The Wageningen C- and D-Series Propellers

The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) has recently started a Joint Industry Project (JIP) on developing two new propeller series for Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs). Following the well known Wageningen B-series and Ka-series, the new C-series comprise open CPPs whereas the new D-series concern ducted CPP's. The primary objective of developing the new CPP series is to help the shipbuilding and offshore industries in understanding the off-design per-formance of the CPPs, for which systematic information was lacking.
CPP blades have been generated for 4- and 5-bladed open propellers and for 4-bladed ducted propellers in two ducts, representing the most contemporary propeller design practice. Systematic measurements of the propeller and duct thrusts, the torque and also the blade spindle torque have been carried out for the entire range of operational conditions and pitch-settings of each propeller. The results of the C4-40 series are presented in this paper as an example case.