L-drive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An L-drive is a type of azimuth thruster in which the pod-mounted propellers are driven mechanically rather than electrically. Azimuth thruster pods can be rotated through a full 360 degrees, allowing for rapid changes in thrust direction and eliminating the need for a conventional rudder. This form of power transmission is called a L-drive because the rotary motion has to make one right angle turn, thus looking a bit like the letter "L". This name is used to make clear the arrangement of drive is different from Z-drive.
The Voith-Schneider marine propulsion system (also mechanically linked) can also quickly change the direction of thrust.
See also
Notes
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.