Abstract:Humpback whales exhibit agility that does not match their large size when capturing prey, thanks to the nodular protrusions on their pectoral fins. To improve the performance of the propulsion system and reduce the underwater radiation noise caused by it, the fin like limbs of the humpback whale were applied to the design optimization of the wheel rim thruster using biomimetic principles, and the hydrodynamic and fluid noise performance of the biomimetic wheel rim thruster were analyzed using STAR-CCM+software. The results show that: (1) biomimetic nodules can improve the efficiency of wheel rim thrusters, and the higher the speed, the greater the increase in efficiency, with a 3.16% increase at the highest efficiency point; (2) Biomimetic wheel rim thrusters can reduce near-field and far-field noise, with a maximum reduction of 20dB in near-field noise at 1150Hz, an average reduction of 8dB in far-field low-frequency noise, and a maximum reduction of 20dB at 1150Hz.
