R&D

INNOVATION
Research & Development

Efficient propeller
design reduces both
fuel consumption and
emissions.

Shaping the future of

propulsion technology

Sophisticated information technology is allowing Wrtsil

scientists to examine the performance of propellers, a ships
driving force, in ever greater detail.
The Drunen unit in the Netherlands is right
at the heart of many of Wrtsils advances in
ship propulsion. The aim is to extract as much
as possible from design efficiencies in order to
reduce fuel consumption and emissions both
of which are urgent questions for customers
facing rising fuel bills and tighter environmental
regulations.
In the 1.2007 edition of Twentyfour7.,
Do Ligtelijn, General Manager Propulsion
Technology, provided a graphic description of
propeller cavitation and global efforts to tackle
it. In general, propeller behaviour predictions
since the 1930s have been based on laboratory

model tests to find the overall power needed to

propel a ship at contract speed, based on which
the yard is actually making the final product.
Propeller research and development now
embraces information technology, as tests
using models are not able to forecast accurately
enough what happens in real life. Our R&D is
concentrated on finding methods that overcome
these drawbacks, which are called scale effects.
As testing and reality are dissimilar, we are
seeking calculation methods that give more
reliable results for full scale ship and propeller
behaviour than predictions based on model
tests.

Te xt: J ohn Pagni

Photos: wrtsil

At the leading edge. Simply not available

in earlier times, high powered information
technology is now employed to compute the
complex mathematics models. Universities and
research institutes developed Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD), says Ligtelijn. Wrtsil
uses a commercial computer program for
engines, propellers, and waterjets as a tool
for design and research into problem areas.
We can now predict propeller behaviour using
CFD methods. In just one day we get full-scale
feedback which is at least as good as model
tests - or better. Were at the leading edge in
applying this science in our field.
Though current tools are inadequate for
predicting cavitation, future CFD methods
are viewed as the way forward. Cavitation is
a phenomenon which requires fundamental
investigation as the dynamics are not properly
understood, says Ligtelijn.
Through cooperation with the Aker Arctic
Research Centre in Helsinki, we are investigating
expected ice loads on both propellers and
ships, he says.
Blade tips yield increased
efficiency. All this brainpower and
information technology has born fruit. Although
state-of-the-art CFD tools have been used
in propeller design for some time, a lifting
surface-type program from the University of
Texas Austin is the current workhorse. Even
though it involves some simplification, it does
the job quicker. p

Even though digital techniques are used in both

design and manufacture, some propeller details
still require the human touch.

1.08 Twentyfour7. 43

01.2
Research & Development

At Drunen and other Wrtsil Propulsion

Delivery Centres, use of this program has
enabled the introduction of high-tech design
into special propeller-blade cross-sections
resembling an airplane wing. A correct
propeller blade profile can achieve improved
efficiency and reduced cavitation. Special blade
sections can be finetuned for each individual
propeller, which is also tailored to each ship,
says Ligtelijn.
Special blade tips, similar to the ones used
on an aircrafts wings, are also being employed.
The first of these, the Lips Tip Rake Propeller,
has blade tips that bend towards the rudder and
offers several benefits: reduced cavitation and
lower levels of vibration and noise, all of which
raise overall efficiency by some 2%.

Secrets in the foundry. Every propeller

must be manufactured precisely if it is to meet its
design goals. Although weve invested in digital
machinery, measurements are vital to ensure that
the result is within tolerance limits, as not every
detail of a propeller can be numerically machined
yet, says Ligtelijn.
One of our teams has performed extensive
materials trials to look beyond the traditional
copper alloys and create new and improved alloys.
Also non-metallic composites are being studied.
Using higher strength materials allows us to design
propeller blades with reduced thickness. As this
puts the focus back on performance predictions,
casting of the alloys must be spot on.
At Wrtsils foundries in Drunen, Zhenjiang
(China) and Santander (Spain), laboratory tests on

[ i n novat io n ]

A correct
propeller
blade profile
can achieve
improved
efficiency
and reduces
cavitation.

Bollard pull

Ducted propeller

A value expressed in tons

giving the maximum pull a
ship can exert, allowing
comparison of different
propulsion configurations.
As model tests are in most
cases not performed,
bollard pull values are very
often based on results of
calculations.

Tip rake

Compared to open designs,

propellers surrounded by a
nozzle are more efficient
because the nozzle
accelerates the water
towards the propeller,
thereby reducing its load.
This leads to higher
efficiency in moderately- to
heavily-loaded propellers.

Raking a propellers tip

changes the flow of water
around the tip, which
results in higher levels of
efficiency. In large fixed
pitch propellers (FPP), the
positive effect can be as
much as 3%.

benefit
44 Twentyfour7. 1.08

2008
Research & Development

bollard pull than a propeller alone. Our nozzle

development is the first advance in 30 years for
vessels that have moderately- to highly-loaded
propellers.
Since many of the worlds ships with
suitable propeller loadings are not fitted with
nozzles, Van Beek sees huge potential in
replacing old propellers with ducted versions
or incorporating these advanced designs in
newbuildings.

Horizontal and vertical

integration in R&D

The Propulsion Technology department

headed up by Do Ligtelijn has been woven
into a new Global R&D unit within Wrtsil
Industrial Operations. Preparations for the
move have been under way for some time.
According to Ligtelijn, the new
arrangements will benefit synergies in
several fields, including computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) concerning fuel and
exhaust flows in 2-stroke and 4-stroke
engines. We can always learn from each
other as these areas involve identical CFD
methods, if not exactly the same focus, he
says.
Materials is another area in which
synergy benefits are expected. While we
are experts in non-ferrous materials, Engine
R&D knows a lot about ferrous metals, says
Ligtelijn. Activities in tribology, the science
and technology of interacting surfaces lubricating oil films in pistons and cylinders,
controllable pitch propellers, or shafts
supported by bearings - also overlap. And
vibration and noise levels are items that
everyone has to deal with.
Many Wrtsil products also share
common features. Further integration
of our activities makes real sense, says
Ligtelijn. Working together and exchanging
experiences means that synergies already
active in engines and propulsion systems
and also those not yet exploited are
certain to result in overall gains.
Teus van Beek will also be affected by
the new structure. Im part of Ship Power
R&D which deals with developments in
propulsion technology. In Ship Power, the
focus is on customer segments merchant
shipping, offshore, cruise and ferry market,
navy and special vessels.
We try to bridge the gap between
external and internal customer
requirements and put the results into new
products and next-generation solutions.
Teams working under Do Ligtelijn carry out
basic R&D and we interact when making
use of Wrtsil Industrial Operations R&D,
says van Beek.

ts

There is huge
potential in replacing
old propellers with
ducted versions.

At the end of the power line. Weve

developed a product called Efficiency
Rudder that combines rudder and propeller
thinking, say van Beek. Designing these two
components at the same time offers savings in
fuel consumption of 3-7%. One of the original
patented features is the torpedo positioned
behind the propeller.
There are now 30 installations plying
the seas on different vessel types, a clear
demonstration of how R&D is redefining
seaborne transportation. Wrtsils position
in overhauling the entire power train is
strengthening. Combining a vessels engine,
gearbox, propeller and rudder into an integrated
whole is a better option than seeking optimised
separate solutions, says van Beek.

alloys are carried out just before casting takes

place. The small additions come from each
foundrys secret cookbook they can have a
significant influence on material properties.

Reducing losses behind the hub.

Teus van Beek, Director R&D, Energy Efficiency
Program, is in the fortunate position of being
able to see R&D become reality. One example is
the improved CPP E-Hub, which has upgraded
strength suitable for ice conditions. It has been
gradually introduced to the market over the last
two years.
There are now several operating references
which have demonstrated a 2% saving in power
demand due to lower losses behind the hub,
says van Beek. More fuel is being transported
in icy waters and we were able to support this
market requirement for ice-strengthened
vessels at just the right time.
Another example is the Wrtsil HR Nozzle.
According to van Beek, this unique design gives
much better bollard-pull characteristics an
improvement of some 8% for the same power
input purely as a result of its hydrodynamic
shape.
Nozzled propellers generate 25% more

1.08 Twentyfour7. 45