BladeelementtheoryW.

Froude(1878)
1.

Isconcernedwithhowthepropellergeneratesitsthrustand
how this thrust depends upon the shape of the propeller
blades.

2.

A propeller blade is regarded as a series of blade elements

thatproducehydrodynamicforce.

3.

The axial component of this hydrodynamic force is the

elementthrust.

4.

Momentaboutthepropelleraxisofthetangentialcomponent
istheelementtorque.

5.

The integration of the element thrust and torque for all the
bladesgivesthetotalthrustandtorqueofthepropeller.

Consider a wing of chord (width) c

and span (length) s at an angle of
attack

to an incident flow of

velocityVinafluidofdensity .

6.

Thewingdevelopsahydrodynamicforcewhosecomponents
normalandparallelto,VaretheliftLandthedragD.

=
where =
7.

1
2

,
2

1
2

istheareaofthewingplanform.

These coefficients depend upon the shape of the wing

section,theaspectratios/candtheangleofattack,andare
oftendeterminedexperimentallyinawindtunnel.

8.

These experimental values may then be used in the blade

elementtheory,whichmaythusbesaidtorestonobserved
fact.

9.

Consider a propeller with Z blades, diameter D and pitch

ratio advancing into undisturbed water with a velocity

whilerotatingat rps.
10.

The blade element between the radii rand r + dr when

expanded will have an incident flow whose axial and
tangentialvelocitycomponentsare and2
givingaresultantvelocity

respectively,

atanangleofattack .


11.

ThebladeelementwillthenproducealiftdLandadragdD
=
=

1
2
1
2

12.

Ifthethrustandtorqueproducedbytheelementsbetweenr
andr+drforalltheZbladesaredTanddQ,the
1
1

(1

,Puttingtan =
1
=
2
1
=
2
13.

(1

Theefficiencyofthebladeelementisthen:

=
=

1
2

( + )

( + )

14.

Ifthepropellerworksinidealconditions

= 0, = 1.

15.

Momentumtheorystatesthatifapropellerproducesathrust
greaterthanzero,itsefficiencyeveninidealconditionsmust
belessthan1.

16.

The primary reason for this discrepancy lies in the neglect of

theinducedvelocities,i.e.theinflowfactorsa,a'.

17.

Withinducedvelocities

1
=
2
1
=
2
=

(1

and
1
=
1+
18.

Expressionforefficiencyconsistsofthreefactors:
o

1/(1 + ), which is associated with the axial induced

velocity

(1 a'), which reflects the loss due to the rotation of the

slipstream

whichindicatestheeffectofbladeelementdrag.

19.

Ifthereisnodragand

0,theexpressionforefficiency,

becomes identical to the expression obtained from the

momentumtheory.
20.

Necessary to know
different radii so that

for blade elements at

and

can be determined and

integratedwithrespecttotheradiusr.
21.

maybeobtainedfromexperimentaldata,and

withthehelpofthemomentumtheory.
22.

Unfortunately,thisproceduredoesnotyieldrealisticresults
becauseitneglectsanumberoffactors.Example3

Example
Apropellerofdiameter4.0mrotatingat180rpmisadvancinginto
seawaterataspeedof6.0m/s.Theelementofthepropellerat0.7R
producesathrustof200kN/m.Determinethetorque,theaxialand
rotationalinflowfactors,andtheefficiencyoftheelement.
Solution:
= 4.0 = 180
= 0.7 = 0.7
= 200

1025

1.4

3.0

= 6.0

2.0 = 1.4

=2 =6

6.02 (1 + ) = 200

1000

 = 0.2470
2

(1 )

= (1 + )

= 0.01619
3

= 4
1025

1.42 = 0.2470(1 + 0.2470) 6.02

1.43

= 80.696

6.0

1 +

0.01619

1
1 0.01619
=
=
= 0.7889
1 + 0.2470
1 +
=

200 6.0
=
= 0.7889
80.696 6

1.2470

Example4
A four bladed propeller of 3.0 m diameter and 1.0 constant pitch
ratio has a speed of advance of 4.0 m per sec whenrunning at 120
rpm.Thebladesectionat0.7Rhasachordof0.5m,anoliftangleof
2degrees,aliftdragratioof30andaliftcoefficientthatincreasesat
the rate of 6.0 per radian for small angles of attack. Determine the
thrust, torque and efficiency of the blade element at 0.7R (a)
neglecting the induced velocities and (b) given that the axial and
rotationalinflowfactorsare0.2000and0.0225respectively.
Solution:
= 4 = 3.0

= 1.0VA

4.0

, = 120

= 2.0/

= 0.7 = 0.5

=2

= 30,

= 1025

= 6.0
3

(a)Neglectinginducedvelocities:
=
=

1.0
=
= 0.4547 = 24.4526
0.7
4.0
= 0.3032 = 16.8648
2.0
0.7 1.5
1
= 0.03333,
30
=

= 7.5878

1.9091

=
2

2 + 7.5878
= 6.0
= 1.0040
180

+
2

+ 2

= 4.02 + (2

= 190.0998
1
=

2
1
= 2
2

1.05)2

2.0

/ 2

(1
(

Substitutingthenumericalvaluescalculated:
= 185.333

= 66.148

tan
= 0.8918
=
tan +