Rolls-Royce to deliver propulsion for Danish passenger ferry

London-headquartered Rolls-Royce will deliver two units of a Promas system that integrates the controllable pitch propeller, a propeller hub cap, a rudder with bulb and a twisted leading edge into one hydrodynamically optimised unit. Gearboxes, steering gears, two tunnel thrusters in the bow and a control system are also part of the delivery.
“By adapting the propeller and rudder into one propulsive unit, Promas offers increased propulsive efficiency and improved manoeuvrability. It’s chosen by both conventional single- and twin-screw ships, such as the passenger ferry to be constructed for Mols-Linien,” said Rolls-Royce products director Gary Nutter.
Included in the order are cavitation tests at the Rolls-Royce Hydrodynamic Research Centre (HRC) in Kristinehamn, Sweden. The performance of the combined propeller and rudder system (Promas) will be controlled and tested there prior to manufacturing. The HRC includes a large cavitation tunnel where a model of the ship’s hull, with the ordered propulsion set-up, will perform in different operating conditions. Model testing can lead to important and cost-saving adjustments in a product or ship design, Rolls-Royce notes.
The new passenger ferry for Mols-Linien will have a capacity of 600 people and two decks totalling 1,500 lane metres for transportation of cars and trailers. It is planned to begin operation in September 2018.