(HELSINKI, Finland) — Wartsila is launching the new WTT-40 transverse thruster at the Seatrade Cruise Global convention being held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from March 14 to 17. The first WTT-40s have been ordered and are scheduled for delivery during 2016. This first variant is part of Wartsila’s new transverse thruster series and features a 4,000-kW power level and a 3,400-mm-diameter controllable pitch propeller, neither of which have been available in Wartsila’s current product range. While Wartsila has designed and built large, up to 5,500 kW, transverse thrusters as customized versions, the WTT-40 and others in the WTT range address customer needs for high power transverse thrusters for bow and stern applications.
Development work on the Wartsila WTT-40 began in 2015 in response to market demand. It is intended for various vessel types, notably cruise ships, large offshore support vessels (OSVs) and offshore construction vessels (OCVs). The high power level is particularly important for the harbor maneuvering and docking of large ships, and for dynamic positioning of offshore vessels working in heavy sea conditions.
Because of its maximum power of 4,000 kW, shipyards and cruise vessel designers can often utilize three WTT-40 thrusters instead of four smaller ones. This creates a more efficient vessel design with less space required for the transverse thrusters. It also allows them to be located closer to the bow where they are more effective. For the WTT-40 and other sizes of thruster in the WTT series, configurations with controllable pitch and fixed pitch propellers are available to fulfill a broad range of vessel design requirements. Wärtsilä’s extensive experience with propeller design and tunnel optimizations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, ensures an optimal solution when it comes to propulsion performance, efficiency, and the minimization of noise and vibration.
“The addition of the WTT-40 to our thruster portfolio represents an important enhancement of Wartsila’s strong offering to the cruise and offshore sectors. Our unique position as a total solutions provider creates significant time and cost saving benefits for both ship owners and yards,” said Arto Lehtinen, vice president, propulsion, Wartsila Marine Solutions.
The Wartsila WTT-40 is able to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency VGP2013 regulations. These state that environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) must be used in all oil-to-sea interfaces, such as the propeller shaft seal of transverse thrusters, when vessels are sailing in U.S. coastal waters.
The new thruster also features integrated hydraulics to save machinery room space and installation and commissioning time in the shipyard. For owners, the integrated hydraulics provide reliability and maintainability benefits thanks to the good lubrication, oil conditioning and easy access for maintenance.
For more information, visit www.wartsila.com.
