Reduced Cavitation, High Efficiency Outboard Propulsors for Small Planing Craft

Candent Technologies is proposing a new axial flow waterjet propulsion system designed as a bolt on assembly that replaces the lower unit of the CRRC (Zodiac) existing outboard motor. This new replacement lower unit contains 90 degree gearing, engine cooling water pumping capability, and the complete new waterjet assembly. The latter is based on the high efficiency, low noise, low vibration waterjet designed by Rolls-Royce for Candents propulsion system on the Navys Modular Unmanned Surface Craft Littoral (MUSCL) USV, which is currently under development testing by Candent for NSWC-CCD/LCS PMS 406 (SBIR N121-054 Phase II). This waterjet technology is a scaled down version of the propulsors designed and produced by Rolls-Royce Marine for the Littoral Combat ship (LCS). Candent is teamed with HS Marine Propulsion, and their lead engineer, John Eckart, formerly of Rolls-Royce, who designed the impeller for the AxMk1 LCS waterjet. The University of Iowa is the academic partner in the program, who will use state of the art CFD codes to perform hydrodynamic analysis on the inlet, and investigate the effects of the hull wake, as well as conduct analysis to address potential ventilation and cavitation on the system.