Omnithrusters Delivered For Canadian Government Vessels

Omnithruster Canada Inc. of Sarnia, Ontario, a subsidiary of Omnithruster Inc. of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., in recent months has delivered four units for installation in Canadian government vessels.

The John P. Tulley, a 226-foot hydrographic survey vessel owned by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, is fitted with an Omnithruster JT 8001 500-hp horizontal unit forward and a JT 700 350-hp unit aft.

The CCGS Narwhal, built by Canadian Vickers (now Versatile Vickers of Montreal) in 1963, is undergoing a complete refit at Halifax Industries.

A full machinery upgrading includes an Omnithruster PV 700 unit.

The new Canadian Coast Guard Type 1050 navaids tender/light icebreaker being built at the Nova Scotia shipyard of Pictou Industries, a division of USL International, is being fitted with an Omnithruster JT 950 unit manufactured in Sarnia.

Reliance Electric of Stratford, Ontario supplied the 750-hp motor for this unit, and Byron Jackson of Hamilton the pump.

Basically, the Omnithruster hydrojet unit consists of a protected intake in the bottom of the hull leading to a low-pressure, high-volume pump. This in turn delivers water through high-pressure directional nozzles in the ship's side. The low location of the intake is unaffected by the vessel's trim, and the relatively low velocity of the intake is less affected than conventional thrusters by the ship's speed in relation to the surrounding water. The action of the thruster being against the ship and not the outside water means that it operates efficiently whether submerged or not.

Changes in direction of thrust from port to starboard are activated by valves controlling the flow of water, not by reversing the motors.

This greatly reduces vibration and noise potential. A bonus is that outflow, even without air injection that can be induced, can be used as hull lubrication for navigation in ice.

For free literature on Omnithruster's line of thrusters, Circle 16 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 18, Jan 15, 1986

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