Schottel Pump-Jets Allow Passenger Boat To Operate Even In Shallow Water

Because low water levels frequently cause major problems for vessels navigating on inland waterways, the West German firm of Schottel developed a new propulsion concept, the Schottel Pump- Jet, which provides propulsion power even in shallow waters.

After extensive tests had been conducted on the Rhine with a similar passenger vessel, two Schottel Pump-Jets, type SPJ 55, were installed on the passenger vessel M.S.

Europa, built by Lux-Werft shipyard in West Germany.

The Pump-Jet is integrated into the bottom of the vessel and consists of a semi-axial centrifugal pump whose spiral housing ends in a nozzle. The centrifugal pump sucks in water from underneath the vessel and ejects it again under the bottom of the vessel at an angle of 15 degrees. This produces a propulsive force in a direction contrary to that of the jet flow. The jet itself can be rotated through 360 degrees, which makes the craft outstandingly maneuverable.

The Pump-Jets propelling the 128-foot-long Europa are driven by two MAN B&W Diesel engines, type D 2866 E, each with an output of 178 kw/242 hp at 2,100 rpm. A speed of 13 km/h was measured on the Rhine with the vessel traveling upstream, this being equivalent to 19 km/h in still water. The jets are equipped with reversing gears, enabling the units to be cleaned without any special equipment when the vessel is operating in shallow water or in waters containing a large amount of coarse foreign matter.

For increasing maneuverability, the M.S. Europa is also equipped with an electrically driven Schottel Pump-Jet of type SPJ 20 in the bow.

For more information and free literature on the Schottel Pump-Jet, Circle 37 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 54, Jan 1989

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.