Further use for Brunvoll thrusters

The Brunvoll AR 80 Combined Azimuth Tunnelthruster – installed in the new “Libas” for Lie Management, Norway.

Brunvoll thrusters have been around since 1965, when the first was used in a purse seiner. Since then Brunvoll has grown to become a world leading supplier of thrusters. The most advanced improvement is the Combi-Azimuth Thruster, a tunnel thrusters, which, when lowered, can provide azimuth propulsion with a 360 degree rotation manoeuvring capability. The increased range of application makes the thrusters even more attractive as emergency propulsion, should the main engine fail.

Brunvoll’s Retractable Azimuth Thrusters have for this reason been installed in a number of coast guard vessels, shuttle tankers and many offshore and research vessels, even though the main benefit for these vessel is greater manoeuvrability and positioning.

This is the reason why the five new Nansen Class frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy, built by Izar in Spain, are equipped with Brunvoll’s Retractable Azimuth Thruster, in a shock qualified version, to increase manoeuvrability and provide emergency/redundant propulsion when needed.

Back in port by thruster
According to Per Olav Løkseth, marketing director at Brunvoll AS, it is interesting to note that many of the vessels that have Brunvoll azimuth thrusters installed have experienced the need for emergency propulsion, even as early as when they were on sea trails after delivery from a shipyard.

The benefit of the retractable thrusters quickly became apparent. The use of thrusters as emergency propulsion was evident as early as the late 1970s when a Nordkapp Class coast guard vessel had its turbo charger damaged during sea trails. The azimuth thruster was used to get the ship safely back in port without outside assistance. A Thetis Class vessel from the Danish Søværnet was actually able to bring a vessel safely back to Denmark from Greenland using the azimuth thrusters. Tales from Sweden tell of vessels losing power from their main machinery and having to resort to the retractable thrusters to avoid an emergency.

A long history
Brunvoll was founded as early as 1912 by two brothers producing low pressure diesel engines and C.P. propellers for fishing vessels. As noted above, the first thrusters were installed onboard a purse seiner in 1965. The efficiency and safety onboard improved remarkably and later the technology was transferred to merchant ships and more specialised vessels, like offshore supply ships and research vessels. Today Brunvoll is represented in 22 countries and provides a worldwide spare part and repair service.

//Petter Arentz