SPECIAL TYPE OF PROPUILLERS and OTHER PROPULSION D

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RESISTANCE AND PROPULSION OF SHIPS
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CONTROLLABLE PITCH PROPELLER

 For fixed pitch propellers, we vary the rpm of the propeller to change the speed of
the ship. On the other hand, there is another type of propeller which is very popular
in the marine industry which is called the controllable pitch propeller. For these
specific typeS of propellers, as the name goes the pitch can be controlled. So, in this
type, we have the propeller blade which is mounted on a specific structure and that
is connected to the hub here.
 The pitch of the propeller blade can be controlled by rotating the propeller blade on
the mount that is used on the hub. Now, in this particular design, the blades are
mounted on spindles which are connected to the hub and the blades can be rotated
on the hub by changing the pitch of the propeller blades and this can be done by a
pitch control mechanism which is typically driven by a piston type mechanism by
changing the hydraulic pressure by oil supplied in the propeller shaft here.
 Because we have a pitch control mechanism which is housed within the hub, these
controllable pitch propellers are slightly more complex in its structure and
construction and a larger hub is required to house this pitch control mechanism for
the controllable pitch propeller. And in this particular case, we can change both pitch
and propeller rpm to arrive at the specific design condition.
 on the other hand, for fixed pitch propellers, we can only change the rpm for
different operation conditions of the ship. So, these controllable pitch propellers
because of their certain advantages, they find applications for specific kinds of ships,
where this pitch control mechanism can be utilized for certain operation conditions.
 Higher the pitch ratio, the greater will be the region under the open water efficiency
curve. But depending on the operation condition, depending on the value of j which
gives the propeller loading condition, the open water efficiency will have a specific
value. Now, for higher pitch ratios, the open water efficiency is high when we go
towards high j values; but if we move towards the lower j values, the lower pitch
ratios will give higher efficiency. So, this forms the basis of changing the pitch for a
controllable pitch propeller; that means, in a specific operation condition depending
on the thrust requirement, one can change the pitch ratio within a certain range as
defined for that specific propeller to achieve different thrust and torque
characteristics. And it is done based on the efficiency which is obtained for that
specific operation condition.

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 ADVANTAGES  DISADVANTAGES

 Full power of the propulsion machinery  High initial cost & maintenance cost
can be utilized in different operation conditions.

 Better acceleration,stopping &  Complex pitch control mechanism

maneuvering charecteristics

 Controllable pitch propellers can  A large boss length and diameter which
produce high astern thrust at higher efficiency will reduce the efficiency.
because we are only changing the pitch to
produce thrust in the astern direction
 Damaged blades can be replaced  Blade area limited to enable pitch
conventionally & individually as well reversal resulting in thicker blade; influences
cavitation and efficiency
  Efficiency at a design point isd lower
than fixed pitch propeller due to large boss
diameter

Application of CPP  Acceleration & stopping ability

 Non- reversing propulsion machinery
 Full power operation in widely
different speed regimes
Eg; tugs, ferries, warships, trawlers

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Super cavitating propeller

 cavitation phenomena has an adverse effect on the thrust and efficiency for a propeller. And,
hence for conventional propellers we try to avoid cavitation occurrence on the propeller
blade. And, during propeller design, this is done by using suitable margins with respect to the
thrust loading coefficient for a specific geometrical parameters of the propeller blade.
 there are certain types of propellers which are called supercavitating propellers, where
cavitation is induced on the propeller blade by the geometric design of the blade. This is
because for certain operation conditions, it is almost impossible to have a propeller which is
a conventional propeller without cavitation occurrence due to critical operation conditions.
And, hence if a conventional propeller is used, its performance will not be optimal due to
cavitation and its efficiency will be low.
 In these conditions, where the loading is high and the cavitation number is sufficiently low,
during such operation conditions for high speed propellers supercavitating propellers can be
considered.
 they are found to provide suitable performance with respect to the thrust and efficiency.
 in this supercavitating propellers, the back of the propeller blade section is fully covered with
vapour filled cavity. And, this can be done using special geometric sections of the propeller
blade. Due to its special geometric characteristics, a supercavitating propeller can be
adopted for specific operation conditions which is a combination of the advance coefficient J
and the cavitation number as mentioned here, where its performance in terms of efficiency
will be as good as a conventional propeller.

ADVANTAGES
 Better noise & vibration charecteristics
 Reduced / No cavitation erosion

Compared to a conventional propeller, the advantages of a supercavitating propeller for

high speed operations is that it can have better noise and vibration characteristics. And, it
also leads to reduced or no cavitation erosion on the propeller blade, as the cavitation
bubble covers the entire back side of the propeller blade and the flow is separated right
from the leading edge.
So, there is almost no cavitation erosion which in conventional propellers can be a
problem at high propeller loading, where the cavitation number can be critical and
cavitation may occur which induces some erosion or damage on the propeller bed. So, in
terms of application, this super cavitating propellers are useful for high speed vessels like
racing motor boats, where in comparison to high engine power, the propeller rpm is also
high. But, the propeller immersion as well as the available diameter is low.So, these are the
ideal conditions for cavitation to occur. And, hence conventional propellers are not good
solutions for these particular cases and supercavitating propellers can be effectively applied
for better performance.

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Now, in terms of the blade geometry, the idea of achieving a supercavitating propeller design is to
ensure complete separation of the flow on the back of the propeller blade. And, also we have to
achieve a high lift to drag ratio because that gives the proper thrust performance. Now, to achieve
these conditions, the blade sections have typically sharp leading edges. And, different blade sections
have been used, some of which are mentioned here. The tulin section, a modified version of the
same and cupped trailing edge section. Now, in all these sections, the leading edge is very sharp. So,
we have the Leading Edge here, LE which is very sharp and that ensures flow separation on the back
of the propeller blade, where the entire cavitation bubble is covering the back. So, the trailing edge is
somewhat in the shape of a wedge and the leading edge is very sharp. And, in the third sectional
geometry, the trailing edge is cupped. So, all these different sections have been effectively employed
for supercavitating propeller design.

CHALLENGES
we have a very thin leading edge for the propeller blade sections. And, because of that
strength problems may arise for different operation conditions and they may be very critical for the
propeller blades. On the other hand, the performance in the low speed range and off design
conditions may also not be satisfactory.

DUCTED PROPELLERS (SHROUDED OR NOZZLE PROPELLER)

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 here we have a screw propeller which is surrounded by an axis

symmetric duct which is in the shape of a shroud or nozzle and the
duct along with the propeller here forms the propulsion system.
 Here we have two views of the ducted propeller one from the side
and the second view here from the front and here we can see that
there is a small clearance between the propeller blade tip and the
duct. And in ducted propeller, the vortices generated by the
propeller blade tip are suppressed by the presence of the duct and
both the propeller and duct generates thrust which is important for
operation and thrust generation at high propeller loadings; that
means, low advance coefficients.
 There are two main design concepts for ducted propellers; the first
one which is most popularly used is the accelerating duct which are
also called Kort nozzles. Now, these ducts increase the inflow into
the propeller. So, they accelerate the into the propeller and in doing
so, the ducts generate forces a forward component of which is the
thrust force and in addition to the propeller force they can provide
high thrust at high propeller loading conditions.
 Hence, they are used for vessels like tugs, trawlers and other vessels
which operate at high propeller loading, so that the high thrust
requirement can be met. On the other hand we have another design
concept called the decelerating duct which reduces the velocity of
flow into the propeller. These are specifically used for vessels where
cavitation is a problem and to mitigate the cavitation effects the
velocity into the propeller can be reduced using a decelerating duct.
So, when we refer to ducted propellers in general the usual
reference is to accelerating ducts which produce high thrust at high
propeller loading conditions

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 Decelerating propeller;reduces the velocity of flow through thw

propeller

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UNCONVENTIONAL PROPELLERS
 unconventional propellers find application in vessels where special
requirements are there depending on their operation conditions. So,
they are used to reduce cavitation, minimize vibration or noise and
to improve propulsive efficiency for specific operation conditions
and particular vessel designs and where they have certain
improvements in the propeller performance in these regards.
 on the other hand, in these particular cases it is observed that
conventional propellers may not perform satisfactorily for the
specific operation conditions and due to the additional requirements
unconventional propellers provide certain benefits over the
conventional design.

UNCONVENTIONAL PROPELLERS
Super cavitating propeller
Tip modified propeller
Cycloidical propeller
Oscillating propeller
Surface piercing propeller
Podded propeller & thruster

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WATER JET PROPULSION

 The waterjet propulsion system is one of the earliest forms of mechanical propulsion
systems installed in ships.
 the modern version of a waterjet propulsion unit consists of a pump which is housed
within the ship. it draws water from the outside and the pump accelerates the water
and discharges it in a jet form at the stern, just above the water line of the ship. So,
this is the mechanism of operation of a waterjet system and in this waterjet system
the jet reaction provides the thrust to propel the ship forward.
 very important feature of the waterjet system is its capability to
maneuver the ship by directing the jet in the sideward directions.
So, the nozzle at the exit can be directed either ways to maneuver the ship and also
the jet which is coming out after acceleration can be deflected forwards to obtain
astern thrust. So, this waterjet propulsion system provides excellent maneuverability
to the vessel and that is one of the prime features for which waterjet propulsion
system is employed on certain types of ships.

MECHANISM
NOZZLE
The swiveling nozzle which is present at the exit of a waterjet system can be rotated
about a vertical axis to approximately 45 degrees on either sides to turn the vessel and
that is how the jet is deflected on the port and starboard sides and the vessel can be
maneuvered accordingly.
REVERSING BUCKET
A bucket which can be rotated about a horizontal axis & used to deflect rthe water jet
downward and forward thereby producing an astern thrust.
By adjustiong its position,the thrust of the water jet can be varied from full ahead
through zero to full astern without altering the discharge of the pump.
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Excellent maneuvering and reversing capabiluities of the vessel

ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

Less noise and vibration The propulsion system take large space of
the ship,also the water passing through it
decrease the buoyancy
Torque is constant over the comp[lete At the inlet grating is provided to prevent
speed range debris from entering and damaging the
pump.this reduces efficiency of the system
No appendages;therefore reduce resistance
It can be used in shallow water without any
limitation in the size of then pump
Better maneuverability,stopping and
backing capability

Propulsion plant diowsnt require reversing

gear,full ahead to astern speed can be
controlled witthout changing the engine
rpm

 In terms of application, waterjet propulsion systems are used in ferries and

 In terms of application, waterjet propulsion systems are used in ferries and naval
naval vessels typically fast attack crafts, where the vessel speed is higher than
APPLICATION vessels typically fast attack crafts, where the vessel speed is higher than 30 knots .
30 knots .
  waterjets
waterjetsgive
givevery
very good
good performance
performance in in terms
terms of maneuverability and other
operation
operation conditions
conditions forships
for these these ships

MECHANISM OF WATERJET PROPULSION;EXPLANATION

First this nozzle can be rotated on either ways

about a vertical axis. That means, the nozzle through which the waterjet is coming
out,
the exit of the waterjet can be rotated on either ways about a vertical axis at the
stern of the ship and by that feature the thrust can be directed in such a way that the
ship can bemaneuvered without the use of any added feature like rudders which are

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not used inwaterjet propulsion system.So, this swiveling nozzle can be used for
maneuvering the ship towards the port orstarboard directions. Now, the other
characteristic feature of the waterjet propulsionsystem is the reversing bucket which
can be operated above a horizontal axis.

So, this reversing bucket can be operated about a horizontal axis either in the open
condition or it can be closed in such a way that when the bucket is open in the
normal ship operation condition the jet of water is coming out at the stern and the
reaction force will push the vessel forward.
Now, during astern operation of the ship when the ship needs to move in the astern
direction this reversing bucket can be used to reverse the thrust that is why it is
known as the reversing bucket. So, about the horizontal axis this bucket can be
turned in such a way that the jet is deflected in a direction which is forward and
downwards such that the effective force applied on the vessel is in the reverse
direction and the ship can move astern.
So, this is a very simplistic diagram of the waterjet propulsion system which is
installed
on vessels to provide thrust in both forward and astern directions and also
maneuvering capabilities.

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VERTICAL AXIS PROPELLER OR CYCLOIDICAL PROPELLERS

These propellers have blades which are typically oriented in the vertical direction. So,
these are the axis of the propeller blades and they are fitted on a base which is
horizontally fixed at the stern of the ship. And, these blades can be rotated about
their individual axis and the disc on which the blades are fitted is also revolving about
the axis here. So, in these class of propellers which are called cycloidal and also
because they have their axis oriented vertically, they are named as vertical axis
propellers. The propeller blades are fitted on a disc which revolts about its own axis
here and each of these blades can rotate about their individual axis. These propellers
can give very good maneuvering capability to the vessel. Now, depending on the path
traversed by the blade sections, these propellers can have different types.

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EARLY MODES FOR PROPULSION

Any ship or marine vessel when it operates in the ocean, it is subjected to forces and
due to wind and waves, it has a resistance which it needs to overcome when it
operates in the ocean. So, this resistance needs to be overcome by a thrust force and
it is the propulsion system of a ship or a marine vessel which provides the thrust for
the vessel to move forward.
historically if we look at ships the earliest forms of ships were typically made of
woods and the propel propulsion mechanism was human-powered.
in that sense the earliest ships were propelled by oars where the oar using the oar
momentum was given to the water around the ship and that provided the thrust
force for the vessel to move forward.
the other form of propulsion which also came into practice was the use of sails in
sails the wind energy was used and that was converted into a thrust force which
moved the marine vessel forward.
there were paddle wheels large wheels fitted with paddles on both sides of the
vessel and a mechanical power was used to rotate the wheels and these paddles
because of the rotation provided a forward thrust for the vessel to move forward.
And then came propellers and it took many decades of designing and continuous
applications of two different types of bearing vessels to gradually design the marine
propeller to get the present design that we have as of today.

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