Comparison of piv measurements with CFD predictions for a high speed propeller

Three-dimensional Euler solutions have been obtained for the axisymmetric flowfield around an advanced, six-bladed, high-speed propeller using a recently developed Euler solver. The solutions were obtained at zero angle of incidence, zero yaw and at two advance ratios. The calculations are compared to measurements made in the DNW low speed wind tunnel using a digital Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. The objective of this comparison is to validate the Euler solver for prediction of the flowfield around advanced propellers and to demonstrate the usefulness of PIV data for this type of application. Averaged and instantaneous results are compared for two measurement planes and two advance ratios. The comparison of predictions with measurements shows good agreement. The results demonstrate that the Euler solver used is an accurate tool for the prediction of high-speed propeller flowfields.