PropellerSafety.com

Research Projects

Log Strike Test System designed by student in Sweden: Fredrik Helgesson

A college student in Sweden, Fredrik Helgesson, designed a test stand to log strike test outboard motors (outboard motors impact floating logs). The report is titled, Konstruktion av “log strike”-testrigg for utomboardsmotorer. Back in early 2016 Mr. Helgesson, a mechanical engineering student at Halmstad University in Sweden, contacted us a few times for technical specifications […]

Boat Propulsion Impact Relief System: University of Cincinnati thesis

A few months back we came across a 2015 thesis targeting preventing outboard motors and stern drives from breaking off and flipping into boats when striking submerged objects: Boat Propulsion Impact Relief System Baccalaureate thesis College of Engineering and Applied Science University of Cincinnati Mechanical Engineering Technology Jared Frizzi 30 April 2015 We congratulate Mr. […]

Study Advises Boat Manufacturers to Prevent Exposure to Propellers

An August 2013 academic study of children water-associated trauma (WAT) advises the boating industry to prevent exposure to boat propellers with this statement: “manufacturers should be strongly advised to consider redesigning some of the components of watercraft known to induce major injuries in victims in these accidents, including preventing exposure to propellers for instance.” They […]

Improve Visibility of Water Skiers, Wake Boarders, & Tubes: Senior Design Project

Increasing the daytime visibility of water skiers, tubers, banana boat riders, wake boarders wakeboarders, kneeboarders, donuts, tubes, and inflatable tow toy riders being towed by a boat or Personal Watercraft (PWC), especially after they fall can help prevent them from being struck by a boat or boat propeller. These riders and their implements need to […]

Modeling the Risk of a Propeller Striking a Person or a Submerged Object: a Senior Design Project

Recreational boat propellers often strike swimmers, divers, snorkelers, tubers, people ejected from the boat, logs, driftwood, dredge pipes, debris, marine life, or other floating or submerged objects. A model of those risks would be useful in crafting: Boating safety tips Regulations Propeller safety products Design and marking of swimming, snorkeling, and diving areas Boat and […]

Modeling Boat Motor Log Strikes – A Senior Design Project

The boating industry has long been aware that marine drives can strike submerged or floating obstacles. In the early days they conducted on water log strike tests. In more recent times, some have moved to dry land impact tests (log strike test stands), and even considered virtual log strike tests (computer simulated log strike tests). […]

Call for Student Propeller Safety Project Sponsors

We have seen some great student propeller safety research projects through the years. In an effort to encourage more college students to consider propeller safety projects for Senior Design Projects, Project Classes, Senior Thesis, Capstone Projects, and Thesis, we created a post to attract them, Research Projects for Senior Design Classes, Masters Thesis Projects, & […]

Propeller Guard CFD: Oliver Lee Thesis

Propeller Guard Design: An Investigation Using CFD. Oliver Lee. University of Sydney (Australia). November 2011. We are thrilled to welcome this Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of propeller guards into the library of academic research studies on propeller guards by college students around the world. We also proud to have been a small part of […]

Cushioned Propeller Guard – Senior Design Project

Marine drive companies have long employed damping / cushioning technologies to protect marine drives, most typically trim cylinder log strike systems that allow the drive to swing back, up, and over underwater obstacles. Recent years have brought several through hull drives to the market, most prominently Volvo Penta’s IPS, and Brunswick’s / Cummins Mercruiser Diesel […]

Estimating the Total Number of Propeller Accidents: A Senior Design Project

Safety professionals turn to the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Accident Reports Database (BARD) to find the total number of recreational boat propeller accidents reported to USCG. USCG acknowledges some propeller accidents go unreported. The boating industry claims the more severe an accident it is, the more likely it is to be reported, propeller accidents are […]