Propulsion

Powering begins with initial approximation of the diameter of the propeller and
the Thrust corresponding to the calculated resistance. The entire powering
calculations and propeller design is done using T-J P-J charts. The required power
and rpm of the engine are determined and an initial engine selection is done with
sufficient deration using T-J charts. Again the thrust and diameter are found out
using the selected engine power using P-J charts. Finally the calculated thrust
should exceed the required thrust and the diameter should not exceed the initial
approximation for optimum design.

Propulsion system
Propulsion system to be employed is of single screw fixed pitch type as it is mostly
used in cargo ships. This system is much simple, and consequently less costly to
purchase and operate. The ship has to operate normally under the service speeds
and any kind of emergencies as in warships are hardly dealt with.

Open Water Propeller series

Wageningen B series [Oosterveld, 1975] was selected for the design of propeller.
This series was developed from the open- water analysis of 120 Troost (air- foil)
form, open-wheel propellers in the Netherlands Ship Model Basin (NSMB) at
Wageningen. Given below are the ranges of parameters of propellers in this
series.

Configuration : Open-wheel
Number of blades : 2 to 7
Blade area ratio : 0.3 to 1.05
Pitch-Diameter ratio : 0.5 to 1.4
Advance coefficient : 0.05 to 1.5

Propeller Characteristics
Quasi Propulsive Coefficient (ŋD)
Quasi-propulsive coefficient or QPC (D) is defined as the ratio of effective power
to the delivered power: QPC = PE / PD. It can also be obtained from the product
of Hull efficiency, Relative-rotative efficiency, and the Open water efficiency. ie ŋD
= ŋH ŋR ŋO.
Hull Efficiency
The work done in moving a ship at a speed V against a resistance RT is
proportional to the product RT x V or the work done by the propeller in delivering
a thrust T at a speed of Advance VA is proportional to the product T x VA.
ŋH = (1-t)/(1-w),
t = Thrust Deduction Factor
w = Wake Fraction

Wake Fraction (w)

Effective wake is based up on the thrust identity method in open water tests.
Factors affecting wake are CB and (B/L) which increase with wake and B/T and
rudder thickness which decreases with wake.
w = (V – VA)/V, VA is the velocity of advance in knots.

Diameter
In theory, the largest diameter produces the greatest possible efficiency. So the
selection of diameter is more often than not determined by the available stern
opening. Like all physical trends, however, there are practical limits that should be
observed since this is not always the case. Obviously, some clearances must exist
between the hull and the propeller tips to control noise and vibration. The extent
of this clearance depends upon the application, but is usually ten to twenty
percent of the diameter. Single-screw installations tend to require greater
clearances than multi-screw. Cavitations play an important role in the selection of
diameter. For the start of the propeller design, diameter is assumed to 2/3rd of
the draft.

Blade area
The amount of blade area does not greatly affect theoretical performance, but
the trend is that less blade area increases efficiency. Its primary function is to
provide enough area to distribute the generated pressures so that the lift in any
particular spot stays below a certain cavitation - inducing level. So the idea is to
use as litter blade area as possible while retaining enough to distribute the
pressures. In addition to the cavitation limits, there are other upper and lower
limits to maintain. If a blade area is too low, structural concerns will require that
the thickness of the blades be increased resulting in a reduction in efficiency
Number of blades
Efficiency decreases with increase in blades. The level of unsteady forces is
affected by number of blades. Like blade area trends the fewer the blades, the
greater the theoretical efficiency. The number of blades and the required blade
area, however, usually go hand in hand.