Schottel propels Chinese river cruise vessel

The newly built ship, owned by Changjiang Cruise Overseas Travel and built by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), will be equipped with three Schottel twin propeller systems. The CSC design vessel is intended for operation on the Yangtze River, the largest river in China.

The vessel will be powered by electric motors driving three twin propeller units type STP 310 with an input power of 1,000kW each and a propeller diameter of 2 metres. The 150m long by 23m wide vessel will reach an operating cruise speed of 14 knots. It will accommodate 600 guests served by 150 international crew members and is scheduled to enter operation in September 2021.

Low noise and vibration levels

Schottel twin propellers are said to be ideal for operating a vessel quietly and for applications with limited installation space, draught or propeller clearance.

By sharing the load between two propellers rotating in the same direction and of the same diameter, the risk of cavitation is minimised and tip clearance is increased. Both of these characteristics, in turn, lead to lower noise and vibration levels. This concept is also said to improve the efficiency of the propulsion system, reducing fuel consumption compared to single propeller systems.