Chapter VI.

Propulsion of Ships

The propulsion system of a ship is to provide the

thrust to the ship to overcome the resistance.
6.1 Introduction
• Propulsive Devices (reading p205-209)

Paddle-Wheels: While the draft varying with ship displacement,

the immersion of wheels also varies. The wheels may come out
of water when the ship is rolling, causing erratic course-keeping,
& they are likely to damage from rough seas.

Propellers: Its first use was in a steam-driven boat at N.Y. in

1804. Advantages over paddle-wheels are,
1) not substantially affected by normal changes in draft;
2) not easily damaged;
3) decreasing the width of the ship, &
4) good efficiency driven by lighter engine.
Since then, propellers have dominated in use of marine
propulsion.
Paddle Wheels Propulsion (Stern)
Paddle Wheels Propulsion (Midship)
Propeller (5-blade)
Propeller (5-blade) & Rudder
Jet type: Water is drawn by a pump & delivered sternwards as a
jet at a high velocity. The reaction providing the thrust. It’s use
has been restricted to special types of ships.

Other propulsion Devices:

1. Nozzles (Duct) Propellers: main purpose is to increase the

thrust at low ship speed (tug, large oil tanker)
2. Vertical-Axis Propellers: Advantage is to control the direction
of thrust. Therefore, the ship has good maneuverability.
3. Controllable-Pitch Propellers (CCP): The pitch of screw can
be changed so that it will satisfy all working conditions.
4. Tandem and Contra-rotating Propellers: It is used because
the diameter of a propeller is restricted due to limit of the draft
or other reasons (torpedo). The efficiency of the propeller
usually decreases.
 Jet
Propulsion
Nozzle Propellers
Vertical-Axis Propellers
Vertical-Axis Propellers
Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP)
Contra-rotating Propellers
• Type of Ship Machinery
1. Steam Engine (no longer used in common)
Advantages: 1) good controllability at all loads, 2) to be
reversed easily, & 3) rpm (rotations per minute) matches
that of propellers
Disadvantages: 1.) very heavy 2.) occupy more space
3.) the output of power per cylinder is limited
4.) fuel consumption is high

2. Steam Turbine
Advantages:
1.) deliver a uniform turning torque, good performance for
large
unit power output, 2.) thermal efficiency is high.
Disadvantages:
1.) is nonreversible; 2.) rpm is too high, need a gear box to
3. Internal combustion engines (Diesel engine)
Advantages: 1.) are built in all sizes, fitted in ships ranging from
small boats to large super tankers, (less 100 hp ~ >30,000 hp);
2.) High thermal efficiency.
Disadvantages: 1.) Heavy cf. gas turbines;

4. Gas Turbines (developed for aeronautical applications)

Advantages: 1.) Do not need boiler, very light; 2.) Offer continuous
smooth driving, & need very short “warm” time.
Disadvantages: 1.) expensive in cost and maintenance 2.) need a
gear unit to reduce rpm.

5. Nuclear reactors – turbine

Advantages 1.) do not need boiler, fuel weight is very small
2.) operate full load for very long time (submarine)
Disadvantages 1.) weight of reactor and protection shield are heavy;
2) Environment problem, potential pollution.
• Definition of Power
Indicated horsepower (PI): is measured in the cylinders
(Steam reciprocating engines) by means of an instrument (an
“indicator”) which continuously records the gas or steam
pressure throughout the length of the piston travel.

PI  pm  L  A  n / 550

pm - mean effective pressure (psi)

L – Length of piston stroke (ft)
n – number of working strokes per second
A – effective piston area (in2)
n – number of cylinders
Brake Horsepower (PB): is the power measured at the crankshaft
coupling by means of a mechanical hydraulic or electrical brake.
PB  2 nQ / 550
where Q – brake torque (lb-ft) & n – revolutions per second.

Shaft horsepower (PS): is the power transmitted through the shaft

to the propeller. It is usually measured aboard ship as close to the
propeller as possible by means of a torsion meter .
 dS 
4
G n
PS 
13, 033bLS
where dS – shaft diameter (in), G – shear modulus of elasticity of
shaft material (psi), θ – measured angle of twist (degree),
LS – length of shaft over which θ is measured & n – revolution per
second
Delivered horsepower (PD): the power delivered to the propeller.

Thrust horsepower (PT): PT  T  VA / 550

T – Thrust delivered by propeller (lb)
VA – advance velocity of propeller (ft/s)

Effective horsepower (PE , or EHP):

PE  RT Vs / 550

RT – total resistance (lb)

Vs – advance velocity of ship (ft/s)
• Propulsion Efficiency

Total propulsion efficiency

PE
T  PS can also be replaced by PB or PI
PS
A more meaningful measure of hydrodynamic performance
of a propeller is: a quasi-propulsive coefficient,  D
PE
D  ,
PD
PD
S  , where S is the shaft transmission efficiency
PS
and thus, T   DS .
S - 98% for ships with main engine aft
- 97% for ships with main engine amidship
- smaller if a gear box is used.
6.2 Propeller Geometry and Terminology

Face
Back

Hubcap

Boss

Number of Blades: 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6
Boss
Hubcap
Shaft
• The face surface of a blade is a portion of a holicoidal surface

• The helicoidal surface: Considering a line AB perpendicular to

a line AA’ and supposing that AB rotates with uniform velocity
about AA’ and at the same time moves along AA’ with uniform
velocity, the surface swept out by AB is a helicoidal surface.
Pitch: P when the line AB makes one complete revolution
and arrives at A’B’. It traveled an axial distance AA’,
which represents the pitch of the surface. The propeller
blade is part of that surface and the pitch is also called the
pitch of the blade.

Pitch angle   tan 1  P  or tan   P

 2 r  2 r
P PR
Pitch ratio: PR  tan  
D 

o

2 r
p180
Expended Area AE

Developed Area AD
Boss: (aka, Hub)
Boss diameter – The blades at their lower ends or roots are
attached to a boss which in turn is attached to the propeller
shaft. The maximum diameter of this boss is called the
boss diameter . The boss diameter is usually made as
small
as possible and should be no larger than the size sufficient
to accommodate the blades and satisfying the
requirement of strength. It is usually expressed as a
fraction of the propeller diameter.

At one time propeller blades were manufactured separately

from the boss, but modern fixed pitch propellers have the
boss and blades cast together. However, in controllable
pitch propellers it is of course necessary for blades and
boss to be manufactured separately.
• Blade outline: it is decided by propeller series diagrams.

• “Expanded blade outline”

• Blade sections: they are radial sections through the blade.

The shape of these sections is then shaped when laid out flat.

•Blade thickness

•Blade width (Chord)

•Leading edge

•Trailing edge

P181 figure 10.5

• Rake (a blade is perpendicular or titled w.r.t the boss )

• Skew (the skewness of a blade w.r.t. the center line)

P
• Pitch ratio PR 
D
In case that the pitch, P, is not constant, then the pitch is
defined as P = Ptip (the pitch at the tip of a propeller).

• Blade area ratio = AD /A0

AD - Total (developed) blade area clear of that of the boss

A0   D 2 / 4
 6.3 Theory of Propeller Action
• Assumptions:
1) replacing the propeller with a stationary actuating disk across
which the pressure is made to rise;
2) neglecting the rotational effect of propeller

3) neglecting vortices shed from the blade tip, & frictional loss.

VA D
VA(1+a)
VA(1+b)
 • Momentum Conservation
Force = net momentum flux
(horizontal)
T   Q VA  1  b   VA 
Q   1  a  VA A0 = VA Af =  1  b  VA Aa (mass conservation)
T   QVAb   A0VA2  1  a  b

• Energy Equation
P V  1  b 
2 2 2
VA
  A

2g  2g
T b  2  b  VA
2
1
A0 P  T ,  , T  A0  b  2  b  VA2
A0 2g 2
1 a  1 b or a  b
2 2
Ideal Efficiency of a propeller
(no friction & no rotationary velo. considered)
TVA TVA VA A0 1
I    
QP TQ  1  a  VA A0 1  a
A0
1 1
I  
1 a 1 b / 2
Defining the thrust loading coeff., CT , as
T  A0VA2  1  a  b
CT  1   4 1 a a
2 VA A0 2 VA A0
2 1 2

1  1  CT 2
Thus, a  & I 
2 1  1  CT
With the increase in CT , the ideal efficiency decreases.
CT 0 1 2 3 4
I 1.00 0.827 0.732 0.667 0.618