Azipod propulsion – electric podded azimuth thrusters designed by ABB Group – has been on the market for 25 years. In this design, the ship’ s propeller is connected directly to the motor shaft, with no tradional propeller shaft.
” Within the last two years, new and improved products have been added to the product family,” says Marketing Manager Antti Lehtelä from ABB.
According to him, the new products have been designed to be utilised in connection with both high and low power Azipod devices.
” In 2015, a compact-sized Azipod thruster was launched. It is called Azipod D and it has proved to yield a better efficiency than its predecessors.”
” With this new propulsion model, power levels up to 7 MW( megawatts) can be reached, either with asynchronous or permanent-magnet electric motors. The product is particularly suited to offshore applications.”
The trick is in the motor cooling system. Based partially on water cooling and partially on internal air-circulation, the motor frame will yield more power and a better hydrodynamic efficiency than previously.
In time, Azipod D is expected to replace ABB’ s older” C” version.
NOZZLES TO IMPROVE HYDRODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY
ABB launched another innovation for a more powerful Azipod model in 2016: the XL version of the Azipod XO, utilising a linear flow propeller( LFP) Azipod.
” In this version, the propeller is surrounded by a nozzle module equipped with guiding plates, so that the water flow photo: STEERPROP LTD.
” The new compact Steerprop CRP ECO LM combines an integrated permanent-magnet( PM) motor with the high efficiency of contra-rotating propellers( CRP) to bring the fuel economy to a whole new level,” says hydrodynamist Hannu Jukola from Steerprop Ltd.
40 seatec 1 / 2017