12

Propeller Characteristics

12.1 Propeller Geometry, Coefficients, Characteristics

12.1.1 Propeller Geometry
A marine propeller consists of a number of blades (27) mounted on a boss, Figure 12.1. Normal practice is to cast the propeller in one piece. For special applications, built-up propellers with detachable blades may be employed, such as for
controllable pitch propellers or when the blades are made from composite materials.
The propeller is defined in relation to a generator line, sometimes referred to as
the directrix, Figure 12.1. This line may be drawn at right angles to the shaft line, but
more normally it is raked. For normal applications, blades are raked aft to provide
the best clearance in the propeller aperture. For high-speed craft, the blades may be
raked forward to balance bending moments due to centrifugal forces against those
due to thrust loading.
Viewed from aft, the projected blade outline is not normally symmetric about
the generator line but is given some skew or throw round to help clear debris and
improve vibration characteristics. With skew, the blade sections meet any wake concentrations in a progressive manner, with possible reductions in vibration loading.
Skew and rake generally do not have any great effect on performance.
The propeller blade is defined by a number of sections drawn through the blade,
Figure 12.2. The sections lie on cylindrical surfaces coaxial with the propeller shaft.
The sections are defined in relation to a pseudohelical surface defined by sweeping
the generator along the shaft axis in such a way that the angle of rotation from some
datum is proportional to the forward movement of the generator along the shaft
axis. The intersection of the generator surface and the cylinder for a given section is
thus a true helix and, when the cylinder is developed, this helix appears as a straight
line. The longitudinal distance the generator moves in one complete revolution is
called the pitch of the section, in this case the geometric pitch.
Although at each radius the generator sweeps out a helix, the complete generator surface is usually not a helix because of the following:
(a) The generator is raked by an amount that can vary with radius.
(b) The geometric pitch (P), Figure 12.3, is usually not constant. It normally varies
with radius and is usually less at the boss than at the tip of the blade.
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