Trials of a semi-Kaplan towboat propeller py B Christopoulos and R. Latorre IN the I9SUEI9GITS ducted! propellers dint highice powered diesel tosthoats be perate on U.S, inland witer Bohs dhs was the stanlard until the pest lecisle when the high cost af fuel Piles in towboats fisted with heavy fect engines Actual tow boat performance is ill hints qustatify using scale reel fests rTnsecently. many developments i fret tnchouts evolve fram «iperation feadback, stalysis of logbooks and de- loner inition in oxition prin fiery toss ink stulies, This isthe main fenwn Tor making extended measure thts af the towbet fel consent Recently the authors developed cemicKaplan ducted prupeller for se pensering a TMP hp towshoal, The semi Kapka propeller is shown in F This new propeller design resulted twin the necessity of repowering tri He senew towwbott-with 3 2400 hlyp six rpm heavy fuel diesel engines, the original towboat engines twimed § sled ducted propellers which absorb i shy a 215 spa. Since the 3136 7 reduetion pears were to be retaine the new propellers woud fe turin J slower ME rpm, This design sitement is summarized in Table { Howboat propeller design ac wwsboat propeller design is based othe methods developed it Ref [1] LE The propellers were matched for 41 hp gowboat pushing a $ % @harge sin -Ueep water, In-arder te insure fc thrust, an-uncenseationsl svi distribution was adopted whieh wsked the blade tips of the semi- Aapian propellers cial results ov vedify the performance improve: ments estended towshoat trials were sushnoted over IIS tips to stalin ssbvsat speed! and fuel enasumption, ho intial tests were done with the viv Kaplan propellers installed, ‘The slot was docked and 5 bladed pro 1s of conventional design were fit- ‘al These tests provided the basis for % present comparison Foe emi the axlvamtges 1 eaulily : ea [eee | ee ea iss.om The semi-Kaplan towboat propeller in- stale Mile esleulated index Equivalent Bar per qallon of Tel Aas adopted. (1 +06 mR EBMy = where = number of loaded barges number af empty’ bat R= tip distance a miles salons of uel eonsamed Table 2 summarizes comparison for 15 towboat trips going north bound inst the iver current (EBMig) we obtiined EBM for the semi-Kaplan prey The eorrespanling value i 3.15 lon vEBAT was tained for the conn tional S bladed preipeller, This imeates impeoement font fit SemicKaaplan propeller The higher speed when the tobi is fitted ith the semi-Kaplan propellers translates inte 3 akditions trips (Cairo, Vlinois to Baron Rouge, Louis.) cor Fespondling ta ineteased yearly rey ceonie a USS 100.000, The reduced (2.7 versus 3.125 gallons) engine fuel costs Fepresents & sivings of S200.0vear Consequenily. fing the semi-Kaplan propellers generates tocal from fel Suvings und increased revemne of SHMLOIM aking kon Vibration levels In ote to docament the vibrution level. ibration signature analysis was performed in the engine room, ‘The measurements with the semi-Kaplin propellers were made on two trips with itferent toe arrangements and differ ing barge numbers Experience sith propellers with di ferent kde numbers has shown that the bhwle number affeets the unsteady force levels In several eases it has been lemonsitated that incressing the Hale umber from 4 to 5 reduced the meas tured hill vibration levels. [wats es. pected tht she four bladed design with large bhidle ance and ao skew would en= jounter the abrupt avial wake changes ‘and Gansinit high vibration Heads into Table 2. Cor parson of towboat tp with semi Kaplan and conventional propa ‘Northbound against iver cumtant Tontoat Fited with with Semixkaplan Design «lade Propeller Gives soa Team ewe Speed Saige. Rargewile Vinh wai Gal 7 50) a2 Tae 4 352 oar a2 a sa 6363 583 a ia O37, Be 5 ne ret Suze 5 doa baa 38 7 nD nae 32 é 2a 0383 ao 0 bos asa " bay 305 2 ban 12 5 ey 29 4 2303 35 5 one an Loarded as tow valu of EBEg £ Diregarded as high value oF COM 3 Rug: remating 2 tripe “Wale Base nase” OO Tewinat Fited with Convantional Slade Propeller (oras.2r88h TEM Eas Speed farge- —Barmeeile¥'mph ie oe 130 0300 2s 313 280, oer, no 229" ne 0.0 tea 038 Bo 5253 be 0302 na 0335 twa Dah Ds" Boat International September 1990the propulsion system. It was quite pleasant to find that the engine room mmewurements showed the blued Semi-Kaplan vibration levels were equivalent or slightly higher than those measured shea the S-blided conven tional propellers were fitted [3] Sine these vibration levels are quite sensitive to small changes in the propel: ler pitch expecially at the tip, there i a passibility fo “tine” the semi-Rayphan propeller clesign hy slight sejustinent to the piteh distibation, This was outside the seupe tthe repowering prajct. Dt should he considered when using a Semi-Kaplan towbout propeller Discussion and conclusions The extended trials of the semi-Kaplan propeller shown in Table 2 indicate in provements. in hoth. specel and ef Siency. This is equivalent & 3 I provement. when compared with eon \entional towhoat propellers, ‘Phe semi Kali design is sik simpler to mane facture This projeet demonstrated 3 possible coonomic gain trom careful propeller design. [tis anticipated there will be fa ture developments using. this semi Kapkan design in rises toxboats Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to May. ML Linapie for typing the manuseri References [-Christopoulous. BL. Latorre.R, ‘Mower Toombul and Propelion.” SNAME MAEINW TECHNOLOGY Vol. 1. No. 3, 1983, pp. 29-226, Rtatomre, R..'Shallow River Pushboat Preliminary Design.” Ameti ‘ean Society of Civil Lngingers Jonrnal fof Waterway. Port Coustal. and Ocean Fingering. Vol. LIT No.4. DISS. pp 3. Christopoulos, B.. Latorte, R.. “De- Sign sind Trials oft New Riser Tawshost Propeller.” ta be published (1990).