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Teignbridge Propellers have been exhibiting their new Carbon Fibre Clamp on Blade Propeller at Seawork which they are delighted won at the Innovation Awards in the Marine Power & Propulsion (Electrification & Future Fuels) category.
Flying the flag for Devon innovators, Teignbridge Propellers have enhanced their Clamp on Blade (CoB) propellers with a carbon fibre blade option. This development was part of a 12-month Innovate UK funded Clean Marine Demonstration Call (CMDC) project that saw the development of a carbon fibre CoB propeller for use on a 10m electric powered vessel. The carbon propeller generated efficiency savings over the equivalent metallic propeller.
Teignbridge’s CoB propeller technology is suited to a wide variety of applications including merchant, commercial, military and leisure vessels and can be supplied in a wide range of sizes from 0.75m to 5.50m diameter with keyed or hydraulic shaft fitting. A 5.5m diameter propeller can be packaged and transported in a 20ft shipping container.
With a hub diameter ratio typically only 5% greater than a conventional mono-bloc fixed pitch propeller, this represents the lowest hub to diameter ratio replaceable blade propeller currently on the market, maximising the propellers surface area, therefore generating the greatest possible thrust. Unlike alternative, radially bolted solutions, Teignbridge’s CoB propellers hydrodynamic efficiency is further improved by minimising the number of bolt heads present on the hub surface resulting in improved flow over and around the hub.
Individual blades can be replaced rather than having to remove and replace the whole propeller and saves the time and cost of having to dry dock or slip the vessel. As CoB parts can be stored onboard, there is no wait for replacement parts to be manufactured or repaired, reducing costly vessel downtime. For smaller vessels and superyachts, the modular design provides an economical and flexible option, with blade changes only requiring the services of a diver for propellers up to 1.2 metres diameter.
The increased ease with which propellers blades can be changed also means that long-term changes in vessel use profile can be matched with a revised propeller design, improving efficiency, reducing emissions and saving fuel with rapid return on investment for the customer.
Carbon Fibre Option
The carbon fibre composite blade option produces a lightweight and efficient propeller which due to the carbon fibre material characteristics, yields lower driveline vibrations combined with substantial noise reduction compared to conventional metallic propellers. This is extremely beneficial when coupled with electric drive where controlling NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) levels are of upmost importance.
Carbon fibre construction allows the propeller characteristics to be tailored, adding strength and stiffness where needed. Lighter weight means smaller diameter shafts can be utilised as the moment of inertia is reduced, putting less loading on other parts of the driveline.
Exhibitor; Teignbridge Propellers
