THE PROPELLER BLADE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION BY FINITE ELEMENT METHODS

The ever-increasing use of large diameter, skewed propellers on large and/or high-powered ships and a number of recent blade failures in service have directed renewed attention to the problem of blade structural behavior. A brief discussion is first given of methods for predicting blade loadings, earlier approaches to blade stressing and the need for realistic design criteria. Using a consistent formulation of blade geometry, a finite-element model of the blade structure is then displayed. A description is given of DYNAPROP, a special-purpose computer program that has been developed for the routine prediction of blade natural frequencies and mode shapes, stress distributions, blade deflections and fatigue life. Computed results are given for a plate, a destroyer propeller that has been tested in the model scale and a moderately skewed blade. The paper concludes with lessons learned from the use of this method and with the nature of several related problems that demand early solution.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the New England Section of SNAME, January 1972.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

  601 Pavonia Avenue
  Jersey City, NJ  United States  07306-2907
• Authors:
  • BRADSHAW, R
  • Vassilopoulos, L
• Publication Date: 1972-1

Media Info

• Features: References;

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blades (Machinery); Finite element method; Propellers; Stresses; Vibration
• Old TRIS Terms: Blade stresses; Propeller stresses; Propeller vibration; Skewed propellers
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00032717
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 28 1972 12:00AM