2_2026_sen_5

Title of the article RESULTS OF STUDIES OF THE WATER INTAKE DEVICE OF A WATER-JET PROPULSOR WITH DIFFERENT CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPES
Authors

BRAIM Dmitry N., Postgraduate Student at the Department “Hydrotechnical and Power Engineering, Water Transport and Hydraulics”, Belarusian National Technical University, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

KACHANOV Igor V., D. Sc. in Eng., Prof., Head of the Department “Hydrotechnical and Power Engineering, Water Transport and Hydraulics”, Belarusian National Technical University, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VOLKOV Alexander V., D. Sc. in Eng., Prof., Head of the Department “Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Machines” named after V.S. Kvyatkovsky, National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, Moscow, Russian Federation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SHATALOV Igor M., Senior Lecturer of the Department “Hydrotechnical and Power Engineering, Water Transport and Hydraulics”, Belarusian National Technical University, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AFANASYEV Aleksey P., Director, OJSC “Belsudoproekt”, Gomel, Republic of Belarus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FILIPCHIK Aleksey V., Ph. D. in Eng., Assoc. Prof., Associate Professor of the Department “Energy Efficient Technologies”, International Sakharov Environmental Institute of Belarusian State University, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In the section MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COMPONENTS
Year 2026
Issue 2(75)
Pages 44–51
Type of article RAR
Index UDK 629.5.036
DOI https://doi.org/10.46864/1995-0470-2026-2-75-44-51
Abstract The article presents the results of laboratory hydraulic studies of water intakes of marine water-jet propulsors with different shapes and cross-sectional sizes. Due to climate change, shallow areas are formed on the inland waterways of the Republic of Belarus, which pose a serious problem for fleet operation. One of the options for increasing the efficiency of the fleet operation in shallow water conditions is the use of water- jet propulsors that ensure the movement of ships at a given speed. However, a common drawback of all modern water-jet propulsors is low efficiency due to high hydraulic pressure losses. Analysis of the results achieved in the laboratory of the Center for Technical Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Machines of the Department “Hydrotechnical and Power Engineering, Water Transport and Hydraulics” of the Belarusian National Technical University on turning sections of pulp pipelines and fire monitor nozzles for fire extinguishing showed that a decrease in hydraulic resistance in these areas can be achieved, within a constant area, by changing the shape and size of their cross-section [1–3]. The design of a water intake pipeline of a full-pressure water-jet propulsor with a circular cross-section, consisting of two turning sections (inlet and outlet) connected by a flow part, was chosen as a prototype for the research. The specified design of a water-jet propulsor is widely used on modern vessels for operation in shallow water conditions. To improve the efficiency of the traction characteristic, the flow part with turning sections was modified in the prototype design by replacing the circular cross-section with an equal-area cross-section having square, rectangular, elliptical and oval profiles. For this purpose, laboratory hydraulic research was conducted with models of water intake pipeline of circular (standard), rectangular, elliptical and oval cross-sections. Hydraulic research was carried out on water intake models manufactured at a scale of 1:30 in the Center of Technical Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Machines of the Department “Hydrotechnical and Power Engineering, Water Transport and Hydraulics” of the Belarusian National Technical University. Conducted laboratory hydraulic research have shown that the optimal shape of the water intake pipeline cross-section is non-circular (rectangular, elliptical, oval). Such geometry of the water intake pipeline allowed to increase the flow rate and speed of water by an average of 8–10 % compared to a round cross-section. The established increase in the flow rate and speed of water makes it possible to conclude that the traction characteristics of the water-jet propulsor can be increased by 3–5 %.
Keywords water transport, water-jet propulsor, water intake, section, axis ratio, paired vortex, laboratory research, pilot plant, bench
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