How to order

  • Purchase via the Wolfson Unit Online Store.
  • Confirmation of payment is automatically emailed to you.
  • Hardware lock (USB dongle) and installation instructions are couriered to you.
  • The latest version of the software and release notes can be downloaded from the customer download area.

Need a quotation or require an invoice to purchase? Please contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQs

The software manuals and help sections should be enough to master the software but to help with some more complex processes there are some frequently asked questions listed below:

Power Prediction Program
When using the Wolfson Catamaran model, is Base Data for the entire vessel or one demi-hull? 

The base data is for one demi-hull, you can check your input by placing the cursor over the relevant input box and its description is displayed in the lower left corner of the program page.

How do I know exactly what to input into the entry fields?

 Hover the mouse pointer over the entry field and details of the required input will appear at the bottom left hand corner of the program window.

How does the input propeller shaft angle in the Wolfson Unit methods (11, 12, 13, 14) affect the prediction of EHP/Resistance?

It doesn’t. The only influence that the shaft angle will have is in the prediction of propeller coefficients for use in propeller design calculations. If you want to make the program run and aren’t interested in the propeller coefficients then just enter a value between 7 and 14 degrees

Propeller Design Program
My propellers are for a 13″ diameter duct. The Kaplan data lists the series as 19, 24 and 37. Can the data be used on smaller propellers?

The nomenclature of the propeller files in the nozzle series is as follows:

  • A – Kaplan blades have square tips that run just inside the inner surface of a nozzle, thus reducing tip losses (as in bow thrusters blades). B-series blades have the normal rounded tips of propellers in open flow, but can be run inside a nozzle, this is usually a retrofit as they don’t get the advantage of reduced tip loss.
  • B – Four different nozzle types were tested these are designated as 19a, 22a, 24a, and 37a. 19a is the most common, used for tugs and fishing boats with heavily loaded propellers, fishing boats also get the advantage of having a guarded propeller to reduce fouling of lines, 37a is also used for tugs that need to use reverse thrust a lot. The number does not signify a size, but a shape.
  • C – Number of blades is obvious.
  • D – BAR is the blade area ratio, e.g. 0.65 means the developed blade area takes up 65% of the disc (less hub) area.

In the KT-KQ-J charts, all of the data is dimensionless, with most test propellers in the region of 4″-6″ diameter for example, and run at high revs so increasing Reynolds numbers to reasonable levels. We would be happy to recommend the program to design props at any size between 3” and 10 metres diameter.

Can you provide further information upon nozzle / duct shaping?

A number of differing nozzle designs have been developed by MARIN (MArine Research Institute, Netherlands) for unique thrust characteristics. MARIN Nozzle No. 37 has a rather thick trailing edge, while MARIN Nozzle No. 19A was crafted with a thinner trailing edge. Nos. 22 and 24 were designed with larger length-diameter ratios (0.8 and 1, respectively). Although all four of these nozzle types present a large improvement over a non-ducted propeller, the differences between them are relatively small and refined. Nozzles No. 19A, 22, and 24 are somewhat more efficient than No. 37.