Denmark: MAN Diesel & Turbo Takes Over Kappel Propeller Designs

New fuel-saving and energy-efficient propulsion opportunities are available from the MAN Alpha propeller programme, which now fully integrates the Kappel tip fin propeller blade designs for both controllable pitch propellers and fixed pitch propellers.

On 20 March 2012 the board of MAN Diesel & Turbo approved the company’s take-over of Kappel propeller – including designs, software, and intellectual property together with continued co-operation with Mr Jens Julius Kappel.

The original contract was signed on 29 February in Copenhagen, Denmark – by JJ Kappel and Torben Johansen on behalf of MAN Diesel & Turbo. JJ Kappel said after the contract signing: “We have had a good co-operation with MAN Diesel & Turbo for almost 10 years, and our joint projects have gone well. I hope that MAN will get the most out of the Kappel technology. Our co-operation does not end here – it will in fact become more intense”.

Past co-operation

The co-operation between Kappel and MAN Diesel & Turbo officially started already in 2003 – on 3 December to be more specific, when 100 years of MAN Alpha CP Propeller production was celebrated in Frederikshavn. Shortly after that on 3 March 2004, MAN Diesel & Turbo was awarded the contract of supplying new-designed high-efficient Kappel CP Propeller blades as part of Scandlines’ extensive refurbishment of the ferries M/F PRINS JOACHIM and M/F KRONPRINS FREDERIK. This was later followed by a successful Kappel upgrading of additional four Scandlines vessels – thus proving the soundness of the concept.

Fuel savings and EEDI

In today’s market green technology, fuel-savings, energy optimisation and increased propulsion efficiency are more important than ever – for both new ship designs and for existing ships’ retrofit and upgrade solutions. The energy-saving technology, which MAN Diesel & Turbo now owns – will be matured and implemented in a greater variety of customer solutions including e.g. hydrodynamic integration of rudder bulbs, high-efficiency rudders, hull’s flow-guiding devices and ducts.

Compared to conventional designs, the Kappel propeller blade designs offer fuel savings by up to 6%. And it has to be noted that this improvement with the Kappel design is related to the blade design alone, thus not relying on improvements with other components – such as e.g. a rudder bulb integrated with propeller and rudder.

Optimised propeller and propulsion efficiencies contribute to lowering the EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) of ships, as every gram of fuel saved by means of higher propulsive efficiency results in more energy-efficient transport – like in this case with up to 6%.

Both new sales and the retrofit after sales business will benefit from the now MAN owned technology. In retrofit installations, especially in situations where ships undergo a changed operational profile with slow-steaming and de-rating of main engines, MAN Diesel & Turbo will be able to deliver superior propulsion solutions including state-of-the-art propeller designs offering even larger fuel savings.

Low pressure impulse-to-hull and G-type advantages

Compared to a conventional design the Kappel propellers have shown lower pressure impulses which can be utilised for bigger and more efficient propellers because of the reduced clearance between hull and propeller tip. Combined with the G-type MAN B&W engine, further improvement in propulsion efficiency can be exploited. The new ultra-long stroke low-speed G-type has a longer stroke and lower engine speed with increased engine efficiency – and deploys a larger and more efficient propeller for tomorrow’s energy-optimised aft ship designs. In that combination fuel consumption and CO2 emission are reduced by up to 10%.

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Source: MAN Diesel & Turbo, April 4, 2012