SCHIEDAM, September 2017 ~ This year, Vetus launched the Rimdrive, an innovative system whose propeller is not just silent but forms the rotating part of the electric permanent magnet motor. Vetus banned all noisy gears from its design.
A ring mounted around the propeller, prevents the latter’s tips from cutting through the water so it prevents cavitation and noise. The proportional speed control also helps to prevent cavitation.
Unlike conventional thrusters, the easy to install electric motor takes up little boat space. It is suited for aluminum, steel and GRP boats. The propeller forms the rotating part of the electric motor (rotor) and the fixed winding (stator) is mounted in the tunnel. This results in a very compact and self-contained thruster.
The motor control circuitry, mounted on top of the thruster, is water-cooled in the tunnel. The Rimdrive features proportional control as standard so that the correct amount of thrust is always available to cope with different maneuvers and wind conditions.
The Rimdrive is available with thrust outputs of 125 or 160 kgf and requires a supply voltage of 48 Volts DC.
