science

Voith Schneider Propeller

Voith Schneider Propeller is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Voith Schneider Propeller rather than just read about it. In short: The Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) is a specialized marine propulsion system (MPS) manufactured by the Voith Group based on a cyclorotor design. It is highly maneuverable, being able to change the direction of its thrust almost instantaneously.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) is a specialized marine propulsion system (MPS) manufactured by the Voith Group based on a cyclorotor design. It is highly maneuverable, being able to change the direction of its thrust almost instantaneously. It is widely used on tugs and ferries. The Voith Schneider drive was invented by Ernst Schneider. It has been developed and produced by Voith in Heidenheim an der Brenz and St. Pölten since 1926.

Operation From a circular plate, rotating around a vertical axis, a circular array of vertical blades (in the shape of hydrofoils) protrude out of the bottom of the ship. Each blade can rotate itself around a vertical axis. The internal gear changes the angle of attack of the blades in sync with the rotation of the plate, so that each blade can provide thrust in any direction. Unlike the azimuth thruster (where a conventional propeller is rotated about the vertical axis to direct its thrust, allowing a vessel to steer without the use of a rudder), the Voith-Schneider drive merely requires changing the pattern of orientation of the vertical blades. In a marine situation, this provides for a drive which can be directed in any direction and thus does away with the need for a rudder. It is highly efficient and provides for an almost instantaneous change of direction. These drives are becoming increasingly common in work boats such as fireboats and tugboats where extreme maneuverability is needed. Azimuth thrusters (and Kort nozzles) have both advantages and disadvantages when compared to cycloidal drives. The azimuth thruster is less efficient and slower to maneuver, but is likely to be cheaper in the short term. Life cycle costs favour the Voith solution, something reflected in the residual value of a Voith water tractor. A choice is made on the basis of perceived performance requirements. Instead of a Kort nozzle, VSPs are often fitted with a "thrust plate" or "propeller guard" which acts as a nozzle at low speed, protects the VSP against grounding and provides another blocking location during drydocking. A low acoustic signature favours the device's use in minesweepers by minimising cavitation (usually produced at the tips of axial propellers) as the rotor does not need to rotate as fast for a given thrust. The underwater sound signature of the MV North Sea Giant (IMO: 9524073, MMSI: 248039000) dynamic positioning vessel was measured by the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) whilst installing a foundation monopile for the Voith tidal energy device in the Fall of Warness, Orkney (Ref Beharie and Side, 2011). VSPs are offered with an input power range of 160 kW to 3900 kW

History The Voith Schneider propeller was originally a design for a hydro-electric turbine. Its Austrian inventor, Ernst Schneider, had a chance meeting on a train with a manager at Voith's subsidiary St. Pölten works; this led to the turbine being investigated by Voith's engineers, who discovered that although it was no more efficient than other water turbines, Schneider's design worked well as a pump by reversing the flow through the device. By changing the orientation of the vertical blades, it could be made to function as a combined propeller and rudder.

In 1928 a prototype was installed in a 60-hp motor launch named Torqueo (Latin:I spin) and trials were carried out on Lake Constance. A number of German minesweepers (R boats) were fitted with VSPs; the first of these was the R8, built in 1929 by Lürssen. By 1931 VSPs were being fitted in new vessels on Lake Constance run by the German State Railways. The first such ship to use the Voith Schneider propeller was the excursion boat Kempten. Two German 1935-type M class minesweepers M-1 and M-2 were fitted with VSPs. The first British ship to use Voith Schneider propellers was the double-ended Isle of Wight ferry MV Lymington, launched in 1938. Some 80 ships had been installed with VSPs by the end of the 1930s, including the uncompleted 1938 German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin (two auxiliary units in the bow), and the Japanese submarine cable laying ship Toyo-maru (also 1938). Three vessels (John Burns, Ernest Bevin, and James Newman) which were in service for the Woolwich Ferry until 2018 featured Voith-Schneider propulsion systems. They were built in 1963 by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Dundee and featured one VSP in the bow and a second in the stern for remarkable maneuverability. The Tay Ferries Scotscraig which were built by the Caledon in the 1950s also used VSPs.It was essentially a replacement copy of the earlier Abercraig ferry, which was built by Fleming and Ferguson Paisley yard for Dundee Harbour crossings and launched in 1938. The "Abercraig" also featured VSPs. The US Navy built twelve VSP-equipped Osprey-class coastal minehunters in the 1990s. These vessels have been decommissioned, six were sold to foreign navies. and six were sold for "dismantlement purposes only." The French Navy operates sixteen tugboats of the RPC12 type, that can provide a 12-tonne bollard pull thanks to two Voith Schneider propellers. The same device, mounted on a horizontal rather than a vertical axis, has been used to provide lift and propulsion on a few experimental aeroplanes, known as "cyclogyros". None of them were very successful. It has also more recently been proposed as an alternative to rotors for drone applications.

See also Azipod – Electric drive azimuth thruster Cycloid – Curve traced by a point on a rolling circle Cyclorotor – Perpendicular-axis marine propulsion system Dynamic positioning – Automatic ship station- and heading-holding systems HMS Challenger

References

Sources Jürgens, Birgit (2002). The Fascination of the Voith-Schneider Propeller. Hamburg: Koehler. ISBN 3-7822-0859-5. Marriott, Leo (2001). The Vital Guide to Modern Warships. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 9781840371772.

Further reading "Sea Going Eggbeaters". Popular Mechanics. 93 (3): 102–103. March 1950. Brown, R. Allen (1988). Lymington: The Sound of Success. Allan T Condie Publications. ISBN 978-0-907742-62-3. Jürgens, Dirk (2006). The Voith Schneider Propeller Current Applications and New Developments. Voith. S2CID 6955631.

External links

Voith Turbo marine website "Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP)". voith.com. Voith. Retrieved 2024-03-28.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Voith Schneider Propeller

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Voith Schneider Propeller claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Voith Schneider Propeller before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Voith Schneider Propeller ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Voith Schneider Propeller

In research: Voith Schneider Propeller appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Voith Schneider Propeller in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Voith Schneider Propeller is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Marine propulsion, Propellers, Tugboats, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Voith Schneider Propeller outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Voith Schneider Propeller in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Voith Schneider Propeller means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Voith Schneider Propeller in simple terms?

Why does Voith Schneider Propeller matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Voith Schneider Propeller?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Voith Schneider Propeller.