Numerical study on the influence of serrated blade edge on propeller cavitation characteristics and efficiency

The reduction in efficiency, noise, vibration, and material erosion caused by propeller cavitation severely restricts the performance improvement of ships and underwater vehicles. Therefore, this study systematically explores the coupled influence mechanism of serrated blade edge geometric parameters (height, width, spacing, and angle) on the cavitation characteristics and propulsion efficiency of the VP1304 propeller based on the principle of bionics. The multi-parameter synergistic effect is quantitatively analyzed by coupling the realizable k–ε turbulence model with the Schnerr–Sauer cavitation model and employing the L9 (34) orthogonal experimental design. The results showed that appropriate parameter settings reduce cavitation volume by 19.93%, while propulsion efficiency decreases by only 7.37%, highlighting the inherent contradiction between cavitation suppression and propulsion efficiency. This study presents a new method of bionic structure optimization for propeller design, providing engineering application value for improving propeller performance.