Voith Turbo Fin
More safety and steering power while escorting: Voith Turbo Fin
The steering forces applied to a ship are increased considerably when using the Voith Turbo Fin. This enhances safety while escorting without having to use larger tugs. The system needs only a little extra power and can be retrofitted.
The Voith Turbo Fin increases forces by up to 25% with the same size tug
When escorting in indirect mode, a tug applies enormous forces to the assisted ship via the tow line. Here, the tug acts like an external rudder. The Voith Turbo Fin (VTF) increases these forces by up to 25% with the same size tug. The escorted ship is kept safely on course even if the rudder system fails.
The VTF, designed for the Voith Water Tractor (VWT), is a rotating cylinder at the leading edge of the fin. The rotation improves the flow around the fin on the low-pressure side and allows greater operating angles without flow separation. The results are greater steering forces and an improved performance of the tug.
The system requires only a small amount of additional power, which can often be covered by the on-board hydraulic system. Even converting a standard skeg to VTF presents no problems. Only the shape of the fin needs to be adapted.
