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MAN Diesel & Turbo says new fuel-saving and energy-efficient propulsion opportunities are available from its MAN Alpha propeller programme, which now fully integrates the Kappel tip fin propeller blade designs for both controllable pitch propellers and fixed pitch propellers.

Last month, the board of MAN Diesel & Turbo approved the company's takeover of Kappel propeller - including designs, software, and intellectual property together with continued cooperation with Mr Jens Julius Kappel.

Commenting on the acquisition, Jens Julius Kappel said: "We have had a good cooperation with MAN Diesel & Turbo for almost 10 years, and our joint projects have gone well. I hope that MAN will get the most out of the Kappel technology. Our co-operation does not end here - it will in fact become more intense."

The cooperation between Kappel and MAN Diesel & Turbo actually began in December 2003 when 100 years of MAN Alpha CP Propeller production was celebrated in Frederikshavn. Shortly after that, on 3 March 2004, MAN Diesel & Turbo was awarded the contract of supplying newly-designed high-efficient Kappel CP Propeller blades as part of Scandlines' extensive refurbishment of the ferries M/F Prins Joachim and M/F Kronprins Frederik. This was later followed by a Kappel upgrading of four additional Scandlines vessels.

Fuel savings and EEDI

MAN Diesel & Turbo says the energy-saving technology it now owns will be implemented in a greater variety of customer solutions including e.g. hydrodynamic integration of rudder bulbs, high-efficiency rudders, hull's flow-guiding devices and ducts.

Compared to conventional designs, the Kappel propeller blade designs are claimed to offer fuel savings of up to 6 percent. Also, it is said that the improvement with the Kappel design is related to the blade design alone, thus not relying on improvements with other components - e.g such as a rudder bulb integrated with propeller and rudder.

Optimized propeller and propulsion efficiencies contribute to lowering the EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) of ships, as every gramme of fuel saved by means of higher propulsive efficiency results in more energy-efficient transport.

According to MAN Diesel & Turbo, both new sales and the retrofit after sales business will benefit from the new MAN-owned technology. In retrofit installations, especially in situations where ships undergo a changed operational profile with slow steaming and de-rating of main engines, MAN Diesel & Turbo says it will be able to deliver superior propulsion solutions including state-of-the-art propeller designs offering even larger fuel savings.

Low pressure impulse-to-hull and G-type advantages

Compared to conventional designs, the Kappel propellers are said to have shown lower pressure impulses, which can be utilized for bigger and more efficient propellers because of the reduced clearance between hull and propeller tip.

"Combined with the G-type MAN B&W engine, further improvement in propulsion efficiency can be exploited. The new ultra-long stroke low-speed G-type has a longer stroke and lower engine speed with increased engine efficiency - and deploys a larger and more efficient propeller for tomorrow's energy-optimised aft ship designs. In that combination fuel consumption and CO2 emission are reduced by up to 10 percent," MAN Diesel & Turbo said.