A numerical comparison of end-plate effect propellers and conventional propellers

Unconventional propellers with end-plate effects such as Kappel propellers get designers' attention due to the environmental concerns and energy saving problems. The computations have been carried out to compare the Kappel propellers and the conventional propellers, and the emphasis is put on the scale effects and the structural performance. The scale-effect is first investigated, and the computational results show that the Kappel propeller has a larger scale effect than the conventional propeller. The structural analysis is then made, and the comparisons of the Kappel propeller and the conventional propeller show that the Kappel propeller suffers from a stronger stress concentration near the tip.