Kinematics and Load Conditions at a Cycloidal Propeller

In comparison to conventional ship propulsion systems, the cycloidal propeller replaces the ship's propeller with individual, circularly arranged blades that rotate about the vertical axis. A lever mechanism is used to change the pitch of the blades cyclically over the rotation of the drive, thereby adjusting the direction and velocity of the propulsion. A functioning geometry of the lever mechanism for fulfilling the required boundary conditions was developed at the Chair of Machine Elements and based on the available design parameters, the entire propulsion system was transferred into a multibody system simulation model. The representation of different driving maneuvers is possible by modeling the position- and angle-dependent water loads on the blades. The symmetric design of a second drive allows fundamental investigations to determine the effects of using more than one drive on the direction and velocity of travel and to evaluate the effects of the design-related violation of the normal law.