Especially during the last decade, the economic circumstances have made the energy/fuel savings a decisive competitive factor and environmental concerns have become one of the most important issues the maritime industry is facing nowadays.

Those challenges are being tackled through research and development in the design and construction of propellers in all applications, making a significant contribution to increasing efficiency and reducing emissions.

Influenced by IMO regulation on energy efficient design index (EEDI), the demand of energy saving devices (ESDs) is expected to keep growing. Its design requires a deep knowledge of the flow behaviour in the aft area of the vessel and highly advanced CFD simulations are required in order to properly characterise the hydrodynamic efficiency due to the propeller/hull interaction.

RINA invites classifications societies, shipyards, operators, surveyors, designers and anyone with an interest in propellers and impellers, to submit papers on:

Contra-rotating propellers

Impellers

Twisted rudders

Vane wheels, pre- and post-swirl stators

Rudder bulbs and rudder fins

Nozzles

Cavitation: erosion and noise

Podded propulsors

Selected papers may be published in the Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects