Siemens Schottel azimuth thrusters

An Azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction. A conventional rudder is not needed. These give ships better maneuverability than a fixed propeller and rudder system. Primary advantages are electrical efficiency, better use of ship space, and lower maintenance costs. Ships with azimuth thrusters do not need tugs to dock, though they still require tugs to maneuver in difficult places. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1872x1535, 867 KB) Summary Taken from German Wikipedia: de:Bild:Siemens_Schottel_Propulsor. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1872x1535, 867 KB) Summary Taken from German Wikipedia: de:Bild:Siemens_Schottel_Propulsor. ... “Siemens” redirects here. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ... Stern-mounted steering oar of an Egyptian riverboat depicted in the Tomb of Menna (c. ... For other uses, see Propeller (disambiguation). ...

There are two major variants, based on the location of the motor:

1. Mechanical transmission, where a motor inside the ship is connected to the pod by gearing. The motor may be diesel or diesel-electric.
2. Electrical transmission, where an electric motor is in the pod itself, connected directly to the propeller without gears. The electricity is produced by an onboard engine, usually diesel or gas turbine. Invented in 1955 by Mr. F.W. Pleuger and Mr. Friedrich Busmann (Pleuger Unterwasserpumpen GmbH), ABB Azipod was the first product using this technology.

A power transfer or energy transfer is the process of passing working energy from one system or device to another. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... Spur gears found on a piece of farm equipment A gear is a wheel with teeth around its circumference, the purpose of the teeth being to mesh with similar teeth on another mechanical device -- possibly another gear wheel -- so that force can be transmitted between the two devices in a... This article is about the fuel. ... A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric powerplant for providing locomotion. ... A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric powerplant for providing locomotion. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... This article is about the fuel. ... This machine has a single-stage centrifugal compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. ... ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation technology areas. ... Azipods on the United States Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Mackinaw Closeup of one of USCGC Mackinacs Azipods Contra Rotating Propeller CRP Azipods used in ShinNihonkai ferries Azipod is the registered brand name of the Asea Brown Boveri company for their azimuth thruster. ...

History

U.S. Patent 2,714,866  from 1955

The first azimuth thrusters, using the mechanical Z-drive transmission, were built by Hollming in Finland in the 1960s under the Aquamaster brand name.^[1] The business was later sold to Rolls-Royce, after the merger of Finnish shipyards into Finnyards. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 416 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (640 × 921 pixel, file size: 103 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Pleuger Source: U.S. Patent 2,714,866 File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 416 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (640 × 921 pixel, file size: 103 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Pleuger Source: U.S. Patent 2,714,866 File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Z-drive is a specialized form of marine propulsion. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... This article is about the aircraft engine company. ... Aker Finnyards is a Finnish shipbuilding company. ...

Later, subsidiaries of ABB, also based in Finland, developed the Azipod thruster, with the motor located in the pod itself. This kind of propulsion was first patented in 1955 by Pleuger of Germany. ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation technology areas. ... Azipods on the United States Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Mackinaw Closeup of one of USCGC Mackinacs Azipods Contra Rotating Propeller CRP Azipods used in ShinNihonkai ferries Azipod is the registered brand name of the Asea Brown Boveri company for their azimuth thruster. ...

See also

• The Voith-Schneider marine propulsion system can also quickly change the direction of thrust.
• Pleuger rudder

The Voith-Schneider propeller is a specialized marine propulsion system. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

References

1. ^ Hollming Group - History

External links

• Ulstein Aquamaster azimuth thrusters, Rolls-Royce plc, including videos of operation
• Propulsion system for LNG Carriers, Google Answers thread, April 2003
• 1990 - World’s first podded propulsion system, ABB
• Azimuth Thrusters, Ship-Technology.com
• Azimuth Thrusters Types and Configurations, Thrustmaster of Texas
• [1], flowserve.com
• [http://www.hrp.nl, hrp.nl