A new theory on a cavitating propeller is proposed, treating the cavitation threedimensionally, and using a lifting surface theory. A numerical method has also been developed based on this theory, appying the vortex lattice method and replacing the cavitation and the blade thickness by source elements, for a cavitating propeller operating in a uniform flow.
To evaluate the present method, the calculations are carried out for a model propeller and compared with other prediction methods and the model test results.
It is confirmed that the present method gives considerable improvements, in comparison with the conventional methods, on the evaluation of the cavity thickness due to the three-dimensional flow, and on the elimination of the instability of the solution caused by the two-dimensional theory.