To optimize the propulsion efficiency of trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD) in two typical operating conditions: low-speed operation and self high-speed navigation,

The ducted pitch propeller and the ducted pitch propeller are designed based on the graph method, and the performance difference of the two cases is compared. A multi-objective optimization platform is established, utilizing the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithmⅡ (NSGA-Ⅱ) to conduct an optimization study of the fixed-pitch ducted propeller that balances both operating conditions.

The results show that the pitch ratios of the ducted propellers obtained based on the graph method are very close for both operating conditions, allowing a compromise propeller design to achieve good efficiency in both conditions. Furthermore, compared to the ducted fixed-pitch propeller, the ducted controllable-pitch propeller has higher requirements for the disk area ratio, and under dredging conditions, the fixed-pitch propeller exhibits higher efficiency. Through optimization, the two optimal ducted propeller designs obtained show efficiency improvements of 5.65% and 5.59% under dredging condition, and increases of 7.70% and 8.09% under high-speed navigation condition, respectively.

It provides assistance and reference for subsequent research.