Are big ships seeing the virtues of composite shafts?

摘要

The relatively small fast ferries are the traditional domain of composite transmission shafts but a recent application has been a 24 500gt cruise ship. Will their beneficial operational features outweigh their higher initial cost for large ships? The weight advantages of composite shafts have been recognised by operators of fast ferries to the extent that one manufacturer, Centa Transmissions, now has about 100 of its units in service. Most applications are fast ferries with waterjet propulsors, but Centa is seeing more interest in the benefits of these lightweight, noise reducing shafts from operators of bigger merchant ships.