Propeller blade manufacturing and materials
MAN B&W Controllable pitch propeller. Propeller blade manufacturing and materials
The international standard organization has introduced a series of manufacturing standards in compliance with which propellers have to be manufactured (ISO 484). The accuracy class is normally selected by the customer and the table below describes the range of manufacturing categories.
Class
Manufacturing accuracy
S
Very high accuracy
I
High accuracy
II
Medium accuracy
III
Wide tolerances
At MAN B&W Alpha the propeller blades are checked by computerized four-axis measuring equipment. I
If no class is specified, the propeller blades will be manufactured according to class I but with surface roughness according to Class S.
Blade material
Propeller blade are made of either NiAl-bronze (NiAl) or stainless steel (CrNi). The mechanical properties of each material at room temperature are:
Material
NiAl
CrNi
Yield strength
N/mm2
Min 250
Min 380
Tensile strength
N/mm2
590-780
600-790
Elongation
%
Min 16
Min 19
Impact strength Charpy V notch
Joules
30
21
Brinell Hardness
HB
Min 150
240-300
Both materials have high resistance against cavitation erosion. The fatigue characteristics in a corrosive environment are better for NiAl than for CrNi.
Propeller blades are, to a large degree, exposed to cyclically varying stresses. Consequently, the fatigue material strength is of decisive importance.
The dimensioning of a propeller blade according to the Classification Societies will give a 10% higher thickness for the CrNi compared to NiAl in order to obtain the same fatigue strength.
As an example the difference in thickness and weight for a propeller blade for engine type MAN B&W 6S35MC (4,200 kW at 170 r/min) is stated in table 2.
CrNi-steel requires thicker blades than NiAl-bronze, which is unfortunate from the propeller theoretical point of view (thicker = less efficiency). Additionally, the CrNi is more difficult to machine than NiAl.
For operation in ice the CrNi material will be able to withstand a higher force before bending due to its higher yield strength and for prolonged operations in shallow water the higher hardness makes it more resistant to abrasive wear from sand.
The final selection of blade and hub material depends on the operating condition of the vessel. In general terms the NiAl material is preferable for ordinary purposes whereas CrNi could be an attractive alternative for non-ducted propellers operating in heavy ice or dredgers and vessels operating in shallow waters.
Ice class
C
1A
Material
NiAl
CrNi
NiAl
CrNi
Thickness at r/R=0.35
mm
132
146
169
187
Thickness at r/R=0.60
Mm
71
78
90
100
Thickness at r/R=1.00
Mm
0
0
15
13
Blade weight
kg
729
877
952
1053
Table 2