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ASDWire distribution date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:14:00 GMT +0100

Composite main propeller for Dutch minehunter

EURONAVAL Paris, October 26-29 2010 --[ASDWire]-- Airborne Composites, The Netherlands has supplied the Royal Netherlands Navy with a composite main propeller for an Alkmaar-class minehunter. This is the first time in the world that composite materials have been used for a maritime main propeller of such power (about 1400 kW). The propellers were delivered to the Navy in September 2010. Test runs will start at the end of 2010 and will continue throughout 2011. The Royal Netherlands Navy has ten Alkmaar-class minehunters. These vessels were developed in the 1970s by the Navy in cooperation with its French and Belgian counterparts.

“Erosion is a big problem in bronze ships’ propellers,” explained Wiard Leenders, Managing Director of Airborne Composites. “It interferes with the geometry of the blade surface, giving rise to turbulence and hence to vibration and noise. This effect on the acoustic signature of the vessels is particularly undesirable in minehunters, which have to operate very silently in order not to trigger the mines they are hunting. Frequent inspection and maintenance is the only way of ensuring a safe working environment in this case. The necessary maintenance is very expensive, and reduces the operational availability of these vessels. The use of composite materials for the ships’ propellers offers a way out of this impasse,” Wiard Leenders stated.

Hydrodynamic tests at the Marin maritime research institute in Wageningen were so promising that the Royal Netherlands Navy commissioned a follow-up study at Airborne. This focused on the possibility of using the orientation of the fibres reinforcing the composite material in order to get propeller blades that adjust their position in response to the load on them, thus obtaining a ‘hydroelastic propeller’. These propellers are more quiet in use, and have a higher efficiency which may lead to fuel savings of a few per cent. “These fuel savings have generated increasing interest in these ‘flexible’ composite propellers in civilian shipping circles,” Wiard Leenders went on.

The composites used for this purpose are carbon-fibre-reinforced epoxy resins. These materials are very strong and rigid, especially in relation to their density. Composite ships’ propellers increase operating safety in minehunters, thanks to their low magnetic, electrical and acoustic signatures. They require less maintenance, thus increasing the operational availability of the vessels. The maintenance costs are lower, and the propellers have a longer operating life. These composites are less subject to corrosion. As a result, the surface of the propeller remains smooth and there is less (noisy) cavitation. The production costs are lower, because the mould can be reused many times.

Airborne International (founded in 1995) designs, develops, produces and tests composite products for application in the following markets: antennas for astronomical radio telescopes, high-end machines, aerospace, maritime & offshore and oil & gas. The company has about 130 employees in the Netherlands (The Hague) and Spain (Girona). Airborne received a capital injection of nine million Euros from Holland Private Equity on August 19th, 2010. This will be used to fund the first plant in the world for the continuous production of high-quality thermoplastic composite pipes for the oil and gas industry. The plant will be located in the port of Rotterdam.

We look forward to seeing you at our stand (No. E9) at the EURONAVAL 2010 defence show.

Company Information

Wiard Leenders,
Managing Director of Airborne Composites,
tel. +31 (0) 70 3017400,

or Marijke van Santen,
Sales Coordinator of Airborne Composites,
E-mail: m.vansanten@airborne.nl

For further information about Airborne, please visit our website
www.airborneinternational.com.

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