Page 51: of Marine News Magazine (July 2020)

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VSP performance “We look forward to the applications norm on the world’s oceans, and we

In comparative model tests with duct- where the VSP can be applied, espe- expect that the VSP will be a large part ed screw propellers, which were carried cially in the autonomous shipping ?eld. of that new era,” said Philipp Koschor- out by independent test institutes, the There will be a time when remotely pi- rek, Manager Automation Technology,

VSP demonstrated a 15% ef?ciency loted or AI-piloted vessels will be the Voith Turbo Marine.

advantage on average when measured in regard to the power requirement for transit modes. The VSP also features lower fuel consumption in the DP be- cause it quickly counteracts disturbing wind, wave and ?ow forces.

The Staten Island Ferry has always been one of the most important appli- cations for the VSP. The ferry operator decided that its three new ferries should be equipped with two large VSPs each.

The challenges for this operator are ex- tremely high – it transports a large num- ber of passengers while being exposed to extreme wind, currents and ice. It is precisely because of these challenges that the VSP was adopted by the operator.

The future with autonomous shipping

What does the future hold for the

VSP? Autonomous shipping is an im- portant ?eld in the future. The Voith

Schneider Propeller is ideal for autono- mous and remote-controlled vessels be- cause propulsion can be managed very logically (according to X/Y axial logic) and it can allocate desired maneuvers quickly. Any sensor errors or errors in data processing can therefore best be compensated by the VSP. Together with partners, Voith has advanced the tech- nology development to such an extent that remote-controlled tractors with

VSP will soon be realized. In autumn 2020, Voith is planning a practical test for ship autonomy in Rotterdam with the Carrousel Rave Tug (CRT) of the

Multraship/Novatug shipping company.

At the same time, a major research proj- ect is underway in which Voith is work- ing on a VSP ferry on the river Rhine which will sail autonomously. 51 www.marinelink.com MN