Propellers & Thrusters

Cavitation-eliminating boss cap could provide big gains in efficiency

Cavitation-eliminating boss cap could provide big gains in efficiency

What is described as a ‘revolutionary’ propeller hub vortex cavitation-eliminating boss cap has successfully completed validation tests at a hydrodynamic research centre in Sweden. The propeller hub – which could provide gains in propulsive efficiency for a wide range of vessels, including warships – will now undergo ship model basin trials to verify the efficiency […]

HydroComp NavCad and PropElements: Guardrails for CFD

HydroComp NavCad and PropElements: Guardrails for CFD

Donald MacPherson, technical director, HydroComp, Inc. The increased use of CFD for hydrodynamic analysis over the last decade has been remarkable, with tools becoming more commercially attainable and accessible. Designers are now looking to CFD for confirmation, optimisation and better understanding of the hydrodynamic aspects of their designs. While CFD is now expanding insights to […]

Berg Propulsion rides the winds of change

Berg Propulsion rides the winds of change

After nearly a decade in development, the announcement in January that French shipowner Neoline Armateur has signed a contract with a Turkish shipyard, RMK Marine, for the construction of the world’s first large sail-powered commercial cargo ship has been heralded as a landmark moment in the renaissance of wind propulsion. But while much of the […]

The role of graphene in decarbonisation: the Stolt Tankers experience

The role of graphene in decarbonisation: the Stolt Tankers experience

By Jose Gonzalez and Guntars Zommers Stolt Tankers, The Netherlands Biofouling is a major contributor to energy efficiency reduction; the ships spend almost their entire operational life afloat favoring the creation of biological layers (biofilm) and macrofouling populations in different working areas of the ship. The consequence of this occurrence is mainly reflected in additional […]

Voith tackles Giant project

Voith tackles Giant project

One of the biggest projects carried out by the German propulsion system supplier Voith over the course of 2021 involved the 161m offshore construction vessel North Sea Giant which is equipped with five Voith Schneider Propellers (VSPs), each with a diameter of around 4.5m, two located in the bow and three in the stern. The […]