Voith to Present Propulsion Systems and Vessel Concepts at SMM 2014

At this year’s SMM in Hamburg, Voith will be showcasing propulsion systems and vessel concepts focusing on high efficiency and dynamic positioning even under challenging conditions.

In hall A4, booth 203, a Voith Schneider Propeller as well as the Voith Inline Thruster 850, which can also be used as a bow thruster, will be on display. The Voith Linear Jet, an electric control stand, and various ship models with Voith propulsion systems round off the trade stand presentation.

Offshore exploration and energy generation are gaining in importance worldwide. As a consequence, the number of offshore wind turbines, oil and gas platforms is increasing. All of these must regularly be supplied with staff, fresh water and drilling material. In recent years, Voith has been equipping an ever larger number of platform supply and installation vessels with propulsion systems. To ensure positioning accuracy to the meter, the Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP) used as main propulsion systems are increasingly complemented by Voith Inline Thrusters (VIT) as bow thrusters on larger vessels.

With its new vessel concepts, Voith highlights the advantages of its propulsion systems regarding dynamic positioning (DP) and combines them with ideally suited designs. The “High Flow 4” offshore construction vessel presented as a model enables dynamic positioning in currents of up to ten knots and is set to transform the offshore market. The catamaran is powered by four VSP, boasts an open deck space of approximately 1,000 square meters and is designed to install tidal energy turbines in high energy tidal streams.

The Maintainer vessel concept also on display as a model is similarly effective. It has been developed by Voith together with NavConsult, a subsidiary of the SCHRAMM group. The service vessel will close the gap between the catamarans that are currently used and large offshore supply vessels for the installation and maintenance of wind turbines. The Maintainer concept boasts DP2 and permits safe access to the wind turbines in a weather window up to a significant wave height of 2.5 meters. The combination of two VSP and two VIT 850-200 bow thrusters ensures precise dynamic positioning within the wind farm.