Wärtsilä addresses market demands with new CPP

Based on the previously known E-hub type, the new system is said to offer greater efficiency and a reduced environmental impact. It is particularly suited for vessels that are equipped with dynamic positioning capabilities, as well as vessels with ice notation.

“The WCP propeller system is the result of the work of highly experienced design engineers in our European R&D headquarters having access to the very latest and most sophisticated software and analysis tools,” said Wim Knoester, director, propulsion sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

Among the claimed benefits are an increased load capability, the high propulsive efficiency, the reduced fuel consumption that this efficiency brings to the vessel and a reduced environmental footprint.

The design follows the Systems Engineering approach with integration of the propeller and the hub with modern hydraulics and propulsion controls. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) calculations are used to analyse not only the propeller performance but, most importantly, also the interaction between the propeller and hull. Wärtsilä says this provides accurate information, based on detailed 3D geometry, for achieving design and parametric optimisation.

The innovative hub design features forced lubrication and allows the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants (EAL), as required for propellers operating in US inland and coastal waters. The propeller system is prepared so as to meet the US EPA’s VGP 2013 regulatory requirements. The new design also allows for compatible hydraulics and the flushing of lubrication oil.