Wärtsilä Coastal and Inland Waterway Propellers

Shipping in coastal waters and inland waterways puts high demands on propulsion systems because of the enormous variations in the operating conditions. For instance, the draft of the vessels changes according to the differences in water levels due to the effects of rain or drought. There is often also limited information concerning the resistance or wake field of these vessels. All these aspects have to be taken into consideration, which is not an easy task. Nevertheless, Wärtsilä is capable of designing the optimum propulsion system taking into account the specific environment for each vessel. Our engineers are specially trained to deal with these extreme circumstances. They are able to call on more than 100 years of experience and utilise the latest computer equipment, which enables them to simulate the cavitation behaviour and pressure pulses of the propeller under varying conditions.