Z-drive
The Schottel rudder propellers ( proper name SCHOTTEL rudder propellers; short SRP) is a driving solution for ships at sea, which require a high maneuverability, for example, tugs, ferries or amphibious vehicles. The drive was (later Schottel GmbH ) developed the first system of this design in the 1950s by Josef Becker, the founder of the Schottel shipyard and patented. In 2004, Josef Becker was posthumously awarded for the development of Schottel rudder propeller with the " Elmer A. Sperry Award". Schottel rudder propellers are made in different sizes and designs for performances 150-4500 kW.
Other manufacturers of thruster systems are Wärtsilä Lips ( Drunen, The Netherlands), Rolls -Royce ( Ulsteinvik, Norway), Kawasaki ( Kobe, Japan), Steerprop ( Rauma, Finland), Thrustmaster of Texas (Houston, USA) and Flowserve / Pleuger (Hamburg, Germany ).
Function and structure
The main feature of the Schottel rudder propeller is the combination of drive and controller in one unit. Since the propeller thrust can be oriented in any direction by the pivoting of the nacelle 360 degrees, a conventional rudder blade is no longer required. In addition, the drive power is in each nacelle position available.
A Schottel rudder propeller is usually of the following main components:
- Socket connector (also called " Well cover " or " fountain cover ") is
- Headwater gear ( 90 ° bevel gear )
- Control drive
- Supporting tube
- Headtube
- Connecting shaft
- Propeller pod with underwater gear ( 90 ° bevel gear )
- Propeller, optional with Kort nozzle
In conventional inboard installation, as it is realized, for example, to coyotes, to install a rudder propeller investment is made in a round shaft, called the " fountain". This is with the mounting flange which supports the above-water gearbox, control actuators and various additional modules ( Encoders for rudder angle indicator ), covered. The assembled below the Einbauflanschs outer support tube surrounds the rotatable around the vertical axis, inside the head tube where the propeller pod is mounted. Depending on size, lifting and control tube can also be run as a single component. The mechanical connection between the upper water and the underwater transmission in the propeller pod is made via a connecting shaft passing through the head tube.
The flow of power from the drive motor runs mostly on clutch and propeller shaft initially horizontally to the upper water transmission. In that the torque is deflected by 90 ° to the bottom and extends over the connecting shaft for underwater transmission. Here, the power flow is again deflected through 90 ° and transferred to the horizontally arranged propeller shaft. Oil seals prevent the ingress of water and escape of lubricating oil. In this force curve is called a Z- drive. When eliminating the above- water gear and the direct mounting of an electric motor of Schottel rudder propeller can also be run as an L- drive ( " Schottel CombiDrive " SCD). The propeller can be mounted both train and as a pusher propeller. Depending on the drive motor used can be used both fixed - and variable-pitch propeller.
Pivoting the propeller pod to the vertical axis, and thus the steering of the vehicle either via mechanism ( roller chain waves) or by means of electric or hydraulic gear motors, which act on the steering tube by means of spur wheels.