A composite propeller on a merchant vessel

ClassNK and Nakashima Propeller announced the installation of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) propeller on the main propulsion system of a merchant vessel.

The CFRP propeller was installed on the Taiko Maru, a domestic 499 GT chemical tanker owned by Sowa Kaiun YK by Marugame-based Koa industry Co., Ltd. in May 2014. The CFRP propeller installed on the vessel was developed and produced by Nakashima Propeller Co., Ltd. with support from ClassNK, which granted approval for the design and manufacturing process of the CFRP propeller, as well as provided research and funding support for the project as part of the ClassNK Joint R&D for Industry Program.

Research and development on the use CFRP propellers for merchant vessels in Japan was supported by the Nippon Foundation and the Japan Ship Machinery & Equipment Association (JSMEA) from 2007 to 2011. From 2012, this research continued as a joint research project carried out by Nakashima Propeller Co., Ltd, the University of Tokyo School of Engineering, Japan’s National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI), NYK Line, MTI Co., Ltd., Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd, and ClassNK as part of ClassNK’s Joint R&D for Industry program.

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