Will Ships Become Quieter? Germany Tests Silent Propellers to Save Marine Life Without Slowing Down Travel

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 19/02/2026 at 11:28

Updated on 19/02/2026 at 11:29

hélices silenciosas

Uma pessoa reagiu a isso.

MinKav Project Started on January 1, 2026 Receives € 390,000 from Schleswig-Holstein to Develop Silent Propellers Capable of Reducing Underwater Noise Without Compromising Speed, Energy Efficiency and Global Commercial Fleet Operation

Researchers from HAW Kiel started the MinKav project on January 1, 2026, funded with € 390,000 by the state of Schleswig-Holstein, to develop silent propellers that reduce underwater noise without compromising the speed and efficiency of commercial vessels.

Silent Propellers Seek to Reduce Noise Impact on Marine Life

German engineers have launched a new project to address the intense noise generated by ship propellers, which disrupts marine life. This interference interrupts communication, feeding, and mating patterns of marine mammals.

The HAW Kiel team is developing new projects for silent propellers to quiet the sea. The central goal is to reduce underwater noise without compromising the efficiency or speed of vessels, which is a crucial balance for global maritime transport.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Cavitation Science Guides Development of New Silent Propellers

The noise from a propeller begins with cavitation. Pressure drops sharply on the suction side of a spinning blade, causing the water to vaporize and form small bubbles.

When the pressure rises again, the bubbles collapse violently. This process creates loud and sudden sounds that propagate for miles in the oceans.

Leonie Föhring leads the doctoral research at the Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Institute at HAW Kiel. She uses a cavitation tunnel, high-speed cameras, and underwater microphones to study the phenomenon.

“The strong impulse occurs at the moment the bubble collapses. Its volume depends on how quickly the process happens,” explains Föhring.

She states that the team wants to find out if it is possible to slow down this collapse and how the silent propellers would need to be designed to achieve this goal.

Integration of Noise Reduction in Naval Design

Modern commercial ships use custom-designed propellers. However, underwater noise has rarely been a priority for engineers.

Prof. Jörn Kröger, the project leader, advocates for changes to meet upcoming environmental limits. According to him, practical methods are needed to routinely integrate noise reduction into propeller design.

Kröger also seeks to ensure that changes do not lead to significant losses in efficiency or speed. The goal is to prevent the industry from facing new operational restrictions.

Föhring and Kröger use computational flow simulations to find solutions. They aim to protect marine species while maintaining energy efficiency and contributing to climate protection.

Global Application and Duration Until December 31, 2028

The project benefits from the expertise of JASCO-ShipConsult, a specialist in naval acoustics. Naval engineer Dr. Dietrich Wittekind identifies a gap in current maritime research.

He notes that international teams have been studying low-frequency noise for 20 years. Despite many measurements, according to him, the fundamental mechanism responsible for high noise levels is still not understood.

Wittekind states that MinKav is the first project to systematically analyze the main causes and develop concrete solutions for significant noise reduction through measures related to silent propellers.

The conclusions could be applied to both new constructions and existing vessels. This presents a real opportunity to reduce noise pollution in the oceans.

The MinKav project will last until December 31, 2028. Its success could redefine how the global fleet moves through water, with a direct impact on marine life and the efficiency of maritime transport.

0 Comentários

Mais recente

Mais antigos Mais votado

Feedbacks

Visualizar todos comentários

Will Ships Become Quieter? Germany Tests Silent Propellers to Save Marine Life Without Slowing Down Travel

MinKav Project Started on January 1, 2026 Receives € 390,000 from Schleswig-Holstein to Develop Silent Propellers Capable of Reducing Underwater Noise Without Compromising Speed, Energy Efficiency and Global Commercial Fleet Operation

Silent Propellers Seek to Reduce Noise Impact on Marine Life

Cavitation Science Guides Development of New Silent Propellers

Integration of Noise Reduction in Naval Design

Global Application and Duration Until December 31, 2028

At over 8,800 meters above sea level, the summit of Mount Everest is made up of rocks that originated at the bottom of an ocean about 500 million years ago and were pushed to the highest point on Earth by the collision of tectonic plates.

USA and China compete for Brazil over resources that could be worth trillions — rare earths put the country at the center of a global dispute

This house in Japan has been transformed on the inside and now looks as if it has been excavated from the inside out like a surreal cave.

Neither Brazil nor the USA: China produces over 60% of the world’s farmed fish and accounts for about 40% of all global seafood, using industrial-scale aquaculture megafarms to influence the international market and supply billions of people.

China inaugurates a ghost factory that operates in the dark 24 hours a day without any human workers and produces 10 million smartphones a year using 97% of equipment developed by the company itself.

From a devastated quarry to an oasis of biodiversity with over 200 species: the incredible transformation of an old mine in Portugal that proves the power of nature to heal when given a chance.

Haiti’s capital is experiencing a crisis of energy and construction, facing blackouts, has a blocked port, and buildings at risk after years of instability and a significant earthquake.

USA and China compete for Brazil over resources that could be worth trillions — rare earths put the country at the center of a global dispute

Motorola launched the Signature with a gold seal from DxOMark, tying with the iPhone 17 Pro in camera performance, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 that surpassed 3 million in benchmarks, and a zoom that impresses even at night.

Satellites reveal beneath the Sahara a giant river buried for thousands of kilometers: study shows that the largest hot desert on the planet was once traversed by a river system comparable to the largest on Earth.

The government requests the Federal Revenue Service for a new system to automate the income tax declaration, reducing errors, time, and bureaucracy for millions of Brazilians.

With 74% of companies facing difficulties in hiring, technicians and engineers in renewable energy are becoming scarce in Brazil and are essential to support the expansion of solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects.

Will Ships Become Quieter? Germany Tests Silent Propellers to Save Marine Life Without Slowing Down Travel

MinKav Project Started on January 1, 2026 Receives € 390,000 from Schleswig-Holstein to Develop Silent Propellers Capable of Reducing Underwater Noise Without Compromising Speed, Energy Efficiency and Global Commercial Fleet Operation

Silent Propellers Seek to Reduce Noise Impact on Marine Life

Cavitation Science Guides Development of New Silent Propellers

Integration of Noise Reduction in Naval Design

Global Application and Duration Until December 31, 2028

At over 8,800 meters above sea level, the summit of Mount Everest is made up of rocks that originated at the bottom of an ocean about 500 million years ago and were pushed to the highest point on Earth by the collision of tectonic plates.

USA and China compete for Brazil over resources that could be worth trillions — rare earths put the country at the center of a global dispute

This house in Japan has been transformed on the inside and now looks as if it has been excavated from the inside out like a surreal cave.

Neither Brazil nor the USA: China produces over 60% of the world’s farmed fish and accounts for about 40% of all global seafood, using industrial-scale aquaculture megafarms to influence the international market and supply billions of people.

China inaugurates a ghost factory that operates in the dark 24 hours a day without any human workers and produces 10 million smartphones a year using 97% of equipment developed by the company itself.

From a devastated quarry to an oasis of biodiversity with over 200 species: the incredible transformation of an old mine in Portugal that proves the power of nature to heal when given a chance.

Haiti’s capital is experiencing a crisis of energy and construction, facing blackouts, has a blocked port, and buildings at risk after years of instability and a significant earthquake.

Motorola launched the Signature with a gold seal from DxOMark, tying with the iPhone 17 Pro in camera performance, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 that surpassed 3 million in benchmarks, and a zoom that impresses even at night.

Satellites reveal beneath the Sahara a giant river buried for thousands of kilometers: study shows that the largest hot desert on the planet was once traversed by a river system comparable to the largest on Earth.

Scientists have captured something never seen in space: newly born stars are creating gigantic rings of light a thousand times larger than the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and this changes everything we knew about stellar birth.

Geologists find traces of a continent that disappeared 155 million years ago after separating from Australia and reveal that it did not sink, but broke into fragments scattered across Southeast Asia.

Samsung launches cordless vertical vacuum cleaner with up to 400W of suction and relies on AI to automatically recognize corners, carpets, and different surfaces.

USA and China compete for Brazil over resources that could be worth trillions — rare earths put the country at the center of a global dispute

Motorola launched the Signature with a gold seal from DxOMark, tying with the iPhone 17 Pro in camera performance, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 that surpassed 3 million in benchmarks, and a zoom that impresses even at night.

Satellites reveal beneath the Sahara a giant river buried for thousands of kilometers: study shows that the largest hot desert on the planet was once traversed by a river system comparable to the largest on Earth.

The government requests the Federal Revenue Service for a new system to automate the income tax declaration, reducing errors, time, and bureaucracy for millions of Brazilians.

With 74% of companies facing difficulties in hiring, technicians and engineers in renewable energy are becoming scarce in Brazil and are essential to support the expansion of solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects.