Improve Ship Propeller Efficiency via Optimum Design of Propeller Boss Cap Fins

Chungen Yin (), Christian Kjaer Rosenvinge, Marcus Pless Sandland, Anders Ehlers and Keun Woo Shin
Additional contact information
Chungen Yin: AAU Energy, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Christian Kjaer Rosenvinge: AAU Energy, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Marcus Pless Sandland: AAU Energy, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Anders Ehlers: Propeller & Aftship R&D Department, MAN PrimeServ, 9900 Frederikshavn, Denmark
Keun Woo Shin: Propeller & Aftship R&D Department, MAN PrimeServ, 9900 Frederikshavn, Denmark

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: This paper aims to cost-effectively improve the energy efficiency of large vessels in shipping by the optimum design of propeller boss cap fins (PBCFs). First, a model propeller of the modern four-blade propeller in a Ro-Ro ship, with no boss cap fin in its original design, is experimentally and numerically investigated. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model reproduced all the experiments very well. Then, the CFD model is used to conduct a comprehensive optimum design of PBCFs for the down-scaled propeller. Besides the commonly used rectangular PBCFs, nine airfoils are investigated, due to their favorable lift-to-drag ratio and great potential of being effective PBCFs. The best performing profile, among the 10 shapes, is chosen as the PBCF for further optimization. Finally, the optimum design of the PBCFs for the propeller/rudder system is achieved. It was found to yield remarkable efficiency gains for the modern propeller/rudder system under both design and off-design operation conditions, mainly due to the suppressed hub vortex and partly due to the extra thrust. The yield strength analysis confirmed that the optimum design is feasible in practice and can be used in industrial vessels. The generalized criteria for the optimum design of PBCFs also benefit other propeller/rudder systems for cost-effective energy saving.

Keywords: energy efficiency; shipping; CFD; cost-effective; propeller boss cap fins; optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/3/1247/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/3/1247/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:3:p:1247-:d:1045239

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().