Voith Adds To Its Innovative Range

Voith Schiffstechnik has introduced a pair of new technologies to its already innovative range of Voith Schneider propulsion products. The Voith Turbo Fin is a rotating cylinder at the leading edge of the stabilizing fin which influences the flow acting on a tug's hull.

According to Voith, the VTF smoothes the flow to reduce turbulence and increases lift which, in the indirect towing method, results in higher transverse forces. After exhaustive model tests, Voith claims that a tractor tug fitted with a VTF' unit was proven to provide an 18 percent increase in the transverse force compared to a tug without the new fin.

Making the option more attractive; the manufacturer says that the VTF is available for a small cost for both refit and newbuild applications.

The other significant new development from Voith is the Cycloidal Rudder (VCR) (pictured below). The VCR, based on the proven Voith Schneider Propeller, is a propulsion and maneuvering system for newbuild ships that require maximum maneuverability over the entire speed range. The VCR has a rotor casing with a vertical axis of rota- tion, but with two ruder blades projecting from it. The configuration enables two modes of operation, passive and active. The passive mode is used for cruising/high speed maneuvering, and in this mode only the rotor casing performs partial rotations in both directions, thus the locked rudder blades are adjusted relative to the flow and act like conventional rudders. For slow speed maneuvering the VCR uses the active mode.

The uniform rotation of the rotor casing is superimposed by an oscillating movement of both blades around their own axis. In essence, this mode allows for an identical thrust to be generated in all directions.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 58, Apr 2001

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