Propeller Technology News

ABB said Monday it had secured a large order from Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd., to deliver an integrated bridge-to-propeller technology for Havfram Wind’s two new NG20000X-HF Wind Turbine Installation Vessels (WTIVs). The vessels will be able to install offshore wind turbines with a rotor diameter of more than 300 meters, as well as XXL monopiles weighing up to 3,000 tons at water depths of up to 70 meters.ABB scope comprises four Azipod electric main propulsion units with a total propulsion power of 17 MW…

Konrad Marine has launched several iterations of its signature sterndrive since unveiling its first units in the 1990s. Konrad’s latest lineup, the 600B series, was rolled out in 2014, with the first drives delivered to customers at the start of 2015 and strong market uptake ever since. Featuring the larger gears first introduced in its 600 series, Konrad’s 600B drives also include a new larger transom with integrated steering.“The biggest change when we developed the 600B series drive was our heavy-duty transom assembly,” says Fred Sparling, senior application engineer.

As I was preparing for Thanksgiving dinner I put on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While Indiana Jones and Doctor Elsa Schneider were being chased by the Brotherhood of the Cruciform sword through Venice and their boat was neatly shredded by the propellers of a larger vessel, it had me thinking of how much propeller technology has changed over the years. And how hopefully Indiana’s boat did not actually damage that vessel’s propeller. Recently an article passed though my news feed about the first 3D printed propeller. This is indicative of the direction the industry is taking.

TMS Tankers Ltd, one of the largest Greece based shipping fleet operators, has selected Wärtsilä fixed pitch propellers (FPPs) for its new vessels under construction in China. The order was placed with Wärtsilä's joint venture company in China, Wärtsilä CME Zhenjiang Propeller Co Ltd (WCME), in December 2015. Other leading Greek shipping companies have also recently opted for Wärtsilä FPPs. The contract covers the propellers for four Aframax tankers under construction at the Hantong Ship Heavy Industry yard. The Wärtsilä FPPs will be fitted with the company's EnergoProFin solution, a propeller cap with fins that rotates together with the propeller to produce fuel savings of up to 5 percent.

Wärtsilä introduces the latest addition to its thruster product portfolio, the Wärtsilä WST-14 steerable thruster, which represents state-of-the-art azimuthing propeller technology. It is aimed primarily at inland waterway cargo vessel applications. The new thruster will provide increased reliability and efficiency, while also lowering costs. Among the many innovations incorporated into the WST-14 are its space-saving compact design, an integrated slipping clutch that provides a cost competitive solution for manoeuvring when combined with a fixed pitch (FP) propeller, and the ability to maintain and service the propeller shaft and steering seals without requiring a complete overhaul of the thruster. It has a straightforward, reliable design and is ice-class rated.

With age comes perspective, and in my 20 plus years reporting on this industry I have seen my fair share of regulation that has served to ‘raise the hackles’ of ship owners. It is quite simple really; new regulation often means new procedure, new design, new equipment and new costs. With the possible exception of the new rules in the wake of the Exxon Valdez which mandated double hulls on tankers, the Ballast Water Management System issue is the most acrimonious debate I have witnessed.

Volvo Penta´s engineer Kåre Jonsson has been appointed Group Senior Specialist within the Volvo Group for his unique propeller competencies. Group Senior Specialist is an honorary title that is awarded to individuals with unique skills and expertise in a specific area within the Volvo Group - one of the giants in the global commercial transport industry with approximately 100,000 employees and net sales of around USD 50 billion. Kåre Jonsson complies with all the criteria that are set in order to be regarded as a specialist.

Swedish submarine manufacturer Kockums Industrier AB, designer of Australia's new Collins class submarines, has taken legal action to stop Australia releasing its top secret submarine propeller design to the U.S. Navy. Kockums -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saab -- said it had taken federal court action to protect its intellectual property, fearing if the propeller was sent to the U.S. Navy for modifications, the design may be viewed by third parties and could leak to potential competitors. Submarine propeller technology is a closely guarded secret because it is a major factor in submarine noise emission. The quieter a submarine, the more effective it is as an attack craft.

The growing uptake of integral electric-driven, podded propulsors in the most capital-intensive sector of the cruise shipping industry, has forever altered the established position of conventional propulsion systems in an important segment of the market. Having established a foothold in the offshore sector, the concept will no doubt find increasing application with the next upswing in investment by the offshore oil and gas industry. Once conservatism has been overcome in various quarters of the shipping business, and once the net acquisition costs of such systems reach more acceptable levels for a broader band of the shipowning community, usage of the technology will no doubt spread to other spheres.

The operator of the world’s largest and most modern molten sulphur tanker has enjoyed four years of near-continuous service, thanks in part to the ship’s innovative thermal maintenance system. Sulphur Carriers, Inc., a subsidiary of International Shipholding Corporation, keeps M/V Sulphur Enterprise at sea hauling around 24,000 long tons of molten sulphur per trip. “We’ve had zero freeze-ups and zero maintenance associated with the bolt-on piping and valve heating system,” says Peter Johnston, Sulphur Carriers’ VP of operations. For reportedly the first time on any sulphur transport ship, a bolt-on heating system keeps the molten cargo flowing and the ship on schedule by preventing costly delays due to frozen pipes and valves.