Experiences with electrically powered podded propulsion units on cruise ships

摘要

Following initial concept and development in Finland during the late 1980s/early 1990s, the advantages of utilising variable speed, electrically powered, azimuthing, podded propulsion units has appeared to be attractive to ship owners and/or operators. To date, over 80 craft, utilising some 170 podded units, supplied by four major manufacturers, are currently in service in several different types of application. To develop and manufacture such a larger number of units using a fairly revolutionary technology in such a short space of time has, perhaps not surprisingly, created some problems along the way. It is the purpose of this paper to attempt to describe some of the problems encountered on cruise ships operated by Carnival Corporation as well as problems that have occurred on cruise ships operated by other companies, where such information is in the public domain.