Postgraduate Diploma in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water. 8 modules covering ISO 484-1 (manufacturing tolerances for propellers with a diameter above 2.50 m), ISO 484-2 (manufacturing tolerances for propellers with a diameter between 0.80 and 2.50 m) and OpenProp. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Postgraduate Diploma in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water — studying from the United Kingdom
Naval and offshore engineering is a significant sector in the United Kingdom, with shipbuilding and naval programmes on the Clyde, in Portsmouth, Barrow-in-Furness and Rosyth, and offshore energy activity in Aberdeen and the North Sea. Companies such as BAE Systems Maritime, Babcock and offshore service providers employ engineers in design, construction and maintenance. Sports nautical engineering, including yacht design and marine leisure, is concentrated in the Solent and South Coast. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulates shipping safety, and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects supports professional standards.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £910 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies relate to naval and marine engineering, and does SEIUM training count towards them?
Key UK bodies include the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Maritime qualifications are often regulated through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for certificates of competency. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by these bodies, so any recognition would be decided by them separately.
Will UK offshore, naval or marine employers value a private online engineering qualification?
Employers in these sectors often prioritise certified competencies, sea-going experience and regulatory certificates. A private qualification may support your application where it shows relevant technical depth, but it does not replace statutory requirements. Acceptance is for each employer to decide, so consider how the qualification complements your existing certifications.
Can I study this online from the UK alongside offshore rotations, and is language support available?
Online study can be flexible, but rotation patterns make scheduling important, so plan around your time at sea or on site. Programmes are taught entirely in English, and each learner is assigned a technical tutor. No visa is required to study from within the UK. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain propeller theory based on momentum and blade element.
Use systematic series for preliminary design.
Interpret open-water test curves.
Assess cavitation risks and vibration excitation.
Carry out the preliminary design of a propeller adapted to the hull.
Apply lifting-surface and CFD numerical methods.
Specify manufacturing tolerances in accordance with ISO 484.
Who it's for
- Propeller design engineer who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Naval hydrodynamics engineer who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Towing tank engineer who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Propulsion engineer who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Propeller manufacturing technician who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Naval CFD analyst who wants to specialise in Preliminary Propeller Design and Open-Water.
- Graduates in engineering or science looking to join propeller manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- ISO 484-1 (manufacturing tolerances for propellers with a diameter above 2.50 m)
- ISO 484-2 (manufacturing tolerances for propellers with a diameter between 0.80 and 2.50 m)
- ITTC recommended procedures (propeller open-water testing)
- DNV Rules for Ships, Pt.4 Ch.5 (propulsors)
- ISO 15016 (analysis of speed trials)
- ISO 3715-1 (vocabulary of propulsion propellers)
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Propeller geometry: diameter, pitch and area1.2Blade sections and NACA profiles1.3Momentum theory and actuator disc1.4Blade element theory1.5Lifting-line theory1.6KT and KQ coefficients and efficiency1.7Advance ratio J1.8Propeller in wake and relative rotative efficiency1.9Types: fixed pitch, controllable pitch and ducted1.10Practice: KT-KQ curves from geometric data
2.1Wageningen B-series2.2Ka series in nozzle2.3Gawn and Newton-Rader series2.4Regression polynomials2.5Bp-δ diagrams2.6Optimum diameter selection2.7Influence of blade number2.8Disc area ratio2.9Limitations of the series2.10Workshop: propeller selection using the Wageningen B-series
3.1Purpose of the open-water test3.2ITTC procedure 7.5-02-03-02.13.3Instrumentation and dynamometer3.4Reynolds number and scale effects3.5ITTC 1978 scale correction3.6Tests at various advance ratios3.7Uncertainty analysis3.8Presentation of results3.9Cavitation tunnel tests3.10Laboratory: analysis of an open-water test
4.1Types of cavitation: sheet, bubble and vortex4.2Burrill criterion and cavitation number4.3Cavitation in non-uniform wake4.4Pressures induced on the hull4.5Radiated noise and URN4.6Cavitation erosion4.7Blade-rate excitation vibrations4.8Propeller-hull clearance4.9Underwater noise notations4.10Practice: cavitation verification using the Burrill diagram
5.1Starting data: power, rpm and speed5.2Estimation of the wake field5.3Diameter and pitch selection5.4Expanded area selection5.5Radial load distribution5.6Efficiency optimisation5.7High-skew propellers5.8Design for multiple conditions5.9Engine compatibility5.10Case study: preliminary design of a container ship's propeller
6.1Lifting-surface methods (vortex lattice)6.2Panel methods (BEM)6.3RANS CFD in open water6.4Simulation of the propeller behind the hull6.5Cavitation simulation in CFD6.6OpenProp and PROCAL tools6.7Validation against tests6.8Parametric optimisation6.9Structural analysis of blades6.10Workshop: BEM analysis of a propeller
7.1Materials: NAB, Mn-Br and composites7.2ISO 484 tolerances7.3Casting and machining7.4Propeller balancing7.5Shaft and hub assembly7.6Interaction with the rudder7.7Controllable-pitch propellers: mechanisms7.8Inspection and repair7.9Polishing and maintenance7.10Practice: verification of tolerances to ISO 484
8.1Ship design data8.2Wake analysis8.3Selection using series8.4Preliminary design8.5Cavitation analysis8.6Numerical analysis8.7Test plan8.8Manufacturing specification8.9Report and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenProp, PropCad, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM, MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real open-water testing procedures in towing tank, cavitation tunnel and dimensional verification of propellers. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain propeller theory based on momentum and blade element.
Use systematic series for preliminary design.
Interpret open-water test curves.
Assess cavitation risks and vibration excitation.
Carry out the preliminary design of a propeller adapted to the hull.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. A university degree is not required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient English to follow technical standards documentation.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 800 hours in total, spread over 6 to 8 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with OpenProp, PropCad, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM and MATLAB. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An own diploma from SEIUM Institute upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Please check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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