Theoretical model for microbubble drag reduction technique applied to marine propellers

Abstract

An increase in the propeller efficiency could result in a reduction of the contaminant emissions of ships. The reduction of drag by means of injecting microbubbles in the boundary layer of the blade of propeller is first studied in this article based on the fluid mechanics theory and the fundamental knowledge of this recent technique (that is usually applied to the hull of ships instead). A theoretical approach is proposed to evaluate the drag reduction due to the bubbles presence inside the boundary layer. This is a new application of bubbles dynamic to reduce the drag of the blades of the marine propellers, thus increasing their efficiency.