A RETRACTABLE THRUSTER, A SWIMMING VESSEL AND A METHOD FOR RETRACTING AND EJECTING A PROPELLER OF THE RETRACTABLE THRUSTER

摘要

A retractable thruster for a swimming vessel, whereinthe retractable thruster comprises a propeller and alifting and lowering arrangement. The lifting and loweringarrangement is configured to vertically move thepropeller between a retracted position and an ejectedposition. In the retracted position the propeller issubstantially inside a bottom well of the swimming vesseland in the ejected position the propeller is substantiallyoutside the bottom well. The retractablethruster comprises a water-permeable protective elementconfigured to be located inside the bottom well abovethe propeller and configured to vertically move withthe propeller. In the ejected position the water-permeableprotective element is configured to substantiallyprevent loose ice from drifting inside the bottomwell through the water-permeable protective elementand when the propeller is moved from the retracted positionto the ejected position, the water-permeableprotective element is configured to push ice out of thebottom well.