Hybrid drive for heavy-duty work in the harbor basin

Electric motors help save fuel not only on the road. Schottel, a specialist company that originated as a small-business operation, supplies hybrid drives for tugboats worldwide.

This article is part of the special topic Electromobility for trades and medium-sized businesses

For Joseph Becker In 1921 there was no stopping him – and he set off with a Locksmith in Spay am Rhein. "When we founded the business, we had no money, but we had courage," said the On Site Team, the Indian his father's forge, but also on Shipyards Four years later, he succeeded in fundamentally new Construction of a dinghy, the Schaluppesky, he entered the boat building business in 1925. He continued to expand and created 1950 the next milestone: A designed by Josef Becker innovative ship propulsion united for the first time Control and driveHe continued to develop the well-known Outboards, until a Z-drive without a separate rudder blade with an endlessly steerable Propeller The buyers were Snake and wanted this Rudder propeller. Schottel shipyard, as the metalworking shop has been called since 1934, matured in just a few years to global corporation and has long been involved in e-mobility on water.

Last posed Schottel in January 2019 – in close Collaboration with the Danish companies Svitzer – a newly developed Hybrid drive concept This is based on the Schottel Y hybrid propulsion technology and is characterized by the fact that a starboard and port side mounted Azimuth drive be connected in a ship. This allows two drives with each of the two Main engines For non-technicians: A Azimuth drive consists of a multi-stage planetary gear and Electric motors and can rotate in all directions. It became more widely known through the Wind Turbines, whose rotors can adapt to the wind direction in order to optimal energy yield to get out of the wind.

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In fact, Schottel with his Hybrid drives the customers especially in the area of Tugs and workboatsThey work up to 90 percent of their Uptime with low engine loads. "To optimize propulsion systems for such loads, conventional hybrid drives typically have two independent power sources per propeller, usually configured with a main engine and a smaller electric motor," says Schottel. Hybrid drive systems are predestined for applications with highly variable performance rangesThese usually consist of two separate Power sources per propeller – these are diesel and/or electric motors – with different power levels. The specialists at Schottel refine these drives, which they call Sydrive-M (M stands for mechanical) and Sydrive-E (E stands for electric) in their program. Sydrive-E made possible by the combined or sequential use of Combustion engine and electric motor with its extensive and intelligent Operating modes a message efficient energy and thrust generation under a wide range of operating conditions. Unique is the any configuration the force input positions, which allow a variable execution of the drivetrain This provides greater freedom in Ship design and ensures that the individually available installation space can be used optimally.

Only last year did the Sydrive-E with a tugboat of Sembcorp Marine based in Singapore. What is special about it: Of the Tugboat is the first of a total of twelve boats, the world's first with Liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered hybrid tugs. The tug is used in the Port of Singapore. Depending on the desired operating mode and the required drive power activates the Hybrid drive system one or both drives. Both the LNG-powered main engines as well as the Electric motors are linked to the Sydrive system and always work efficiently in the respective optimal load rangeThis causes a reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions and thus supports Sembcorp Marine's commitment to environmental protection.

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