Propeller Theories

Prof. TVK Bhanuprakash

Dept of Marine Engineering
Andhra University
Visakhapatnam - 530003
PROPELLER THEORIES
Axial Momentum Theory
Momentum Theory Including
Rotation
Blade Element Theory
Circulation Theory
(1887)

1. Simple theory based on the axial motion of the

water passing through the propeller disc.

2. Does not concern itself with the geometry of the

propeller.

3. Not very useful for blade design purposes.

4. General conclusions about propeller action can be

drawn.

5. Validated by recent theoretical methods and

experiment.
Assumptions
1. The propeller works in an ideal fluid. So no
energy losses due to frictional drag.
2. Propeller can be replaced by actuator disc
( blades)
3. Propeller produces thrust without causing
rotation in the slipstream. Propeller disc absorbs
all of the power of the engine and dissipate this
power by causing a pressure jump across the
two faces of the disc.
1. Rankines original theory, which is based on the
above three assumptions, is generally known as
the axial momentum theory.
2. R.E. Froude in his subsequent work removed the
third assumption..Propeller imparts a rotational
velocity to the slipstream.Realistic model of
propeller action.
3. The subsequent theory is known either as the
RankineFroude momentum theory or the general
momentum theory of propellers.
4. Our study is based on the first two assumptions
only.
 Flow is proceeding from left to right.
A is far upstream C is far downstream and B is
the propeller
 The static pressure at stations A and C are

Increase in pressure immediately behind actuator disc is

But (from previous slide)

Let us express in terms of the velocity

Important conclusion: Half the acceleration of the

flow takes place before the propeller disc and the
remaining half after the propeller disc.
 From
continuity

it follows that the slipstream must contract between the

conditions existing far upstream and those existing
downstream.
Thrust is given by

Define Thrust
coefficient as

therefore
 Contraction

is given in terms of the

propeller thrust coefficient

For the slipstream after the propeller, a similar but

more complex expression can be derived
1. Let us Assume that the increase in pressure is due
to the presence of an angular velocity in the
slipstream immediately behind the propeller disc.
2. Angular velocity of water relative to the propeller
blades, immediately ahead and astern of the propeller,
is
3. Applying Bernoullis theorem at any radius 'r'
Z1 = Z2
Elemental thrust dT acting at some radius r is

Writing

Elemental torque dQ at the same radius r is equal to the

angular momentum imparted to the slipstream per unit
time within the annulus of thickness dr
The ideal efficiency of the blade element is given by
1. It can further be shown from this theory that for
maximum efficiency the value of h should be the same
for all radii.
2. From h, we can see that there is an upper bound on
the efficiency of an ideal, frictionless propeller.
3. The ideal efficiency is a measure of the losses incurred
by the propeller because the changes in momentum
necessary to generate the required forces are
accompanied by changes in kinetic energy.
4. If the rotational assumption had not been removed in
the derivation for h then the ideal efficiency would be
1. If CT increases, efficiency decreases. If CT = 0, efficiency =
100%
2. If VA =0, efficiency = 0, though T is not zero. The propeller
produces thrust but no effective work is done.
3. The relation between thrust and delivered power at zero
speed of advance is of interest since this condition represents
the practical situations of a tug applying a static pull at a
bollard or of a ship at a dock trial. For an actuator disc
propeller, .the delivered power is given by:
when VA becomes smaller (tends to zero), 2CT
becomes large, so

Thrust and delivered power at zero velocity of advance for a propeller

in ideal conditions has a ratio of 1.414. In actual practice, the value
of this relation is less
A propeller of 2.0 m diameter produces a thrust of 30.0 kN
when advancing at a speed of 4.0 m per sec in sea water.
Determine the power delivered to the propeller, the
velocities in the slipstream at the propeller disc and at a
section far astern, the thrust loading coefficient and the
ideal efficiency.