Propeller, Types of Propellers and Construction of Propellers

A propeller is a rotating fan like structure which is used to propel the ship by using the power generated and transmitted by the main engine of the ship. The transmitted power is converted from rotational motion to generate a thrust which imparts momentum to the water, resulting in a force that acts on the ship and pushes it forward.

A ship propels on the basis of Bernoulli’s principle and Newton’s third law. A pressure difference is created on the forward and aft side of the blade and water is accelerated behind the blades.

The thrust from the propeller is transmitted to move the ship through a transmission system which consists of a rotational motion generated by the main engine crank shaft, intermediate shaft and its bearings, stern tube shaft and its bearing and finally by the propeller itself.

A ship can be fitted with one, two and rarely three propellers depending upon the speed and maneuvering requirements of the vessel.

Material and Construction of Propeller

Marine propellers are made from corrosion resistant materials as they are made operational directly in sea water which is a corrosion accelerator. The materials used for making marine propeller are alloy of aluminum and stainless steel. Other popular materials used are alloys of nickel, aluminum and bronze which are 10~15 % lighter than other materials and have higher strength.

The construction process of the propeller includes attaching a number of blades to the hub or boss by welding or forging in one piece. Forged blades are highly reliable and have greater strength but are expensive as compared to welded ones. A marine propeller is constructed by sections of helicoidal surfaces acting together to rotate through water with a screw effect.

Types of Propeller

Propellers are be classified on the basis of several factors. The classification of different types of propellers is shown below:

A) Classification by Number of Blades Attached:

Propeller blades may vary from 3 blade propeller to 4 blade propeller and sometimes even 5 blade propeller. However, the most commonly used are 3 blades and 4 blade propellers.

However, the most commonly used are 4 blades and 5 blade propellers.

The propeller efficiency will be highest for propeller with minimum number of blades i.e. 2 blade propeller. But to achieve strength factor and considering the heavy loads subjected by the ship, sea and weather two blade propellers are not used for merchant ships.

3 blade propeller

A 3 blade propeller has following characteristics:

·   The manufacturing cost is lower than other types.

·   Are normally made up of aluminium alloy.

·   Gives a good high speed performance.

·   The acceleration is better than other types.

·   Low speed handling is not much efficient.

4 blade propeller

A 4 blade propeller has following characteristics:

·   The manufacturing cost is higher than 3 blade propellers.

·   4 blade propellers are normally made up of stainless steel alloys.

·   Have better strength and durability.

·   Gives a good low speed handling and performance.

·   Has a better holding power in rough seas.

·   4 blade propeller provides a better fuel economy than all the other types.

5 blade propeller

A 5 blade propeller has following characteristics:

·   Manufacturing cost is higher of all.

·   Vibration is minimal from all the other types.

·   5 blade propellers have better holding power in rough seas.

6 blade propeller

·   Manufacturing cost is high

·   Vibration is minimal from all the other types.

·   6 blade propellers have better holding power in rough seas.

·   With six blade propeller, the induced pressure field over the propeller decreases

Large container ships are mainly fitted with 5 or 6-bladed propellers.

B) Classification By pitch of the blade:

Pitch of a propeller can be defined as the displacement that a propeller makes for every full revolution of 360 ̊. The classification of the propellers on the basis of pitch is as follows.

Fixed Pitch Propeller

The blades in fixed pitch propeller are permanently attached to the hub. The fixed pitch type propellers are casted and the position of the blades and hence the position of the pitch is permanently fixed and cannot be changed during the operation. They are normally made from copper alloy.

Fixed pitch propellers are robust and reliable as the system doesn’t incorporate any mechanical and hydraulic connection as in Controlled Pitch Propeller (CPP). The manufacturing, installation and operational costs are lower than controlled pitch propeller (CPP) type. The manoeuvrability of fixed pitch propeller is also not as good as CPP.

These type of propellers are fitted in ship which does not have good maneuverability requirements.

Controllable Pitch Propeller

In Controlled Pitch type propeller, it is possible to alter the pitch by rotating the blade about its vertical axis by means of mechanical and hydraulic arrangement. This helps in driving the propulsion machinery at constant load with no reversing mechanism required as the pitch can be altered to match the required operating condition. Thus the manoeuvrability improves and the engine efficiency also increases.

This drawback includes the possibility of oil pollution as the hydraulic oil in the boss which is used for controlling the pitch may leak out. It is a complex and expensive system from both installation and operational point. Moreover, the pitch can get stuck in one position, making it difficult to manoeuvre the engine.

Read Also: Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) Vs Fixed Pitch Propeller (FPP)

However the propeller efficiency for the CP propeller is slightly lower than the same size FP propeller due to the larger hub to accommodate the blade pitch mechanism and pipings.

Propeller Dimension: As a general rule, a larger diameter propeller will be more efficient. But the real dimension of the propeller will depend on the type of ship it will be used for and following factors:

1.   Aft body construction and design of the ship

2.   Clearance requirement between the tip and hull of ship

3.   General ballast condition of the ship. For tankers and bulkers, the propeller size will be small as compare to containers

4.   The design draught of the ship

 Propeller dimension approximate value

·   For Container ship d/D = 0.74

·   For Bulk carrier and Tanker d/D = 0.65

Where d- diameter of propeller,  D- design draught 

Reason for Heavy Running of Propeller

A propeller is supplied with engine power to rotate and propel the ship in desired direction. If the Amount of power provided to the propeller is not generating the same rate of revolution, the propeller is considered to be in heavy running state which may be due to following reason:

·   Damage to propeller blades

·   Increase in hull resistance due to hull fouling resulting in change in wakefield

·   During rough / heavy seas

·   Ship sailing against the current

·   Ship sailing in light ballast condition

·   Ship Sailing In Shallow Water and Ship with flat stern