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Rim Driven Propellers

Discussion in 'Props, Shafts & Seals' started by brian eiland, Nov 16, 2005.

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  1. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    I just tried to post to this discussion and it didn't go thru. I'll try again, and then edit this if it goes thru
  2. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  3. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Last edited: Jul 30, 2016
  4. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Another rim drive variation
  5. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    This video is a bit misleading??
    It is titled....
    Introducing the all new Rimdrive by VETUS


    ...but there is no explanation as to whether it is just the 'thruster' application, or the thruster and propulsive combo??
  6. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Can anyone define whether this vessel in the video is using ONLY a rim drive thruster, OR a rim drive propulsion system also??
  7. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Vetus don't advertise any Rim Drive propulsion units just Rim Drive Thrusters so its fairly safe to say while it may be electric drive it won't be rim drive going by the information in the public domain today (Google)
  8. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Now that I look at it ever more closely I believe you are correct. Guess I was jumping the gun hoping that these rim driven propeller units were right on the horizon, and that the cooling problem/solution was another step in that direction.
  9. CaptPKilbride

    CaptPKilbride Senior Member

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    Any news on the Yamaha Harmo released at METS 2016?
  10. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Do you have some sort of reference info on this product? I can't find it.
  11. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Interesting, Thank you Marmot
  12. Jordan B

    Jordan B New Member

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    New to this forum, thought I'd give everyone an update on P-M (permanent magnet) shaftless motors being used as a main source of propulsion, (instead of thrusters).
    Sorry if this may seem unrelated to yachts, but rim drive tech has been a popular area of research for Navy submarine propulsion, as there are significant decreases in acoustic signature (far less moving parts, no shaft, and no need for generators to be running, less cavitation).

    Currently the top US ballistic missile subs are propelled using a electric impeller driven pump jet. This uses conventional electric PM shaft driven impellors. Though it appears that the US and Britain have been attempting to develop shaftless rim drive propulsors AND rim drive impellors for pump jet propulsion (I noticed this possibility was an area of discussion earlier in this thread Brian Eiland).
    Around 2006 this concept for rim drive propulsors was presented:
    http://web.mit.edu/2n/Abst-ExecSum/2006/Conversion/RIM%20ELECT%20DRI-INTER%20SUB.pdf
    and the LSVII (US Navy Large scale test vehicle is currently testing PM rim drive tech.

    [​IMG]
    LSVII cutthroat (US Navy Large scale test vehicle)

    Britain seems to be considering PM rim drive for its next sub..

    "The British Royal Navy Successor submarine (the class replacing the Vanguard class SSBNs) state that the submarines may have submarine shaftless drive (SSD) with an electric motor mounted outside the pressure hull."
    -https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/stealthier-submarine-technology-on-new.html

    It appears that the US and Britain are behind the Chinese in this development race , as the Chinese have recently reported a breakthrough..
    Rear Admiral Ma Weiming, China’s top naval engineer said
    "the Chinese navy is adding a “shaftless” rim-driven pump jet, a revolutionary and silent propulsion system to their newest attack submarine, the Type 095 SSN."

    https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/06/china-attempting-to-leap-beyond-current-us-submarine-technology-by-installing-first-electric-drive-on-a-military-submarine.html

    Though the US Navy is sceptical that the Chinese have actually implemented this tech.

    Regardless it seems that PM rim drive tech is a viable option for main propulsion, here’s to hoping that this translates to widespread commercial use!
  13. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Thanks for your contribution there Jordan.

    I noticed you are from Nova Scotia?
    Just happenstance I am coming up to Lunenberg NS, for the month of Aug. A friend of mine here in St Augustine, Florida has an alternative residence up there, and invited me to escape the summer heat by visiting up there for the month of Aug.

    BTW, did you notice my rim-drive catamaran?
    http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/Section_8_and_Rim_Drives.php
    [​IMG]
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2017
  14. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Anything new on this Rim Drive propulsion technology?
    (I haven't been keeping track)
  15. Lazarus

    Lazarus New Member

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  16. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Very careful wording in that press release,..
    Does not sound like they are recommending it for 'continous use propulsion'?

    And I would further question the 'water lubrication' in a continuous use unit?

    ...just my initial observations
  17. Lazarus

    Lazarus New Member

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    That's certainly fair - I missed that particular bit.

    I did subsequently find this product from Brunvoll that may be promising:

    https://www.brunvoll.no/products/main-propulsion-systems
    You have to burrow down through a couple of subsections on the page (open the 'Electric Propulsion' then the 'Brunvoll Azimuth Propulsion Thrusters' followed by the 'RDT Azimuth Propulsion Thrusters' subsections) where they eventually state:

    They then show two photos of what appears to be an actual steerable rim-drive primary propulsion installation. I wish they had thought to include more information about the vessel. I wonder if it may be a tug or something rather than a vessel that will see cruise for extended periods.

    Props.jpg
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 26, 2019
  18. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    From the second rim pic, the hull look a lil used. That rim could have some hours on it.
  19. Lazarus

    Lazarus New Member

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    It looks like am interesting retrofit job. You can see the newer plates welded over the hole the prop shaft used to come out of and the rim drive assembly now seems to be hang directly from what used to be the rudder post hole. I suspect the bottom keel plate used to extend out to support the bottom of the rudder and has since been hacked off to allow room for the rim drive nozzle. It should also work quite nicely as a very powerful maneuvering thruster. I wonder if they've modified the steering to allow it to rotate to a full 90 degrees? Judging by the draft markings on the hull the inside diameter of the nozzle something around 6 feet.