Propellers have been used for decades as the main propelling devices in most of the ships, while none of the developed alternative solutions has been able to supplant it so far, due to their high efficiency and simplicity. The propeller turns the rotating energy (torque and rpm) of the propulsion machinery into thrust by means of a differential pressure between its own faces. The propeller works in the wake of the ship, where normally there is a turbulent flow and the speed of the water that arrives at the propeller is not usually uniform, so the angle of attack of the different sections from the blade vary during a revolution. This is why the wake adapted design is essential to obtain a suitable operation.
A good design of the propeller is characterized by an optimal compromise between all the existing restrictions on design, such as on mechanical, geometric, hydrodynamics limitations, etc. For that reason its design must be carried out with great care and expertise, always taking the project constrains into account.
Small improvements in the propeller efficiency can provide important fuel savings in the ship operation. A detailed project for the propeller allows adjustments in the blade area, load distribution or profile type to use increasing its efficiency, and therefore the efficiency of all our installation.
For those ships requiring a propeller design that guarantees a minimum level of noise and vibration (e.g. an oceanographic research vessel or a megayacht), it is necessary to carry out a detailed design of the propeller where the different working conditions for the ship are analyzed optimizing the design in such a way that the cavitation inseption speed is as high as possible, allowing an cavitation-free operation in the rank of service speeds and conditions.
Vicus Desarrollos Tecnológicos S.L. supports you in all the stages of the project, from the conceptual design and choice of the propulsion plant to the detailed design of the propeller, and finally offering assistance during sea trials and analysis of the results.
