Propeller design procedure for a wind-assisted KVLCC2

Other conference contribution, 2022

Wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) has received much attention lately with research focusing on the different sail technologies, ship-hull design optimisation and weather route optimisation. However, the traditional propulsion system is still needed for wind-assisted vessels and is associated with several challenges, related to the wide range of operating conditions and propeller loads due to the varying degree of wind-assistance that will occur. In this study we use an interactive design and optimisation methodology applied on propellers of wind-assisted vessels. The methodology involves handling the complete operating profile of the propeller, an optimisation method for interactive cavitation evaluation by the blade designer, and the use of a new objective, the total energy consumption (TEC) of the expected operation. We use a case study where the KVLCC2 tanker is retrofitted with six Flettner rotor sails, operating between two fixed destinations at constant speed. The purpose is to investigate to what extent a new propeller design can offer a significantly lower TEC when compared to the existing design. Based on the results of this study, approximately 0.9% further reduction in TEC was achieved with the WASP adapted propeller compared to the existing one.