Study case on the characteristics and performances of a propulsion system for a crude oil tanker

Abstract

This paper presents aspects regarding the analysis of the characteristics and performances of a propulsion system for a crude oil tanker. The study involved several steps: first, the ship’s resistance and the necessary propulsive power were calculated to choose and design the main components: engine, transmission and propeller; to obtain maxim propulsive efficiency at the desired speed, with low fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. Four slow Diesel engines were selected and the optimal propellers were designed to analyse and adopt the more efficient solution. A number of factors were taken into account for ship propulsion system components selection such as: required power, revolution rate to ensure an optimal propeller diameter to be located behind the ship, the specific fuel consumption parameters, desired ship speed, etc.