propTECH

King Propulsion Technical Bulletin

Propeller + =
Sizing for
your Varifold OPEN WATER
PROPELLER TEST
SAILBOAT, ENGINE
AND GEARBOX
OPTIMUM
VARIFOLD
DATA SPECIFICATIONS PROPELLER

So you have several quotes for your new propeller in front of you, like a 3 blade 16 x 12 or 2
blade 14 x 11, with each manufacturer quoting something completely different. How do you
make sense of the numbers? Well, most commercial propeller designs are not custom but based
on what we call standard designs, this bulletin will help explain how we do our power predictions
for Varifold Folding Sailboat Propellers.

First, there are many methods to do this prediction. The simplest and very common in the
sailboat market is Crouches method. This is a statistical / Empirical method based on similar
propellers for similar vessels. It is what has worked on a similar vessel in the past should work on
mine kind of approach. It is a great method for lightly loaded propellers (such as sailboats) where
optimum efficiency is not critical, but still important. We don't use this method for final design,
but it gives a great first shot. See the book “Propeller Handbook” By Dave Gerr for a great
explanation of this method and the next one we are presenting which uses diagrams like the one
below - yikes!.

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Call or visit us today on: (757) 962-9219 www.kingpropulsion.com
 King Propulsion Technical Bulletin

So back to the propeller size quoted for your sailboat. There is an important relationship in the
numbers. Your propeller will be number of blades, Diameter then Pitch, (e.g. 3 blade 16 x 12)
with the Pitch to Diameter ratio (P/D) being derived as the key parameter. The crazy diagram
above is known as a Bp delta diagram and it is setup to take the torque of your engine, against
the rpm and find the optimum efficiency. This over simplification of the diagram yields a point in
the middle of it somewhere, then it is a case of reading to the left and you have your P/D ratio for
the propeller. We know the maximum propeller diameter for your vessel and then it is straight
forward to calculate pitch from the P/D ratio. Again a simplification as there are additional
parameters but it explains the concept fairly well.

So to enter data into our diagram we need to know details about your vessel, what type it is, the
engine horsepower, maximum rpm, gearbox ratio and so on. The last value is often overlooked
and it is important. Most sailboat engines run at about 3000 rpm, at this speed the propeller
would cavitate like crazy. So to make the propeller spin slower and put the same power down a
gearbox (typically 2:1-ish) is introduced. Knowing this value is critical in predicting the right
propeller to absorb the right power.

Once the boat engine and gearbox specifications are known a power prediction can be made .
The Bp delta diagram is the backbone of the design. and It stems back from the days before
computers, in drawing offices where graphical data was easy to create and use. Engine
Manufacturers typically used a propeller design (not theirs) such as the B-Series (very
common) which was tested between 1930-70 in Wageningen; it is still the standard design
today for most manufacturers.

The B-Series project took about 30 propellers and varied the pitch and blade area
systematically for 2, 3, and 4 blade propellers. Each propeller had the same blade section
(aerofoil shape ) and diameter. Each propeller was tested from low to high speed and the
performance recorded in what we call an open water test. The pictures to the left shows the
test in progress with a little cavitation present and to the right the results. The open water test
outputs thrust, torque and efficiency.

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Call or visit us today on: (757) 962-9219 www.kingpropulsion.com
 King Propulsion Technical Bulletin

Now if you do this test for 30 systematically variations of the same design, picking one from the
matrix is straight forward. So that is what the Bp Delta diagram does, it takes the torque, and
efficiency of all the propellers and combines them into one diagram that with a little training you
are able to specify an optimum pitch and diameter for a propeller using those blade sections of
your design. It is known as basic design as there is no wake introduced and the propeller is
considered to operate without the presence of the hull - further complications! Different
manufacturers will use different blade sections and you will get different results. For example
Varifold uses airfoil sections with a true helical pitch distribution (pitch changes along the blade)
like a regular fixed propeller which is good for noise and vibration. A feathering propeller has to
have the same pitch along the blade as it has to align with the flow to be a low drag unit under
sail. Both propellers will therefore have different pitch / diameter combinations for the same
vessel.

A search on B-Series or Bp delta diagrams will yield more information. Most of the fixed pitch
engine manufacturers specifying a standard design for the boat which will work great under
motor and this will be based on their experience and, most probably, the B-Series data above.
However Varifold is a different type of propeller, with different blade sections, the camber of the
blades is different (a big factor in how these propellers generate lift and suppress cavitation)
and the pitch is different at different radii, so differences are expected. With the Varifold the
blades also fold behind the hub to reduce the drag which gives the benefits of good propeller
design and the folding allows for the unit to be streamlined under sail.

Based on the above methodology it is easy to see why Varifold is consistently quoted as being
a smooth and quiet propeller both under sail and under motor. Sailboats don’t like propellers
but we think we have a great solution to this problem with the Varifold Folding Sailboat Propeller
- I hope you agree!

If you have any comments or questions about Varifold please call me, I’d be delighted to help.

Dr Roderick Sampson

Principal Naval Architect

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Call or visit us today on: (757) 962-9219 www.kingpropulsion.com