Strength through collaboration

A critical phase of the ABB Dynafin™ project was carried out in collaboration with VTT, the largest research and technology company conducting applied research in Finland. This work is one part of a valuable and ongoing cooperation between ABB and VTT.

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_{Ilkka Perälä VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.  Espoo, Finland ilkka.perala@vtt.fi}

VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner and one of the leading research organizations in Europe. VTT’s over 2,000 professionals work to develop systemic and technological solutions that can bring about fundamental transformation.

The VTT maritime team is focused on propulsion hydrodynamics, ship energy efficiency and structural problems on ships. For hydrodynamics, VTT has strong computational fluid dynamics (CFD) capabilities coupled with codes developed in-house for quick assessment of hydrodynamic problems. Numerical assessments are backed with strong expertise in model-scale and full-scale measurements.

VTT’s collaboration with ABB has deep roots, going all the way back to the development of the first Azipod® propulsion units in the 1980s. This early work included hydrodynamic assessment of Azipod propulsion units with computational tools and with model tests. Another major topic for cooperation was the assessment and measurements of ice loads on Azipod propulsors. Measurements from the harshest ice conditions helped ABB to develop Azipod propulsors for the highest ice classes. Material and component testing for some of the Azipod parts has also been carried out at VTT testing facilities.

Cooperation on the Dynafin product started in 2014 when ABB approached the VTT maritime team to assess new propulsor concepts. These concepts included paddle wheels, flapping foils and cycloidal propellers. Lacking prior systematic studies of these concepts, it was essential to simulate them with a wide range of parameters to understand the hydrodynamic potential of each one. In this task, the tools developed in-house by VTT were important as they enabled a quick assessment of the hydrodynamic performance of each concept. Later, more accurate but time-consuming CFD analyses were carried out for the chosen ideas. The chosen cycloidal approach with trochoidal blade motion would be the starting point of the Dynafin product development. When the concept was selected, the numerical simulations were verified with model tests by VTT at the Otaniemi (Finland) towing tank →01-03. The VTT maritime team helped ABB design the model device for the tests and between 2017 and 2019, several model test campaigns were carried out, including open-water and self-propulsion tests →04. 

Recently, the research around novel marine propulsors at VTT has continued in a research project called UltraPropulsor, where several companies, including ABB, are developing related products and concepts. VTT is coordinating the project and carrying out a public research project that aims to deepen understanding of cavitation modelling, hydrodynamic modelling, ice loads and propeller materials.

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