7.

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ITTC Quality System Manual

Recommended Procedures and Guidelines

Guideline

Experimental Wake Scaling Methods

7.5 Process Control

7.5-02 Testing and Extrapolation Methods

7.5-02-03 Propulsion

7.5-02-03-02 Propulsor

7.5-02-03-02.5 Experimental Wake Scaling Methods

Updated / Edited by Approved

Propulsion Committee of the 28th ITTC 28th ITTC 2017

Date: 06/2017 Date: 09/2017

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Table of Contents

4.1.4 Scaling by Adjustment of a Local

1. PURPOSE OF GUIDELINE .............. 3 Significant Advance Coefficient 5
2. PARAMETERS ................................... 3 4.1.5 Scaling by Hull Surface
Treatment ................................... 6
2.1 Basic Measurement Quantities ....... 3
4.2 Model Wake Field from a Dummy
2.2 Derived Parameters ......................... 3 Model ................................................ 6
3. DIRECT SIMULATION OF A 5. GENERAL REMARKS
TARGET WAKE FIELD ................... 4 REGARDING EXPERIMENTAL
WAKE SCALING ............................... 7
4. EXPERIMENTAL WAKE
SCALING ............................................. 4 6. LIMITATIONS ................................... 7
4.1 Model Wake Field from a Complete
Model ................................................ 4 7. BENCHMARK TESTS AND
VALIDATION ..................................... 8
4.1.1 Scaling by Water Speed
Increase....................................... 4 8. REFERENCES .................................... 8
4.1.2 Scaling by Flow Guiding............ 4
4.1.3 Scaling by Model Shortening ..... 5
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Experimental Wake Scaling Methods

The recommendations given there, however,

apply independently of the question of whether
1. PURPOSE OF GUIDELINE a model scale or a full scale wake field shall be
simulated.
The aim of this guideline is aid model basins
in generating a wake field for cavitation test, The present procedure deals with considera-
which represents as good as possible the propel- tions regarding experimental methods to tune a
ler inflow conditions as expected in reality. The model scale wake field in a cavitation tunnel to-
final result of a cavitation experiment, however, wards a full scale wake field. This full scale tar-
– may it be cavitation extent, cavitation incep- get wake field may have been either calculated
tion, or pressure pulse generation, is additionally directly by RANS calculations, or – under con-
influenced by many other uncertainties perhaps sideration of the ITTC recommended procedure
canceling out each other to some extent. Conse- XXX (new procedure) – from application of
quently, this increased propeller inflow realism scaling procedures to a model wake field. Very
will not necessarily result in an increased relia- rarely would it have been obtained from full
bility of those final results. scale wake measurements.
Simulation of wake fields in general has
been addressed already by ITTC recommended 2. PARAMETERS
procedures.
2.1 Basic Measurement Quantities
• 7.5 -02 03-03.1:
Testing and Extrapolation Methods R Propeller radius
Propulsion, Cavitation rh Propeller hub radius
Model - Scale Cavitation Test VT Tunnel Velocity in the test section
• 7.5-02 03-03.3: vx Axial component of local flow direction
Testing and Extrapolation Methods vt Tangential component of local flow di-
Propulsion; Cavitation rection
Cavitation Induced Pressure Fluctuations vr Radial component of local flow direction
Model Scale Experiments
• 7.5-02 03-03.5: 2.2 Derived Parameters
Propulsion; Cavitation
Cavitation Induced Erosion on Propellers, vx /VT, vt /VT, vr /VT Non-dimensional flow
Rudders and Appendages components
Model Scale Experiment wnom Nominal wake fraction
• 7.5-02 03-03.6:
Testing and Extrapolation Methods 1 1
1
 2π v x 
Propulsion, Cavitation wnom =1 − ⋅
π 1 − ( r R )2
h
⋅ ∫rh  ∫0 VT d Θ  dx
x ⋅
Podded Propulsor R

Model - Scale Cavitation Test.

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3. DIRECT SIMULATION OF A TAR- cavitation tests in a large cavitation tunnel with-

GET WAKE FIELD out free surface are normally conducted at much
higher speed than would result from Froude's
There are mainly two methods in use for scaling law. One has to be aware of the fact that
cavitation testing, that allow – with more or less this speed increase results in a higher Reynolds
accuracy – simulation of any kind of target wake number generating a more full scale-like wake
field, i.e. independent of whether it is a model field. Since principally propeller load and cavi-
wake field, a full scale wake field or even any tation number can be adjusted at any tunnel wa-
kind of generic wake field (e.g. for research pur- ter speed in a cavitation tunnel (of course result-
poses) that is to be simulated. Those methods ing in different tunnel pressures and model pro-
are: peller speeds and therefore limited by technical
constraints of the facility), this freedom gives
• wake simulation by wire screen technique the opportunity to tune the wake field towards
• wake simulation by parallel plate wake gen- the full scale wake. A high tunnel water speed
erator. can therefore be regarded as one efficient mean
for wake scaling, and the recommendation is
For these methods, considerations regarding simply to chose the speed as high as possible to
the target wake and the accuracy of its simula- come as close as possible to the full scale Reyn-
tion are necessary indeed, but have been ad- olds number.
dressed in the procedures mentioned in section
1. Experimental wake scaling techniques, as For cavitation experiments carried out in a
they are focus of the present guideline, are not depressurized towing tank or any other facility
an issue when using one of these two methods. with free surface the deviation from Froude's
scaling law has to be handled with extreme care,
since it will spoil the full scale similarity of the
4. EXPERIMENTAL WAKE SCALING wave wake. The latter, however, is the main rea-
son for performance of cavitation tests in a free
The means for tuning a model wake field to- surface facility.
wards a full scale wake naturally depend on the
method used for the model wake field genera-
4.1.2 Scaling by Flow Guiding
tion itself.
Besides the different speeds, another differ-
4.1 Model Wake Field from a Complete ence to the towing tank situation is that the test
Model section of a cavitation tunnel normally offers a
much more restricted cross section. In a distance
4.1.1 Scaling by Water Speed Increase from the ship model where in the towing tank
the water particles are still able to form natural
Wherever possible, the preferred method for flow lines as in reality, the tunnel walls of a cav-
wake field generation in a cavitation experiment itation tunnel already force the particles to go
is the installation of the complete ship model in straight along the tunnel wall. To avoid this
the test section (see ITTC recommended proce- wake deformation, one can install so-called flow
dure 7.5-02-03-03.5, section 2.1 from 2008). liners. These devices can also be used to tune the
This setup still does not necessarily generate a flow not only towards the unrestricted (tank) sit-
model wake as it would be measured in a towing uation, but even towards the high Reynolds
tank under Froude conditions. One reason is that number full scale situation. This correction,
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however, requires a careful flow liner layout best results. In cases where this region is not
based on RANS calculations. It is recommended long enough to achieve a sufficient shortening,
that flow lines be calculated at full scale Reyn- it is recommended to (additionally) reduce the
olds number in an unlimited flow regime and to model length in the forebody rather than in the
shape the flow liner along these calculated flow afterbody. For this purpose it is reasonable to re-
lines around the afterbody. The liners should place the original forebody by a shorter dummy
range from the aft shoulder of the ship model piece as shown in Figure 2. An easy relation to
sufficiently far behind the propeller plane (at estimate the required shortening can be derived
least three propeller diameters) as illustrated in from simple flat plate boundary layer consider-
Figure 1. Since each hull form naturally leads to ations according to Johannsen (1992):
a different flow liner geometry, this expensive
0.111
technique might be restricted to research pur-  Vtunnel water 
= ⋅ λ −1.111

poses. lshortened model lship 
 V
 ship 

where l [m] is the length of ship and model re-

spectively, V [m/s] is the tunnel water or ship
speed and λ is the model scale factor.

Fig. 1: Flow Liners in a Cavitation Tunnel Using a Com-

plete Ship Model for Wake Simulation
Fig. 2: Shortening of a Container Vessel Model

4.1.3 Scaling by Model Shortening

4.1.4 Scaling by Adjustment of a Local Sig-
Shortening the ship model is a well known nificant Advance Coefficient
technique to reduce the boundary layer thick-
ness, making the frictional model wake more When performing cavitation tests at high
similar to full scale. In cases of ships having a tunnel water speed, i.e. violating Froude's scal-
considerable parallel midship section, it is rec- ing law, the identity of model and full scale cav-
ommended to shorten this section to achieve the itation number can be achieved in one horizontal
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plane only at the same time. According to ITTC more theoretical considerations are nowadays
recommended procedure 7.5-02 03-03.1, sec- still impossible to quantify the effect of this
tion 2.10, this horizontal plane should be located technique. Even more than with the other tech-
in a depth, where the cavitation predominantly niques described in this procedure, it is recom-
occurs. This is normally around 0.8 to 0.9 R at mended to check its outcome by a wake meas-
the top of the propeller disk. It can be reasonable, urement when applying it to a cavitation exper-
to do something similar with respect to the in- iment (see also section 4).
flow velocity. Normally, the tunnel water speed
is adjusted to meet a certain KT-value for the 4.2 Model Wake Field from a Dummy
model propeller (thrust identity, see above pro- Model
cedure, section 2.2). This KT, however, is an in-
tegral value, and for wake scaling purposes it A dummy model should be used in medium
can be worthwhile to deviate from the resulting sized cavitation tunnels for cavitation tests and
speed to achieve full scale identity of a local ad- pressure fluctuation measurements. The after-
vance coefficient J instead. If so, J-identity body of the dummy model must be similar to the
should be achieved in the same region as de- ship. The length of the geometric similar after
scribed above with respect to the cavitation body depends on the dimension of the test sec-
number, i.e. in the region of maximum wake. tion and the blockage factor. The test section
Due to scale effects the 12 o'clock wake peak blockage should not exceed 25 %.
behind the ship model is generally deeper than
at full scale and compensation of this scale ef- Attention should be paid to the design of the
fect will require a higher tunnel water speed than fore body. The first step of the wake field simu-
obtained from KT-identity. When applying this lation should be a check that no flow separation
wake scaling method it is recommended to de- on the dummy model occurs.
termine the correct tunnel water speed by com-
parative RANS calculations of the model and The wake field of the dummy model at a
full scale wake field of the ship under consider- given inflow speed should be measured to get
ation. the necessary information regarding the wake
field simulation. Typically, the wake of a small
With respect to free surface facilities the ca- dummy model results in a wake peak that is
veats mentioned under "Scaling by Water Speed even less pronounced than in full scale. Wire
Increase" apply here as well. mesh screens can therefore be mounted perpen-
dicular to the hull to simulate the predicted full
4.1.5 Scaling by Hull Surface Treatment scale propeller inflow. The configuration used
strongly depends on the skills of the model basin
Due to the low Reynolds number at model and on existing correlation data between model
scale, flow separation may occur earlier on the and full scale.
hull than on the real ship. Similar to the dents in
a golf ball it is possible to reduce this scale effect The wake scaling by additional wire screen
to some extent by surface treatment of the model patches is a time consuming iterative process of
hull. Sand roughening or wire screens along the wire screen modifications and wake measure-
surface are in use for this purpose. This tech- ments to achieve the target propeller inflow.
nique, however, should be handled with care During the wake field simulation the rudder
since the unrealistic surface roughening might should be dismounted. Measurement of the
also stimulate unrealistic cavitation. Further-
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wake can be performed by using any suitable ve- model and full scale cavitation behavior or pres-
locimetry technique. When using pitot tube or sure pulse level. One should for example be
Laser Doppler Velocimetry, ITTC procedures aware of the fact, that the exaggerated model
should be adopted. wake field might help to compensate for the un-
der prediction of cavitation that might result
The simulated wake shall be documented to from a too low gas content as it is usual in the
verify that the deviation from the target wake tunnel water. If so, a more realistic wake simu-
can be neglected. lation would even reduce the accuracy of a cav-
itation prediction. So it can be stated that an ex-
Since – depending on its dimensions – the perimental wake scaling procedure has to be
dummy hull model alone normally generates a carefully adjusted to the individual cavitation
wake peak, which is less pronounced than at full testing facility.
scale, the scaling techniques described in sec-
tion 4.1 must be regarded as counterproductive All techniques for wake scaling applied in a
with respect to full scale wake similarity. In cavitation experiment should be documented in
spite of this fact an increased tunnel water speed the corresponding test report.
(resulting in a higher model propeller speed)
may be reasonable to achieve a high propeller
Reynolds Number during the cavitation test as 6. LIMITATIONS
recommended by ITTC procedure 7.5-02-03-
03.1, section 2.2. In cases where no experimental wake scaling
can be used in the cavitation experiment, one
should at least be aware of the effects, which this
5. GENERAL REMARKS REGARDING deficiency may cause
EXPERIMENTAL WAKE SCAL-
ING • Over prediction of suction side cavitation
extent,
When applying one or more of the experi- • Inception of suction side cavitation at lower
mental wake scaling techniques described here, cavitation numbers,
it is strongly recommended to verify the final • Under prediction of pressure side cavitation
outcome by wake measurements under consid- extent,
eration of ITTC recommended procedures 7.5- • Over prediction of safety margin against
02-03-02.3 or 7.5-02-03-02.4 respectively. face cavitation inception,
Independent of that, one should always keep • Over prediction of first harmonic hull pres-
in mind that the wake field adjusted in a cavita- sure pulses,
tion tunnel is only one little piece of the compli- • Influence on higher harmonic pressure
cated chain leading to a cavitation or pressure pulses in either direction.
pulse prediction at its end. Many other aspects
contribute to the accuracy of this prediction and While most of the above mentioned devia-
their individual inaccuracies may to some extent tions lead to a full scale prognosis on the safe,
cancel out each other. For this reason the use of conservative side, one should be particularly
a wake scaling method should not be justified by aware of the fact that higher harmonic pressure
achievement of a particularly good similarity pulses as well as pressure side cavitation phe-
between model and full scale wake alone, but by nomena might appear less critical in the experi-
achievement of a particularly good similarity of ment than in full scale.
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7. BENCHMARK TESTS AND VALI- chain in total than the wake scaling technique
DATION alone.

Benchmark tests in a way that different

model basins would have compared their wake 8. REFERENCES
simulations for the same case with respect to its
similarity to a given full scale wake distribution Johannsen, C., 1992, "Correlation Investiga-
are not known. tions on Cavitation, Pressure Pulses and
Noise with Ship Models of Regular Length
For validation purposes the report of the spe- and Shortened Models in HYKAT", Part A:
cialist committee on wake scaling of the 26th "Wake, Cavitation and Pressure Pulses", Re-
ITTC contains a comprehensive list of full scale port No. 1575, Hamburg Ship Model Basin
wake measurements that may be used to check (in German)
the ability of different experimental wake scal-
ing methods to arrive at the full scale propeller
inflow. Since almost all these full scale meas-
urements represent the total wake, i.e. the wake
in presence of the working propeller, the com-
parison should be handled with care. It can ei-
ther be made on the basis of the nominal wake,
which requires to correct the full scale results for
the influence of the working propeller. Or it can
be made on the basis of the total wake. In the
latter case the model wake measurement needs
to be carried out in front of the working propel-
ler or the propeller influence has to be consid-
ered subsequently by numerical corrections.

In case that numerical calculations of a nom-

inal full scale wake shall be used for validation,
it is recommended to make sure that the calcu-
lation method is able to properly capture the
main features of the wake in question (e.g. vor-
tex structures). Therefore it is recommended to
per-form a calculation of the nominal model
wake field first and to compare this with the
measured one.

Another option is to validate the wake simu-

lation on the basis of the final result of the cavi-
tation experiment that it was used for. This
means comparison of cavitation extent, cavita-
tion inception or pressure pulse generation ob-
tained in the cavitation experiment with corre-
spond-ing full scale results. This comparison,
however, validates rather the experimental