Rolls-Royce unveiled its new azimuthing permanent magnet thruster, type AZ-PM, last September, following the successful completion of a year of sea trials aboard the 31m-long research vessel Gunnerus, owned by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim. Over the course of the trial, researchers found a very high level of motor efficiency - 97% at nominal speed; an increase in bollard pull of more than 20%; and around a knot of additional speed over the range for the same input power. In addition, airborne and structural noise readings were lower or similar to previous performance, while hydro acoustic noise was significantly improved.
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