PROPELLER AND HULL-INDUCED SHIP VIBRATIONS

Ship vibration is a combined hydrodynamical/mechanical problem. Therefore, in the design of new ships, particularly those with higher propulsive powers in comparison with previous ships, the combined problem has to be studied. The hydrodynamical part forms a very complex, multi-component, multi-related problem. The main parameters are those describing the hull lines (especially those of the afterbody) and the propeller. At the required ship speed, the propeller must absorb a certain power at a given rate of revolutions. This determines the propeller load, which-in turn-changes the flow along the hull (the characteristics of which are determined by the hull lines) in the vicinity of the propeller to form what is termed the effective wake field. The non-homogeneity of the structure of this wake field causes the blade loading to fluctuate with time, which causes a corresponding change in the cavitation pattern. The final result of this multi-component, multi-related problem is that the unsteady loading and cavitation cause a fluctuating pressure field on the hull and the propeller, which excite the hull girder and the shafting. In the mechanical problem, the main parameters are those describing the stiffness distribution (the construction), the mass distribution (the loading condition) and the excitation forces. These three parameters are virtually independent; only the excitation is related to the developed power, which relation is a very complex one as explained above. Although the mechanical problem is still a very difficult and a tedious one to deal with, the hydrodynamical problem is a considerably less perceptible task. For example, small changes in the hull geometry will hardly effect the hull response, but can affect considerably the excitation forces and, in proportion, the vibration level. CAVITATION Cavitation is bubbles of partial vacuum caused by excessive propeller speed or loading. To avoid this condition, the negative pressure on the blade back (the suction face) must remain less than the local (ambient) pressure of the water at the propeller. Cavitating propellers can still generate plenty of thrust. The problem is that the vacuum bubbles implode against the propeller, causing vibration and pitting. The vacuum bubbles form and implode regularly, causing uneven pressure both along the blades and between them. This creates vibration identical to having unbalanced or unequally pitched blades. Whats more, the force of the imploding bubbles is so great that it actually sucks metal right off the surface of the propeller. The resultant pitting leads to uneven wear, bad balance and even more vibration.

Cavitation is seldom a problem on low-speed vessels with slow RPMs. Keeping RPMs down, using ogival section blades (particularly at the tips), decreasing pitch slightly at the blade tips, and keeping pitch ratios as low as possible all help eliminate or reduce cavitation. VENTILATION Ventilation is often confused with cavitation, though actually it is quite different. Whereas cavitation comprises actual regions of partial vacuum, ventilation is caused by the propellers sucking air down from the waters surface. This is not usually as severe a problem as cavitation, but it can lead to vibration and loss of thrust. The best way to correct ventilation is to the get the propeller deeper under the surface, which sometimes can be accomplished simply by reducing propellers diameter. Using a propeller with blades raked aft is also helpful in reducing ventilation, since the force of water streaming out along the raked blades reduces the tendency of air to be pulled into the propeller disc. AUTHORS PROJECT EXPERIENCE In designing a new ship, the designer must consider the following aspects; the clearance between propeller tip and the hull at least (10 to 15% percent of the overall propeller diameter), propeller design (pitch and diameter) in correlation with gear box ratio as explained earlier that the propeller must absorb a certain power at a given rate of revolutions, wellbalanced propeller and tailshafts, stiffness of aft construction preferably at engine room section especially the engine bed structure, frame spacing and sufficient structural members, design of aft bottom hull, distance between rudder and propeller that must be at least thirteen to fifteen percent of the overall diameter of the propeller and depth of propeller location that must be deep as possible to avoid ventilation or reduce its propeller diameter. Most people think that ship vibration caused by mechanical and hull design itself. In contrary to that, propeller plays the major role in terms of vibration problem because propellers produce forces. Over pitch and overloaded/underloaded propellers causes the ship to vibrate that tends to change in cavitation pattern. Usually Ship vibration emerges when the vessel is in lightship draft condition and when it is in loaded condition the vibration disappears. Under this situation, the propeller is experiencing the so-called Ventilation, so it is most important to locate the propellers at deepest as possible or ballast the aft section of the vessel (if after the construction).

Based on the research and experiments of some U.S. naval architects during 1978, they made a stern tunnels and fins on a bulk carrier and they successfully counter balance the vibration. There are a lot of analyses and experiments to determine the root causes and solutions of ship vibration but one must determine the propellers design in terms of pitch and diameter, gear box ratio based on the submitted propeller data and other mechanical aspects before undergoing major afterbody hull reformation. It is most important to the propeller designer or maker to furnish him the right vessel information they needed for the right propeller specifications. Here in the Philippines, propeller fabricators are not 100% error-free they tend to over pitch and misbalance the propellers. As a ship builder, we are most likely to be blamed by ship owners for mistakes of others especially on the propeller side.