COTTY FAY MARINE DESIGN INC

TUNNEL THRUSTERS



TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 2010-03A



AUGUST 2010




REV A B C D E F G H J
DATE 8/2010

11669 N MADISON AVENUE BAINBRIDGE ISLAND WASHINGTON 98110
TEL: (206) 963-0018 EMAIL: COTTYFAY@AOL.COM

COTTY FAY MARINE DESIGN INC.


TUNNEL THRUSTERS



There are numerous thrusters on the market for boats and ships of all sizes and types. They are
offered with a single fixed pitched propeller (FPP), counter-rotating twin propellers (CRPP) or a
controllable pitch propeller (CPP). The thrusters are available in horsepower ratings from 2 HP to
2400 HP. The most common type of thruster on the market is the tunnel thruster.


GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The tunnel thruster is set at a right angle to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel. The vessel is
generally fitted with a single thruster approximately ten to fifteen percent of the length aft of where
the bow exits the water. The thruster is used primarily to turn the vessel while it is stationary in the
water. This offers a significant advantage to vessels such as trawlers and ferries where adjustments
in their heading at zero speed is critical to their operation. A ferry must make adjustments in its
heading to place the bow at the ramp location on the pier. The trawler must hold its heading while
hauling back to avoid fouling the trawl cables and damaging the gear.

The trend in the ever increasing size of yachts and the advent of smaller thrusters has made the
tunnel thruster standard equipment on most motoryachts over 40 feet and sailboats over 65 feet.
The use of the tunnel thruster has allowed even the novice to maneuver a large yacht into a
congested marina with relative ease.

The drive for a thruster is generally electric or diesel in thrusters rated over 200 HP. For thrusters
under 200 horsepower, the use of hydraulic drives has become popular. The drives are generally
pump and motor combinations and may be in combination with a centralized power unit. The
electric power required is significant and is generally not available in most vessels while
maneuvering. The exception is the processing vessels with large crews and equipment loads and
diesel electric ferries, which have a huge surplus while maneuvering at low speed. Many vessels
are utilizing AC motors with frequency modulation to control speed. The controllable pitch thruster
becomes a cost-effective solution as the control system becomes more expensive.

SIZING

In order to determine the size of the thruster, an estimate of the required horsepower must be
determined. The following equation provides some guidance in determining the required
horsepower for a particular size and type of vessel.



3 / 2
K HP
COTTY FAY MARINE DESIGN INC.

The symbol, represents the vessel's displacement in long tons. The variable, K is a constant,
which is dependent on ship type. The following table provides the constant, K for different types of
vessels.


TABLE I: THRUSTER SIZING

VESSEL TYPE FACTOR, K THRUST, LBS
*

SAILING YACHT 1.10 2.00
FERRIES 1.75 2.50
SINGLE SCREW MOTORYACHT 1.50 1.95
TWIN SCREW MOTORYACHT 1.15 1.75

* The thrust is an estimate of the thrust per square foot of projected underwater area.



After the required horsepower of the thruster has been determined the diameter of the thruster must
be determined. The diameter of a thruster is taken as the internal diameter of the tunnel. The
following table provides some guidance in determining the tunnel diameter.

TABLE II: TUNNEL DIAMETER AND RPM GUIDLINES

THRUSTER HORSEPOWER TUNNEL DIAMETER
INCHES
PROPELLER, RPM
10 8 12 1250 1600
50 16 20 850-1250
100 20 30 600 850
200 30 40 450 600

For installed power, which exceeds 200, the customer should contact a thruster manufacturer to
determine the best tunnel diameter for the installation.


ARRANGEMENT

In developing the design of the thruster installation, many characteristics must be taken into account
to provide the best overall installation. The tunnel of the thruster increases the resistance of the
COTTY FAY MARINE DESIGN INC.

vessel. The vessel suffers a net increase in displacement with the added machinery for the thruster
and a loss in buoyancy as a result of the tunnel through the hull. The arrangement of the tunnel in
the hull and the grating at the exterior of the tunnel are critical in providing reliable and efficient
operation.

A typical arrangement of a tunnel thruster is shown in Figure (1). The arrangement shows the key
dimensions in locating the tunnel in the hull. The immersion of the tunnel centerline should be a
minimum of one (1) diameter below the normal operating waterline for highly loaded thrusters. The
distance from the tunnel centerline to the bottom of the vessel should be a minimum of 0.75
diameters for long tunnels and a minimum of one (1) diameter for short tunnels. A short tunnel is
considered to be less than three (3) diameters in length.




The length of the tunnel is considered to be important in the efficiency of the propeller. The length
of the tube from the lower edge allows the flow to settle down prior to reaching the propeller. In
order to reduce this turbulence to a reasonable level, the length of the tunnel from the lower edge of
the intake should be at least 1.5 times the diameter. If the propeller is located on centerline, the
minimum length of the tunnel should be three (3) diameters long.

The ends of the tunnels should be faired to reduce the entrance and exit losses in the tunnel. A cost-
effective solution to the fairing at the ends is to provide a conical transition. The depth of the


FIGURE (1): THRUSTER TUNNEL ARRANGEMENT
COTTY FAY MARINE DESIGN INC.

conical section should be ten to fifteen percent of the diameter. The conical section compares
favorably to the radius sections used in the past. This solution simplifies the installation from a
manufacturing standpoint without sacrificing efficiency.

The tunnel ends should be mounted in an area, which is as wall sided as possible. It is
understandable that this is very difficult with the installation of a large tunnel in a small vessel. If
the tunnel ends are sloped beyond fifteen (15) degrees, additional clearance off the bottom of the
vessel should be considered to avoid cross flow from one side of the tunnel to the other.

The gratings at the ends of the tunnel reduce the added resistance caused by the tunnel. The shape
of the grating should be flat bars, which can be beveled at the ends or machined to an elliptical
section. The grating should be installed inside the conical section of the tunnel to reduce the
turbulence inside the tunnel while running. The grating at the end of the tunnel should be mounted
perpendicular to the flow over the tunnel. If the flow lines are not known, then the grating (bars)
should be rotating from the vertical, 15 degrees aft from top centerline. The number of bars which
make up the grating should be five (5) and the total projected area of the bars (length X width X No.
of Bars) should be ten to fifteen percent of the cross sectional area of the tunnel. The grating at each
end will reduce the thrust by approximately nine percent.