Tests Prove CLT Prop Characteristics
The CLT propeller recently underwent real-world testing, which proved, according to its designer and manufacturer that the propeller can help to reduce or eliminate hull-induced vibrations and noise levels. Independent studies were conducted aboard Superfast Levante, which demonstrated that: the cavitation level developed on the CLT propeller blades is negligible from the ship's structural integrity point of view; vibration and noise levels are excellent in terms of comfort on board; and the contractual ship speed was much better than predicted. Superfast Levante is a 7,200 dwt RoRo cargo vessel delivered by Union Naval de Valencia (UNV) to Trasmediterranea, the major Spanish operator of RoRo vessels and ferries. The ship was ordered to operate between Cadiz and the Canary Isles.
Propeller Retrofits Saves 10 Percent Fuel
Benefits of fitting CLT propellers include fuel savings of around 10 percent while maintaining the same speed, according to Geneva-based shipowner Cargill International SA, which has recently released consumption figures for two of its Panamax bulk carriers. The 70,000 dwt Powhatan and Paiute had CLT propellers retrofitted in February and March 1998, after Cargill had already benefited from more than two years' first-hand experience of the CLT propeller concept developed by Madrid-based designer Sistemar. Cargill first fitted a CLT propeller to one of its vessels in 1995, the 13,600 dwt orange juice carrier Bebedouro, and subsequently to two Capesize bulk carriers, the 164,000 dwt Cherokee and Comanche, as well as Powhatan and Paiute.
