ABB creating extremely maneuverable, extremely environment friendly marine propeller

Switzerland’s ABB Marine has been impressed by “the dynamic motions of a whale’s tail” for its multi-blade Dynafin propulsion idea, which is designed to “maximize propulsion effectivity and responsiveness” for small-to-medium vessels.

Editor’s observe: Readers usually ask us for follow-ups on memorable tales. What has occurred to this story since publication? This text was initially printed in early 2024 however has been re-edited and up to date with new info present as of March 17, 2025. Get pleasure from!

ABB Marine says that if the transport trade was a rustic, it might be the sixth largest greenhouse gasoline emitter on this planet. The Worldwide Maritime Group has set a goal of fifty% reductions of worldwide emissions by 2050, in comparison with ranges in 2008, and now the race is on to search out and use cleaner fuels and applied sciences to assist meet these targets.

“These challenges require smarter options to maintain issues shifting whereas nonetheless consuming much less vitality,” stated ABB’s Janne Pohjalainen. “ABB has lengthy been on the forefront of propulsion innovation, having undertaken a significant step with the launch of the primary technology Azipod system within the Nineties, which modified the way in which ship function right this moment… Now it is time to take the subsequent large leap with our newest innovation that’s impressed by the motion perfected by evolution.”

The Dynafin idea has been greater than a decade in analysis and improvement, and is described as primarily a cycloidal propeller – the place vertical blades are mounted to a spinning round plate to supply thrust. It isn’t a brand new thought, the Cyclogyro from and few years again took the setup to eVTOLs whereas Voith Schneider props have seen use by the US and French Navies.

"Each blade is individually controlled by an electric motor, a frequency converter (to control torque and rpm) and control logic" — “Every blade is individually managed by an electrical motor, a frequency converter (to regulate torque and rpm) and management logic”

For ABB’s tackle the design, an electrical motor drives a big disc on the underside of a ship or boat, which spins at between 40 and 80 revolutions per minute as wanted. The idea exhibits 5 independently controllable blades mounted beneath the disc, sitting equidistant alongside the round edge – although the setup can run from 4 to 6 modules.

The mixed efforts of wheel and blades generate propulsion in a movement likened to that of the tail of dolphin or whale. An onboard management system can rotate every blade round its personal axis in real-time for simultaneous propulsion and steering of the vessel while not having to put in a rudder.

ABB is promising instantaneous thrust management, exact dynamic positioning capabilities and superior maneuverability, and is aiming for an open-water effectivity of as much as 85%. The modular idea can be optimized for various operator wants, ship sorts and hull sorts.

Among the many claimed benefits over extra standard propeller designs is a notable enchancment in effectivity that would result in important financial savings on gasoline prices for combustion engine vessels, with fewer emissions as an added bonus. The system boasts a comparatively low part depend too, which ought to make for lowered upkeep prices.

Independent testing of a passenger vessel fitted with different propulsion systems found that the ABB Dynafin managed energy savings of up to 22% compared to conventional shaftline configurations — Impartial testing of a passenger vessel fitted with totally different propulsion techniques discovered that the ABB Dynafin managed vitality financial savings of as much as 22% in comparison with standard shaftline configurations

It must also be potential to run a ship on a extra compact energy plant, with ABB noting that this could possibly be of specific significance for vessels working electrical, fuel-cell or hybrid techniques the place giant battery banks can take up helpful cargo area.

Such vessels can function in “delicate marine areas” too, because of the motors being housed inside the host vessel’s hull for lowered underwater noise, mixed with the comparatively “low-pressure pulses and blade-tip speeds” creating much less turbulence.

It isn’t clear at this stage whether or not such a system could possibly be painlessly retrofitted to current ships and boats, or at what worth to homeowners, although it may open up a world of latest potentialities for designers of latest builds.

The undertaking, which was first unveiled mid-2023, remains to be on the idea stage of improvement in the intervening time. ABB reviews that profitable simulations and scale-model testing have been undertaken, and get in touch with made with ship designers “to validate the feasibility of the idea.”

Actually, impartial testing of a passenger vessel fitted with totally different propulsion techniques discovered that the ABB Dynafin answer managed vitality financial savings of twenty-two% in comparison with standard shaftline configurations.

"The ABB Dynafin generates thrust by means of profiled blades that project from the bottom of the ship. Each blade can rotate both around the global axis of a main wheel and around its own local axis, which acts as a pivot point for enforcing a prescribed pitch motion. The thrusting blades’ trajectories resemble those of the tails of whales and dolphins." — “The ABB Dynafin generates thrust by way of profiled blades that undertaking from the underside of the ship. Every blade can rotate each across the international axis of a predominant wheel and round its personal native axis, which acts as a pivot level for imposing a prescribed pitch movement. The thrusting blades’ trajectories resemble these of the tails of whales and dolphins.”

“ABB Dynafin exhibits what is feasible when marine engineers pursue radical innovation and progress, impressed by the interaction of evolution and know-how,” stated ABB’s Juha Koskela at idea launch. “This answer is all about operational effectivity and emissions avoidance, leveraging improvements from the brightest minds in marine and propulsion engineering.”

Shortly after our unique protection was printed, the outcomes of a collaboration with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Assortment had been revealed. The Dynafin idea was evaluated on the Carlton Ilma cruise yacht forward of its launch, demonstrating “essential advantages together with much less energy, much less gasoline, lowered weight from the propulsion system, and a requirement for much less area.”

Although the Ilma is now powered by ABB’s Azipod electrical propulsion system, the Dynafin evaluation highlighted different optimistic outcomes, together with low noise and vibrations.

ABB has additionally printed two technical articles on its novel propulsion system, additional detailing the improvement journey in addition to working rules and anticipated advantages. The corporate mentioned the system’s potential in considerably lowering emissions within the marine trade, too.

The Maritime Government reported that ABB is aiming to have the Dynafin idea transfer into industrial availability by 2026. Designs for models rated at 1 to 4 MW are within the pipe to propel small and medium-sized passenger or work vessels, although scaling up the answer may see cruise ships making use of a number of models.

The e-bunker concept will charge its large battery via shore connection or draw energy directly from a wind farm, and can then top up the battery banks of electric ships at sea — The e-bunker idea will cost its giant battery through shore connection or draw vitality instantly from a wind farm, and might then high up the battery banks of electrical ships at sea

Plans have already been introduced for the know-how to be integrated in a brand new 450-ft (137-m) superyacht from Oceanco referred to as Auolis. Sweden’s SeaFjord Vitality can even equip its e-bunker idea with Dynafin propulsion in addition to an Onboard DC Grid platform.

This vessel will primarily be an enormous floating battery pack that is geared toward topping up electrical ships “the place conventional shore energy infrastructure is much less accessible, reminiscent of distant fjords and offshore places.” It is being designed to ship “as much as 50 megawatts of energy to ships of various sizes” and can function two Dynafin models “to maximise propulsion effectivity and responsiveness in all operational conditions.”

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