Thrusters assume new roles

Thrusters are being specified as auxiliary propulsors and main propulsors on vessels of all types.

The attributes of efficiency and low noise levels provided by thrusters are increasingly in demand for many vessel types from tugs, offshore supply vessels, and drillships, to ferries and cruise ships.

Originally employed on workboats and in the offshore industry, where there was a high level of demand for highly manoeuvrable or dynamically positioned vessels and platforms, thrusters are now being used as auxiliary propulsors on many different types of ship. They are also increasingly likely to be selected as the main propulsor on a variety of vessels, particularly passenger vessels.

For the naval architect and ship designer, thrusters have a number of advantages. As Ted Rosendahl, a hydrodynamics expert at SSPA Maritime Consulting in Sweden explains, thrusters can enhance the manoeuvrability of existing vessels, particularly at low speed, and provide a high level of redundancy. In addition to manoeuvrability and redundancy, main propulsion systems based on thrusters can also provide increased speed, or lower installed power and a reduction in fuel consumption.