Propeller repair Rotterdam
After the owners of a new Bulk Carrier called our team during an underwater propeller inspection found the blade tips damaged due to ice damage.
All blades were found bent up to a 90-degree angle towards the pressure side, while the tip of one blade was broken off. In cooperation with the propeller manufacturer. FN Diving determined a repair plan.
In order to assure a minimum delay for the vessel in Rotterdam, the decision was made to crop off all four damaged tips from the propeller in a way to maintain the propellers hydro-dynamic requirements.
Operations started after the vessel shifted to lay by berth. Upon arrival of the vessel, the FN Diving team was ready to start immediately with the repairs. Within 6 hours all blades were cropped and hydro-dynamically reshaped, allowing the vessel to continue her voyage with no vibrations noted during sailing.
The swift operation was possible due to smooth cooperation between the FN Diving Rotterdam team, the ships staff and the propeller manufacturer, resulting in a cost and time effective solution for the vessel.
The problems
Several problems arise from damaged or bend propeller blades.
Due to the bent section of the blade, the pitch of this blade has increased and for sure your fuel consumption will rise, even if you don’t notice any significant vibrations, because the propeller is now running heavier.
It is difficult to estimate the increase on the propeller repair, but even a small percentage of extra fuel consumption will quickly exceed the repair price.
The fact that one (1) blade has a higher pitch, results in an unevenly distributed pressure on the propeller. The shaft installation was not designed to handle this.The engine has to work harder, which could create the risk of overloading.
Due to the bent section, the water does not flow smoothly along the blade surface, so there is a chance for further damage due to cavitation. Sometimes an indication of this phenomenon is an increased level of propeller noise, but it is possible that you do not notice this during sailing at all, while cavitation damage still progresses.
for more propeller repair options https://www.fndiving.com/underwater-ship-repair/underwater-propeller-repair