Propeller on a modern mid-sized merchant vessel. The propeller rotates clockwise to propel the ship forward when viewed from astern (right of picture); the person in the picture has his hand on the blade's trailing edge.
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting
rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil -shaped blade, and a fluid (such as air or water) is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics, like those of aircraft wings, can be modelled by either or both Bernoulli's principle and Newton's third law . A marine propeller of this type is sometimes colloquially known as a
screw propeller or screw , however there is a different class of propellers known as cycloidal propellers – they are characterized by the higher propulsive efficiency averaging 0.72 compared to the screw propeller's average of 0.6 and the ability to throw thrust in any direction at any time. Their disadvantages are higher mechanical complexity and higher cost.
