On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method

In the marine industry, the search for sustainable methods, materials, and processes, from the product’s design to its end-of-life stages, is a necessity for combating the negative consequences of climate change. In this context, the lightening of products is essential in reducing their environmenta...

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Main Authors: Erkin Altunsaray, Serkan Turkmen, Ayberk Sözen, Alperen Doğru, Pengfei Liu, Akile Neşe Halilbeşe, Gökdeniz Neşer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/12/2206
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author Erkin Altunsaray
Serkan Turkmen
Ayberk Sözen
Alperen Doğru
Pengfei Liu
Akile Neşe Halilbeşe
Gökdeniz Neşer
author_facet Erkin Altunsaray
Serkan Turkmen
Ayberk Sözen
Alperen Doğru
Pengfei Liu
Akile Neşe Halilbeşe
Gökdeniz Neşer
author_sort Erkin Altunsaray
collection DOAJ
description In the marine industry, the search for sustainable methods, materials, and processes, from the product’s design to its end-of-life stages, is a necessity for combating the negative consequences of climate change. In this context, the lightening of products is essential in reducing their environmental impact throughout their life. In addition to lightening through design, lightweight materials, especially plastic-based composites, will need to be used in new and creative ways. The material extrusion technique, one of the additive manufacturing methods, is becoming more widespread day by day, especially in the production of objects with complex forms. This prevalence has not yet been reflected in the marine industry. In this study, the performances of plastic composite propellers produced by the material extrusion technique is investigated and discussed comparatively with the help of both hydrodynamic and structural tests carried out in a cavitation tunnel and mechanical laboratory. The cavitation tunnel test and numerical simulations were conducted at a range of advance coefficients (J) from 0.3 to 0.9. The shaft rate was kept at 16 rps. The thrust and torque data were obtained using the tunnel dynamometer. Digital pictures were taken to obtain structural deformation and cavitation dynamics. The structural performance of the propellers shows that an aluminum propeller is the most rigid, while a short carbon fiber composite propeller is the most flexible. Continuous carbon fiber composite has high strength and stiffness, while continuous glass fiber composite is more cost-effective. In terms of the hydrodynamic performance of the propellers, flexibility reduces the loading on the blade, which can result in thrust and torque reduction. Overall, the efficiency of the composite propellers was similar and less than that of the rigid aluminum propeller. In terms of weight, the composite carbon propeller containing continuous fiber, which is half the weight of the metal propeller, is considered as an alternative to metal in production. These propellers were produced from a unique composite consisting of polyamide, one of the thermoplastics that is a sustainable composite material, and glass and carbon fiber as reinforcements. The findings showed that the manufacturing method and the new composites can be highly successful for producing ship components.
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issn 2077-1312
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
spelling doaj-art-b3f64bea570844499d0a2aba738aa6252025-08-20T02:53:19ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122024-12-011212220610.3390/jmse12122206On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing MethodErkin Altunsaray0Serkan Turkmen1Ayberk Sözen2Alperen Doğru3Pengfei Liu4Akile Neşe Halilbeşe5Gökdeniz Neşer6Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eylul University, Baku Bulv. 32, Balcova, 35340 Izmir, TürkiyeMarine, Offshore & Subsea Technology Group, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Armstrong Building, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKInstitute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eylul University, Baku Bulv. 32, Balcova, 35340 Izmir, TürkiyeAviation Higher Vocational School, Ege University, 1099 S. 114 Sarnic, Gaziemir, 35100 Izmir, TürkiyeMarine, Offshore & Subsea Technology Group, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Armstrong Building, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKMarine, Offshore & Subsea Technology Group, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Armstrong Building, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UKInstitute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eylul University, Baku Bulv. 32, Balcova, 35340 Izmir, TürkiyeIn the marine industry, the search for sustainable methods, materials, and processes, from the product’s design to its end-of-life stages, is a necessity for combating the negative consequences of climate change. In this context, the lightening of products is essential in reducing their environmental impact throughout their life. In addition to lightening through design, lightweight materials, especially plastic-based composites, will need to be used in new and creative ways. The material extrusion technique, one of the additive manufacturing methods, is becoming more widespread day by day, especially in the production of objects with complex forms. This prevalence has not yet been reflected in the marine industry. In this study, the performances of plastic composite propellers produced by the material extrusion technique is investigated and discussed comparatively with the help of both hydrodynamic and structural tests carried out in a cavitation tunnel and mechanical laboratory. The cavitation tunnel test and numerical simulations were conducted at a range of advance coefficients (J) from 0.3 to 0.9. The shaft rate was kept at 16 rps. The thrust and torque data were obtained using the tunnel dynamometer. Digital pictures were taken to obtain structural deformation and cavitation dynamics. The structural performance of the propellers shows that an aluminum propeller is the most rigid, while a short carbon fiber composite propeller is the most flexible. Continuous carbon fiber composite has high strength and stiffness, while continuous glass fiber composite is more cost-effective. In terms of the hydrodynamic performance of the propellers, flexibility reduces the loading on the blade, which can result in thrust and torque reduction. Overall, the efficiency of the composite propellers was similar and less than that of the rigid aluminum propeller. In terms of weight, the composite carbon propeller containing continuous fiber, which is half the weight of the metal propeller, is considered as an alternative to metal in production. These propellers were produced from a unique composite consisting of polyamide, one of the thermoplastics that is a sustainable composite material, and glass and carbon fiber as reinforcements. The findings showed that the manufacturing method and the new composites can be highly successful for producing ship components.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/12/2206composite ship propellersadditive manufacturing in marine industrylightweighting of ship structuresthermoplastic compositeshydrodynamic and structural performance of ship propellerscavitation tunnel tests
spellingShingle Erkin Altunsaray
Serkan Turkmen
Ayberk Sözen
Alperen Doğru
Pengfei Liu
Akile Neşe Halilbeşe
Gökdeniz Neşer
On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
composite ship propellers
additive manufacturing in marine industry
lightweighting of ship structures
thermoplastic composites
hydrodynamic and structural performance of ship propellers
cavitation tunnel tests
title On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
title_full On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
title_fullStr On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
title_full_unstemmed On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
title_short On the Hydrodynamic and Structural Performance of Thermoplastic Composite Ship Propellers Produced by Additive Manufacturing Method
title_sort on the hydrodynamic and structural performance of thermoplastic composite ship propellers produced by additive manufacturing method
topic composite ship propellers
additive manufacturing in marine industry
lightweighting of ship structures
thermoplastic composites
hydrodynamic and structural performance of ship propellers
cavitation tunnel tests
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/12/2206
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