Ship Photos of the Day – MAN’s New Alpha Kappel Fixed Pitch Propeller

The 58,500 DWT Supramax bulk carriers Elsabeth C and Mirela show off their shiny new MAN Alpha Kappel fixed pitch propellers, marking the first commercial application for the new MAN Diesel & Turbo’s propellers.

The ships are owned by Frontmarine Co., an affiliated and managed company of Lemissoler Navigation. Lemissoler reports that sea trials have shown that the new propellers, combined with the vessels unique design and lines and silyl acrylate antifouling paint, helped the vessels consume an average 23 mtns per day at a speed of about 14.2 knots in ballast conditions during the sea trials.

According MAN, the Kappel propeller blades are designed for increased fuel efficiency and noise reduction and characterized by a curved tip ‘fin’ that minimizes the water flow over the tip of the propeller blade, resulting in a higher total efficiency compared to conventional propellers.

Thomas Leander, Head of Propulsion for MAN PrimeServ Four-Stroke in Denmark, said: “A key point during the design stage was to address the problem experienced by similar vessels that experience an overly-small light running margin (LRM). Therefore, MAN Diesel & Turbo recently introduced new light running margins for all FP propellers and two-stroke engines of 4-10%. Furthermore, the propeller layout for these 58,500-dwt vessels is 3-4% higher than normally applied to these vessel types. In doing so, MAN Diesel & Turbo has managed to ensure safe and reliable operation, while improving the vessel’s efficiency and maneuverability during its entire lifetime.”

The Elsabeth C and Mirela were constructed by New Times Shipbuilding Co’s Jiangsu, China, shipyard and are the first of eight sister ships being built for Frontmarine, all featuring single MAN B&W 5S60ME-C8.2 engines with an SMCR 8050 kW @ 89 rpm.

Photos courtesy MAN Diesel & Turbo

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