The floyd schneider propeller can be found wherever a vessel must be able to
maneuver precisely at all times with the highest degree of safety for many years
ferries floating cranes passenger ships and above all for its water tractors for
all kinds of application in ship handling have been equipped with this
unusual form of propulsion
with conventional propellers the direction of thrust is along the axis of
rotation in the case of the Foyt's Neider propeller on the other hand the
thrust is applied at right angles to this axis its direction can be varied at
will yet another idea that was copied from nature in the shape of a dolphin's
tail fin
in the fight schneider propeller the rotor rotates uniformly in addition each
blade oscillates in the course of a cycle seen in isolation each vein of the
vsp describes a cycloidal path
the angle of attack of the blade and the resultant hydrodynamic lift is what
determines the resulting frost in both magnitude and direction
so how does this unusual propulsion system work it can be powered by any
standard marine engine the drive shaft leads to a reduction gearbox a spiral
bevel gear shown here in simplified form transmits the rotational motion to the
rotor and its blades each mounted on a vertical axis however what decides the
direction of thrust is a cyclic pitch of the blades two hydraulic servo motors
have right angles to each other produce a precise offset of the central control
rod and thus define the propulsion kinematics the offset is transmitted to
the individual blades of the floyd schneider propeller via a linkage the
combination of rotation and angle of attack produces any desired magnitude
and direction of thrust
the advantages of the vsp are particularly evident in tight spaces
where maneuverability high thrust and safety are demanded every day and in
every weather this is where a marine propulsion system scores
the fight group of companies is a leading international engineering group
with 13,000 employees all over the world operating in the fields of paper
technology motive power and hydraulic engineering in its 130 year history
voyage has had a major influence on the way these industries have developed the
fight schneider propeller came into being over 70 years ago from the idea of
an oscillating vein turbine we carry out extensive pure and applied research in
our own laboratories tests in the model tank prove what the theory predicts the
optimum design of the vsp and the way it is adapted to very varied types of
vessel is a matter for fight specialists naval architects modern design and
simulation methods and uncompromising quality of production have been taken
for granted at fight for decades
our quality management system meets the highest international standards
experienced fight mechanics assist in installing the unit's where they are
needed
this car ferry has been in daily operation since 1959 on the Rhine not
far from the famous Lorelei rock that is proof of quality the service life of the
VSP is matched to the lifetime of the vessel for maximum profitability and
security of your investment day to day life in an industrial port the fight
water tractor is very much at home here it's the ideal vessel for towing
manoeuvring and escorting ships what counts in this job is the time factor
but also safety capital investment and engineering quality the pilots the
ship's crew and the tug operator rely on that 100%
for it of Heidenheim developed and patented the revolutionary fight water
tractor concept in the early 50s after a comprehensive analysis of the safety and
performance aspects of conventional stone driven tugs it's a logical
arrangement of the main components that make the water tractor the ideal
workhorse the thrust and the towline Force act as a couple about the center
of the vessel so there's no risk of capsizing an important safety aspect
when giving bow assistance to ships
underneath the propeller is a guard plate this increases the thrust and also
offers protection against grounding or contact with the side of a ship there's
not much room to maneuver in a harbor safety is all-important here
stabilising fin provides directional stability and is essential when
operating in in direct mode by fitting VSPs in pairs we increase the power and
manoeuvrability and also provide redundancy the floyd schneider propeller
is a self-contained system the slow rotational speed also ensures a high
degree of safety and robustness even under very tough operating conditions
the water tractors thrust and propulsion efficiency are the same in all
directions that's especially important for ship
handling and the safety it requires all the controls are situated in the
wheelhouse human engineered mechanical control
linkages are still the most reliable system the master has a ship under
control at all times
the controls consist of two levers for a head and disturb and a wheel for
steering the magnitude and direction of the thrust result from the sum of the
longitudinal and transverse pitch by providing separate control in the X and
y directions we ensure operational redundancy turning on the spot no
problem with the VSP
traversing that's to say moving sideways is also a matter of routine precise
thrust control from zero ahead or astern that's a prerequisite for this job of
course the controls are simple and logically related to the movements of
the vessel the captain can concentrate on the job not the machinery
it's reassuring to know that maximum thrust is available instantly on-demand
in any direction not without reason the Floyd water tractor has revolutionized
ship handling and considerably improve the safety of all concerned
on the subject of safety many water tractors are used as firefighting
vessels this requires a high pump capacity which is provided by the main
engines the full maneuverability of the water tractor is assured even at a high
pump throughput another decisive advantage of the VSP principle
pictures that went round the globe and change the face of merchant shipping a
modern super tanker needs three miles to pull up even more if the rudder is out
of action the rudder is not responding we have a steering failure captain the
master needs help and swifty come in to haul we up steering failure here calling
Lindsey boss yeah the water tractor is in position in the shortest possible
time and takes the line
after only six minutes the tankers course has been turned through 90
degrees and is speed reduced from 10 knots to 3 the explanation for this
remarkable achievement is that the indirect mode uses the ship's motion to
double the normal steering assistance
it's the combination of all these advantages which makes the fight water
tractor such a superior tug it's unique propulsion system offers
many different maneuvering features all the components are optimized for the
particular operating conditions the controls are logical and simple the
vessel reacts immediately and predictably
the low revs per minute and the proverbial quality of fight engineering
ensure high reliability robustness and decades of valuable service all in all
these are extensive and unique advantages for ship handling and much
more besides the fight water tractor makes the day's work easier more
efficient safer and more profitable