Measuring podded propeller performance in ice

Ever since their first appearances, azimuthing podded propulsors have become increasingly popular. In a parallel development, there has been an increasing interest in arctic shipping. Hence, the number of vessels with azimuthing podded propulsors being capable of navigating in arctic conditions is increasing. The aim of this study is to help the understanding of ice effects on this type of propulsors. The knowledge generated could then be used in updating the regulations governing the design of vessels for arctic navigation, including the podded propulsion systems, by the International Association of Classification Societies. The paper describes the preliminary experimental results obtained in this study so far. The setup designed and built at NRC-IOT, Canada, has the capabiligy of measuring the loads on a podded propeller system operating in ice. It is able to measure loads on the entire model, propeller shaft bearing loads and clade loads. The results suggested that the bearings undergo cyclic loading conditions during the encounters with ice.
1st International Conference on Technological Advances in Podded Propulsion, 14th-16th April 2004, University of Newcastle, UK