This book deals with flows over propellers operating behind ships and the hydrodynamic forces and moments which the propeller generates on the shaft and on the ship hull.

The first part of the text is devoted to fundamentals of the flow about hydrofoil sections (with and without cavitation) and about wings. It then treats propellers in uniform flow, first via advanced actuator disc modelling, and then using lifting-line theory. Pragmatic guidance is given for design and evaluation of performance, including the use of computer modelling.

The second part covers the development of unsteady forces arising from operation in non-uniform hull wakes. First, by a number of simplifications, various aspects of the problem are dealt with separately until the full problem of a non-cavitating, wide-bladed propeller in a wake is treated by a new and completely developed theory. Next, the complicated problem of an intermittently cavitating propeller in a wake and the pressures and forces it exerts on the shaft and on the ship hull is examined.

A final chapter discusses the optimization of efficiency of compound propulsors. The authors have taken care to clearly describe physical concepts and mathematical steps. Appendices provide concise expositions of the mathematical techniques used

1. The book will be of interest to students, research workers and professional engineers (naval architects) in ship and propeller dynamics.