Schottel launches compact pod

Responding to a perceived market demand for electric drives with power ratings under 5 MW, the German propulsors manufacturer, Schottel, has launched a small compact pod-type drive. The drive, called the Schottel Electric Propulsor (SEP), has been under development over the past two years. It will be ready for delivery from the end of 2002.

A complete pod system, the SEP makes it possible to install various types of electric drive motors irrespective of the manufacturer of the vessel?s other electrical equipment.

Schottel says potential areas of application include ropax and double-ended ferries, tankers, supply vessels, container ships and yachts. The company is offering the SEP drives with twin propellers. For the offshore industry, pods with single propellers in nozzles are offered. Other specifications are pull or push propeller and free-running or in a nozzle. The range will initially cover five sizes from 1,000 to 5,000kW. The company also envisages increasing the power ratings significantly over 5MW.

Peter Spies, managing director of Schottel, says that, although Schottel does not have any confirmed orders, it is involved in serious negotiations and anticipates announcing its first order soon. He hopes to match ABB?s market share ? ABB has already taken a number of orders for its compact Azipod drives.

The next delivery of a ship with SSP propulsors, developed by Schottel, in combination with German electric systems company Siemens, is a semi-submersible heavy lift ship ordered by Cosco Guangzhou.

Armand Barbe, sales engineering manager at the Rotterdam office of NMA Maritime & Offshore Contractors, manager of the two vessels, explains that the first ship, Tai An Kou, is in the final stages of commissioning at Guangzhou Shipyard International in Guangzhou, China. Delivery is somewhat delayed from the original May date and is now scheduled for October ? although this isn?t related to the pods.

The semi-submersible heavy lift ship hasn?t been out on sea trials yet. Barbe is, like this magazine, anxious to see what these will bring in terms of operational data on the ship and its two 4.35MW SSP5 pods. However he is confident the pods will help the ship find employment supporting dredging contracts, carrying container cranes and so on.

“We?re going to make use of the DP system that?s for sure,” he explains. “We definitely have a lot of work for the vessel.”

A sister ship Kang Sheng Kou is due in 2003.

Containerised electrics first

The semi-submersible heavy lift ship Tai An Koh being built by China?s Guangzhou Shipyard International is the first to feature Siemens? containerised electrical control gear solution.

The solution involves Siemens? factory fitting all the converters, transformers and other electrical control equipment into a purpose-built container. This is shipped out to the yard and welded straight into the superstructure. The shipbuilder thus avoids having to install and connect all the components and panels individually.

In the case of Tai An Koh, the engine room and switchboard are towards the fore of the vessel. Cabling runs to the electrical control container, which has been installed towards the aft end, near the SSP pods. The location minimises the output cabling required, says Siemens.

Pods for LNG

Isle of Man-based Dorchester Maritime and Germany?s Tractebel Engineering have together developed a solution for the propulsion of LNG carriers that utilises pods.

Ordinarily, the pods propel the vessel as per normal. However, when it is stationary, or moving at less than full power, and the boil-off gas from the cargo tanks exceeds the fuel requirement of the diesel engines, the pods are set so that they work in opposition to each other. This, in theory, means all the boil-off gas is burnt in the diesel engines, the electricity generating equipment doesn?t overheat because the power the engines are generating is being used, the ship doesn?t move (or cruises at the required speed) because the pods are working against one another and there is no requirement for an expensive thermal oxidiser with which to dispose of the excess boil-off.