Podded Propulsion Technology

  • Compelling design and operational arguments in favor of podded electric drives can be expected to transcend any negative impressions formed from the recent clutch of problems and complications experienced with such systems in certain cruise ship and ferry applications.

    Experience has shown that technical innovation in the maritime field has invariably been accompanied by early setbacks in some shape or form. In an industry where conservatism is the order of the day. and understandably so where assets are subjected to the rigors of the elements as well as the vicissitudes of the markets, those operators willing to be the standard bearers with new technology provide a beacon for the wider maritime community.

    In some segments, most especially the domain of large cruise vessels.

    the podded option has forever altered the established position of standard propulsion arrangements.

    As has been witnessed over the past 12 months, an ever-widening appreciation of the merits of podded electric propulsors has spread the reference list to new areas, including crude oil tankers, survey ships and offshore support vessels. Soon, the concept will make its seagoing debut in the RoRo ferry sector.

    From establishing a commitment to 'power station'-type plant and electric propulsion drives, it can be just a short, further step to fostering the adoption of a pod. This remarkable, generic device encapsulates the electric motor and can deliver full thrust in any direction, dispensing with the need for conventional shaftline. propeller and rudder.

    Intense competition between a handful of producers, in each case melding the expertise of specialists in electrical engineering and propulsion co-venturers, is of itself enhancing the scope and the attraction of podded systems, through design development and a solutionbased approach to new powering and propulsion options. For instance, pods are now being proposed within hybrid systems to meet the powering needs of the envisioned breed of ultra-large containerships, while new design variants have been developed specifically for smaller-ship applications, bringing major new areas of the market within the ambit of podded drives.

    Superior maneuvering capabilities, increased hydrodynamic and drive system efficiencies, overall energy gains, and the shipboard space savings and design flexibility associated with electric pod propulsion give a solid foundation to consideration of the podded options. Building on a long track record in thruster technology, and underscoring a propensity for maritime innovation, the Finns were the leaders in the podded drive concept. The first contractual reference for the Azipod system originated by ABB Industry and Kvaerner Masa- Yards (KMY) gave the design its operational debut in 1991.

    While various specialized vessels for ice navigation have carried the concept forward, the large-scale recourse to the system by leading operators in the cruise shipping sector within the past few years has constituted one of the outstanding aspects of propulsion system development over the past decade. Since 1997, the business activities for the system have been managed by ABB Azipod of Helsinki, in which ABB Industry is the majority shareholder, complemented by shipbuilders KMY and Fincantieri.

    One of the champions of diesel-electric powering, Carnival, gave podded propulsion its start in the cruise ship domain with the commissioning of the Elation and Paradise in 1998, sparking broader industry uptake of the concept.

    Subsequent problems experienced with the systems, which led to an out-of-court settlement between ABB Azipod and Carnival at the end of last year, prompted certain design modifications.

    By the end of May this year, Azipod installations had been specified for 24 cruise vessels, encapsulating a total of 53 pods, and involving newbuild commitments extending into 2005. While Royal Caribbean's Vantage series from Meyer Werft field the biggest unit power concentrations of 19.5-MW per pod in twin Azipod applications, the same U.S.

    group's Voyager of the Seas class from Kvaerner Masa-Yards have the largest array of power through the adoption of three pods of 14-MW apiece. The design offering now extends through the performance range up to 25-MW. and has been strengthened in the sector up to 5- MW by the development of the Compact Azipod series.

    A market breakthrough has been achieved with the specification of the first podded propulsors specified for large crude oil carriers, whereby a 16- MW Azipod will be used for each of two 106.000-dwt diesel-electric tankers ordered in Japan for deployment with Fortum Oil & Gas.

    The heavily ice-strengthened vessels will serve the Finnish energy group's year-round transportation of crude oil from the North Sea basin to its Baltic refineries. The project provides a breakthrough in the large tanker sector for Kvaerner Masa-Yards' double-acting technology, which champions the concept of podded drives. Podded propulsion is central to double-acting technology, whereby vessels are formed and equipped to sail astern in icebound waters, permitting the use of a hydrodynamically- optimized bow for openwater navigation.

    Fortum has the most extensive seagoing service experience to date of any user of podded propulsors, through its Nemarc Shipping joint venture with KMY. Nemarc's two 16,400 dwt Arctic tankers Uikku and Lunni were each retrofitted with a 11.4 MW Azipod in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

    The tankers have been booked with Sumitomo Heavy Industries, where they will be constructed to the Finnish Maritime Administration's Ice Class 1A Super requirements, and incorporate a hull structural design based on a 40-year fatigue life.

    By developing a system tailor-made for smaller vessels, ABB has increased the market reach of innovative podded propulsion technology. The Compact Azipod design has been engineered by the Finnish group for unit power applications in the 400-kW to 5-MW range, and early contractual successes in the offshore field have been followed by survey ship applications for the U.K.

    Ministry of Defence. While encapsulating the concept and attendant benefits of the original Azipod series, the latest system incorporates distinct features influenced by the particular design and operating needs of a very large population of small vessels, including ferries, inland vessels, coastal and offshore service vessels. Enhanced maneuverability and operational economy have been the twin objectives have been cornerstone objectives in the Compact Azipod development project.

    It is felt that market demand for the compact, water-cooled unit could reach several hundred units per annum within just a few years.

    The adoption of a permanent magnet motor not only allows a slimmer pod and promises higher electrical efficiency, but also obviates cooling on the rotor, while the stator is cooled by convection to the surrounding seawater. The standard, single-propeller system can be delivered as either a 'pulling 'or 'pushing' version, and the pushing variant may be fitted with a nozzled propeller to give a higher bollard pull rating.

    The distinctive propulsor type has been selected for three multi-role support vessels contracted from a west Norwegian shipyard by the Ulsteinvikbased company Island Offshore. The recipient, diesel-electric newbuildings will be of the UT745E type, drawn up by Rolls-Royce Marine.

    With the 4,000-dwt first-of-class due for handover this year by Soviknes Verft, the versatile support vessel class features with two pulling-type Compact Azipod units dimensioned and powered for an output of 2,300 kW apiece. The project also signifies a new application, in a demanding operating scenario, for ABB's new, water-cooled ACS600 Marine Drive, a key constituent of the Compact Azipod.

    The first Royal Navy vessels incorporating integrated electric propulsion and Azipod propulsors will be the survey vessels HMS Echo and HMS Endurance, which are being constructed by Appledore Shipbuilders under subcontract from Vosper Thornycroft (UK). Each vessel will be equipped with two PWM (pulse width modulation)- controlled Compact Azipod units rated at 1,700-kW each, as part of a broader package of supply by ABB also encompassing the generators for the main power plant.

    The prestigious contract to supply four Mermaid pod systems to the nascent Queen Mary 2, the 150,000-gt luxury cruise liner booked from Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Carnival's Cunard Line brand, has taken the sales tally for the series to 40 units. Originally parented by Kamewa and electric drive specialist Cegelec, now respectively vested in Rolls-Royce and Alstom Power Conversion, Mermaid has also recently been nominated for NYK's 68,000-gt cruise ship newbuild at St. Nazaire, and also for the 60,000- gt sisters placed with the same yard by Italian operator MSC Cruise.

    The Queen Mary 2 project signifies application of the technology at an unsurpassed level of power, whereby the installation will comprise two fixed and two azimuthing pod units of 21.5- MW each, delivering a combined out- put of 86-MW. The arrangements are designed to ensure a speed of nearly 30- knots with low noise and vibration levels and maximum maneuverability.

    The Mermaid range covers unit powers up to 25-MW, and has hitherto been sold in versions from 7-MW upwards.

    The proprietors plan to introduce drives starting at 500-kW, cognizant of the considerable small-ship market potential for pod propulsors. The 85,000-gt Millennium-class cruise ships entrusted by Celebrity Cruises to Chantiers de l'Atlantique provided the debut for the Mermaid as well as for the gas turboelectric powering concept in the cruise sector.

    Mermaid has also been favored for the Project America initiative, whereby two 12.5-MW units will be supplied in each case to two 72,000-gt cruise ships to be constructed by Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding for American Classic Voyages Co.

    (AMCV). The propulsor choice is all the more significant for the fact that the newbuilds are the first large, ocean-going passenger ships to be laid down in the U.S. for 40 years.

    Swedish tanker operator Donsotank has re-affirmed its belief in podded electric drive technology by nominating a Siemens-Schottel Propulsor (SSP) system for a further chemical products carrier to be built in China.

    The latest diesel-electric newbuilding will be a near-sister of the 18.000-dwt Prospero, commissioned from Shanghai Edward Shipyard last September. Prospero provided the all-German SSP concept with its first seagoing reference, by way of a 360-degree rotating pod incorporating a 5.1 -MW electric motor.

    Ease of fitting, a factor salient to its adoption for a project in China, was one of the characteristics of the integral drive system, which favored its selection for the new tanker. The SSP's modular design and. unlike other podded drives, its avoidance of complicated air cooling arrangements, makes for relatively straightforward installation. The SSP solution differs from other podded propulsion options by way of the use of tractor and pusher propellers at each end of the pod unit. It is also distinguished by the adoption of a permanent magnet, longitudinal- flow motor. Each end of the armature is direct-coupled to a propeller, such that the two propellers rotate in the same direction. Donsotank's second-ofclass from the partially German-owned Shanghai Edward establishment is scheduled for handover at the beginning of 2002.

    TT-Line of Germany has provided an opening reference for podded electric drives in the ferry market, a project which has drawn considerable media attention for the ship handover delays attributable to problems encountered with the SSP pod system on sea trials. At the time of writing, with the 34,500-gt Nils Holgersson being readied at Bremerhaven for a delayed commissioning in July, the precise nature and cause of problems had still to be made known.

    However, the concept holds good, based as it is on solid operational and economic factors.

    The exacting level of maneuverability needed for the new ships, the savings in fuel associated with more efficient maneuvering, along with weight, space, and propulsive efficiency factors favored the selection of azimuthing pods in preference to a more standard diesel-electric layout based on internal propulsion motors driving fixed-pitch propellers.

    The nature of the SSP system, whereby machine cooling is effected principally by direct seawater contact with the pod body, so dispensing with the need for special cooling equipment and space provision, is regarded as a plus factor in RoRo ferry design.

    Using 11-MW SSP 10 pods, the system has been incorporated into its new class of RoPax ferries within the limited height constraints imposed by the aft-end configuration of such vessels, and the need to ensure unobstructed access from the stern ramp into the main garage deck.

    With the sales tally growing for the competing Azipod, Mermaid and Siemens-Schottel Propulsor (SSP) design series, STN Atlas Marine Electronics and John Crane-Lips have demonstrated the market's receptivity to a further propulsion option by landing an opening deal for the jointly developed Dolphin pod system.

    Radisson Seven Seas' 50,000-gt newbuilding Seven Seas Voyager, will provide the debut contract for the Dolphin series, in the form of two 7,000-kW pods. The units figure in a considerably broader powering and drive package to be supplied by STN Atlas and John Crane-Lips to Genoese yard of build T.Mariotti.

    The co-developers claim that a typical Dolphin installation can result in power savings of 5-10 percent relative to conventional propulsive drive arrangements based on fp propellers. The pulling action of the podded propulsor makes for an improved axial water flow towards the propeller compared with a traditional twin-screw, inboard-drive arrangement.

    As well as reduced propulsive energy requirements at a given ship speed, the podded option is said to result in improved cavitation characteristics with low excitations, and a low noise level.

    The heart of the Dolphin is a sixphase, brushless, synchronous motor incorporating double windings, and speed-controlled by converter. The concept has been engineered for operational reliability and system simplicity. The shaft is protected within its pod casing by a combination of face and lip seals.

    Dolphin's Dutch and German technicians have developed systems for applications in the 3-MW to 19-MW power band. The diesel-electric Seven Seas Voyager, arranged for 700 passengers, will be similar to the Mermaid-fitted Seven Seas Mariner, completed this year by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Options available to shipowners and designers have also been increased by the development of a new pod design by the French state-owned undertaking DCN.

    Although conceived for the naval sector, DCN's primary marine market, the system is also claimed to offer substantial potential in the mercantile vessel field.

    Using a permanent magnet motor-based solution and employing a pulling-propeller configuration, the French offering is understood to match the broadest power range currently available with existing podded drives.

    Meanwhile, a three-year research program drawing in European and U.S. participants, and dubbed Pods in Service, is expected to yield valuable data that will help quantify operational performance with podded systems and feed into future design work. The project is being coordinated by the Dutch Maritime Research Institute MARIN.

  • MR Feb-24#48 Index page MR Feb2024:MN INDEX PAGE  2/8/2024  11:05 AM)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 48

    Index page MR Feb2024:MN INDEX PAGE 2/8/2024 11:05 AM Page 1 ANCHORS & CHAINS MILITARY SONAR SYSTEMS tel:+44 (0) 1752 723330, [email protected] , www.siliconsensing.com Anchor Marine & Supply, INC., 6545 Lindbergh Houston, Massa Products Corporation, 280 Lincoln Street, SONAR TRANSDUCERS

  • MR Feb-24#44 Tech Files
Latest Products & Technologies
MarineShaft)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 44

    Tech Files Latest Products & Technologies MarineShaft Yanmar Hydrogen MarineShaft specializes in urgent re- Fuel Cell AIP pair/replacement of damaged rudder and Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. propeller equipment along with many (Yanmar PT), a subsidiary of Yanmar on-site repair services. MarineShaft

  • MR Feb-24#40 Images Seaspan Corporation/Foreship
With plans to have a)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 40

    Images Seaspan Corporation/Foreship With plans to have a full-scale test engine running on am- age it'll be similar to LNG.” Looking at the engine makers and monia in early 2024, the company said it expects to hold its de- their progress, Brindley is diplomatic in saying that there is no livery timeline

  • MR Feb-24#37 PTI/PTO
"In a typical LNG carrier, permanent 
magnet)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 37

    PTI/PTO "In a typical LNG carrier, permanent magnet technology improves ef? ciency by 2-4% compared to synchronous machines." – Dr. Jussi Puranen, Head of Product Line, Electric Machines, at Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch The Switch’s shaft generators start from <1MW and range up to 12MW+.

  • MR Feb-24#36 HYBRID 
2-stroke controllable pitch 
propeller PTO powertrai)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 36

    HYBRID 2-stroke controllable pitch propeller PTO powertrain Source: MAN Energy Solutions how the system is intended to operate, says Oskar Levander, VP Strategy & Business Development, Kongsberg Maritime. For example, a primary shaft-driven PTO rotates whenever the engine is running; a secondary one

  • MR Feb-24#35 PTI/PTO
30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 35

    PTI/PTO 30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability kept container ships sailing at top speed. That purpose gone, PTI/PTO is making a new comeback in more cargo shipping segments, this time for reducing emissions. By Wendy Laursen etro? tting a shaft generator is not an insigni? - the ef? ciency

  • MR Feb-24#33 EAL  AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES
STACKING 
not forget any oil)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 33

    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES STACKING not forget any oil leak, big or small, can be catastrophic to the marine environment and marine life, with some EALs found to THE DECKS be only slightly less damaging than the phased-out traditional WITH BEST-IN-CLASS MARINE oils,” said VP of Business Development

  • MR Feb-24#31 EAL  AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES
“Our recommendations 
“A good)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 31

    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES “Our recommendations “A good bearing are simple. Please design is have good control over important.” your oil quality in the primary barrier, the aft – Øystein Åsheim Alnes sealing system,” Head of section for Propulsion and Steering, – Arun Sethumadhavan DNV

  • MR Feb-24#25 MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 25

    MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY POWER SYSTEMS, WABTEC fuel blends up to 100% are in operation maintenance intervals to make sure that What’s the biggest challenge today, running on both biodiesel and re- our engines don’t have to be touched in your job? newable diesel blends.

  • MR Feb-24#22 R&D
MATT HART 
Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 22

    R&D MATT HART Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader, Marine & Stationary Power Systems, Wabtec, offers insights on how the megatrends of decarbonization, energy transition and autonomy all inspire Image courtesy Wabtec and impact the marine power solutions from Wabtec. By Greg Trauthwein Matt, to start

  • MR Feb-24#20 MARKETS
FPSO technology dominates the region’s FPS demand.)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 20

    MARKETS FPSO technology dominates the region’s FPS demand. duction and storage of low and zero emission energy carriers, In all, 18 countries in West and East Africa are expected such as methanol and ammonia. One exciting development to receive new FPSOs, FLNGs and FPUs between 2024 and leverages

  • MR Feb-24#17 METHANOL STORAGE
provals from other classi?  cation)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 17

    METHANOL STORAGE provals from other classi? cation societies are ongoing, said Lilp, – including accommodation.” although he acknowledges that journey from AiP to full class ap- As of September 2023, methanol had been speci? ed for 216 proval is substantive. In an area where the regulations underlying

  • MR Feb-24#16 THE PATH TO ZERO
Methanol’s Superstorage Solution  
Technica)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 16

    THE PATH TO ZERO Methanol’s Superstorage Solution Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions

  • MR Feb-24#12 Maritime Risk 
Top Marine Business Risks in 2024
By Rich)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 12

    Maritime Risk Top Marine Business Risks in 2024 By Rich Soja, North American Head Marine, Allianz Commercial yber incidents such as ransomware attacks, data linked to several large ? re incidents at sea in recent years. breaches, and IT disruptions are the biggest worry Regularly assessing and updating

  • MR Feb-24#9 Simulation is a great example. This  addressing the)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 9

    Simulation is a great example. This addressing the challenges of cultural novation, and a dedication to continuous technology offers a great avenue for and language barriers in training, the improvement, we can ensure a safer and improvement, providing realistic train- industry can not only improve

  • MR Feb-24#8 Training Tips for Ships
Tip #56
Addressing Cultural and)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 8

    Training Tips for Ships Tip #56 Addressing Cultural and Language Barriers in Maritime Training By Murray Goldberg, CEO, Marine Learning Systems n the maritime industry, our inherently diverse workforce ciency. So what, speci? cally, are the issues and what can we is both a great value and a source of

  • MR Feb-24#6 Editorial
MARITIME
REPORTER
AND
ENGINEERING NEWS
M A R I N)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 6

    Editorial MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERING NEWS M A R I N E L I N K . C O M s the world increasingly HQ 118 E. 25th St., 2nd Floor becomes a geopolitical New York, NY 10010 USA T +1.212.477.6700 quagmire, with Russia’s Awar in the Ukraine soon CEO John C. O’Malley entering year three and disparate

  • MR Feb-24#2nd Cover By pairing our technical knowledge with the latest 
digital)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 2nd Cover

    By pairing our technical knowledge with the latest digital technologies, ABS leads the maritime industry in providing customers with innovative, tailored sustainability solutions that deliver results. Learn more today at www.eagle.org/sustainability COV2, C3 &C4 MR Feb 2024.indd 1 2/5/2024 2:21:21

  • MN Feb-24#40 Vessels
HOS Warhorse & HOS Wild Horse 
shipyard construction)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 40

    Vessels HOS Warhorse & HOS Wild Horse shipyard construction contracts were wrongfully termi- nated. Gulf Island and Hornbeck settled in October 2023, clearing way for the builds to be completed by another yard. Eastern secured the contract to complete the builds from Zurich American Insurance Company

  • MN Feb-24#38 Vessels
Crowley’s All-electric 
Harbor Tug eWolf Delivered
B)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 38

    Vessels Crowley’s All-electric Harbor Tug eWolf Delivered By Eric Haun Crowley has taken delivery of its groundbreaking vessel ers and shipyards,” said Garrett Rice, president of Mas- eWolf, the ? rst all-electric, ship assist harbor tugboat in ter Boat Builders. “We are proud to have partnered with the

  • MN Feb-24#36 Feature
Marine Simulation
Pioneering regulatory change
Witho)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 36

    Feature Marine Simulation Pioneering regulatory change Without simulation, opportunities to train on marine evacuation systems are few and far between, basically only Virtual Marine’s impact extends beyond technology de- coming along when the system becomes outdated and velopment. The company has played

  • MN Feb-24#35 Feature
Marine Simulation
“We enable workers to develop)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 35

    Feature Marine Simulation “We enable workers to develop critical worksite-speci? c competencies by engaging them in challenging simulation training programs,” said Clayton Burry, vice president of sales at Virtual Marine. “We’ve been involved heavily in the research associated with simulation as well

  • MN Feb-24#34 Feature
Marine Simulation
All images courtesy Virtual)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 34

    Feature Marine Simulation All images courtesy Virtual Marine S T R DIMULATOR RAINING IS THE EAL EAL By Eric Haun A legacy of innovation n the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, ef- Virtual Marine’s journey began two decades ago with a sin- fect

  • MN Feb-24#19 ment, work processes and technology progress, and it can)
    February 2024 - Marine News page: 19

    ment, work processes and technology progress, and it can if you start the new year out by listening to your workforce be hard to keep up with the latest changes. In 2024, keep and implementing necessary changes to work practices an eye out for updates to existing standards and implement based on their