Effect of Propeller Face Camber Ratio on the Reduction of Fuel Consumption

This paper presents the effect of the face camber ratio (FCR) on propeller performance, cavitation, and fuel consumption of a bulk carrier in calm water. First, using a developed propeller optimization model coupling a ship performance prediction tool (NavCad) and a nonlinear optimizer in MATLAB, an optimized propeller design at the optimal engine operating point with minimum fuel consumption is selected. This optimized propeller demonstrates superior fuel efficiency compared to the one selected by using the traditional selection methods that prioritize only higher propeller efficiency. Afterward, the FCR is applied to the propeller geometry to evaluate the effect on propeller performance. The open water curves of propellers with different FCRs ranging from 0% to 1.5% are computed based on empirical formulas and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Between the two techniques, a good agreement is noted in verifying the predictions. Then, the open water curves from CFD models are implemented into NavCad to evaluate the overall hydrodynamic performance of the propeller at the design point in terms of efficiency, quantify reductions in fuel consumption, and analyze changes in cavitation and noise criteria. The computed results show a reduction in fuel consumption by 3% with a higher FCR. This work offers a preliminary evaluation of propeller performance-based FCR and shows its benefits. This technique offers a promising solution for improving the energy efficiency of the ship and lowering the level of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.