The Voith Schneider Propeller Current Applications and New Developments

2 Introduction 3 Design of the Voith Schneider Propeller 5 The hydrodynamic principle of thrust generation 9 Hydrodynamic characteristics of Voith Schneider Propellers 12 Hydrodynamic calculation methods for Voith Schneider Propellers 13 Ships with Voith Schneider Propellers 16 Ship Assistance with Voith Water Tractors 18 Voith Water Tractors as escort ships 19 Voith Turbo Fin (VTF) 21 Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMV) with VSP 22 Voith Cycloidal Rudder (VCR) 26 Bibliography 1 2 2 Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP) are used primarily for ships that have to satisfy particularly demanding safety and manoeuvrability requirements. Unique to the Voith Schneider Propeller is its vertical axis of rotation. The thrust is generated by separately oscillating, balanced propeller blades. Due to its physical operating principle and its design, thrust adjustments can be done very quickly. The VSP, a controllable-pitch propeller, permits continuously variable thrust adjustment through 360°. Combining steering and propulsion. Rapid, step-less thrust variation according to X/Y coordinates improves ship handling. Voith Schneider Propellers operate at a comparatively low revolutional speed and are therefore notable for their long service life and very low maintenance requirements. Currently , VSPs are used primarily on Voith Water Tractors (VWT), double-ended ferries (DEF), mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV), passenger ships, buoy layers and floating cranes. The development of the Voith Water Tractor (VWT) is significant and has dramatically increased the safety of tug operations. When escorting ships carrying hazardous cargo, the Voith Water Tractor achieves the highest assistance forces for a wide speed range due to its optimum design. Specifically designed VWT´s enable escort duties to be carried out safely , even at high speeds. The Voith Water Tractor marked the introduction of indirect steering to ship assistance. Recently, the systematic use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has provided a more detailed understanding of the flow physics of the Voith Schneider Propeller. Combined with the use of modern development tools (3D-CAD, FEM), CFD is opening up new prospects for accelerated development work. Continuous improvements in the VSP´s hydromechanical properties