What is Azipod propulsion?
Azipod® is a gearless 360° steerable propulsion system, where the electric motor is located in a submerged pod outside the ship hull. By utilizing the Azipod® system’s maneuverability, marine vessels can direct thrust in any direction with incredible precision, saving time and fuel.
What is the most efficient boat propulsion system?
Azipod propulsion is a gearless steerable propulsion system with the electric drive motor located in a submerged pod outside the ship hull. Having 360° manoeuvrability, it is used to steer and drive a broad variety of vessels at the same time.
What is podded propulsion system?
A podded propulsor is defined as a propulsion or maneuvering device, which is external to the ship’s hull and houses a propeller powering capability.
How does azimuth thruster work?
In an azimuth thruster the propeller rotates 360° around the vertical axis so the unit provides propulsion, steering and positioning thrust for superior manoeuvrability. Designs have been developed for propulsion and dynamic positioning in response to market requirements.
Can electricity be used for propulsion?
Electric Propulsion (EP) is a class of space propulsion which makes use of electrical power to accelerate a propellant by different possible electrical and/or magnetic means. The use of electrical power enhances the propulsive performances of the EP thrusters compared with conventional chemical thrusters.
Do cargo ships have Azipods?
Today, ABB’s Azipod propulsion systems are used on a wide range of vessels such as cruise ships, icebreakers, ice-going cargo vessels and offshore accommodation ships.
What is the purpose of azimuth thruster?
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of marine propellers placed in pods that can be rotated to any horizontal angle (azimuth), making a rudder unnecessary. These give ships better maneuverability than a fixed propeller and rudder system.
How is the propulsion system used in Azipod?
The propulsion motor technology in Azipod units is selected so that it will achieve high efficiency throughout the entire propeller speed range. Marin showed that Azipod propulsion compared to a fixed shaftline propulsion design still had a 6-8 percent lead what regards to propulsion efficiency.
When was the Azipod drive installed on Seili?
The 1.5MW Azipod propulsion unit was installed on the waterway service vessel, SEILI delivered in December 1990. In 1994 the existing propulsion installation of the 16,000dwt Arctic tanker UIKKU was replaced by a cycloconverter-controlled 11.4MW Azipod drive.
What did ABB do with the azipod system?
Since then, ABB’s Azipod® system has inspired naval architects to create more efficient and sustainable vessel designs.
How long does it take to exchange thrusters with Azipod?
A complete thruster exchange can be done in 48 hours. The Azipod® system is designed so that the inboard parts be can installed early and the propulsor later, which gives flexibility and may reduce upfront investment costs for the shipyard. 9. Electric propulsion technology provides a native digital platform.