at the leading edge of the hydrofoil, and the inner groove should have a certain width to ensure a smooth flow.

  Conclusions  The results of this study can play a certain role in the improvement of ship rudders.