Optimising pods for sustained market thrust

摘要

Shipowners are traditionally viewed as conservative and slow to adopt new concepts, particularly in propulsion plant, but that image was dispelled by their enthusiastic embrace of azimuthing pod propulsors, particularly for cruise liners. Other tonnage types are also successfully targeted by such pods, whose market opportunities will be widened by new lower-power models.rnPods release space within the hull otherwise required for propulsion motors and give the naval architect fresh opportunities for creating the 'ultimate hullform'. The propeller can be placed more freely in the longitudinal plane and tilted so that it faces the up-flow in the stern. To some extent, too, clearances between the propeller tip and the hull can be optimised more easily than with a conventional arrangement.