Research Vessel Refit With ZF Telescoping Thruster

The research vessel Roger Revelle is currently going through an extensive mid-life refit. One of the upgrades to the vessel is the installation of telescoping thruster technology from ZF Marine.

The R/V Roger Revelle is a globally capable oceanographic research vessel, designed as a platform to support many different facets of ocean-based scientific research. The vessel is owned by the US Navy and operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography under a charter agreement with the Office of Naval Research.

Currently undergoing a major dry dock period as part of a mid-life upgrade, the vessel is receiving an 1100 HP ZF Marine ZF AT 5011 RT TT-FP L-Drive Retractable Thruster. The telescoping design allows it to extend downward from the hull, where it can operate as an azimuth thruster, rotating 360 degrees. When retracted, it operates as a standard tunnel thruster. The result is a multi-functional solution that provides traditional bow maneuvering in port while increasing station-keeping performance of the vessel when on station at sea, according to ZF Marine.

Operational control of the unit will be through ZF ThrusterCommand electronic controls.

ZF Marine will be supplying the same system for the sister-ship, R/V Atlantis, during that vessel’s mid-life refit, scheduled to start in 2020.

ZF Marine’s retractable thruster family has eight different models with a performance range from 136 to 2680 hp. The product line of commercial thrusters from ZF includes Well Mounted, Contra Rotation, Deck and Stern Mounted azimuth thrusters, Fixed and Controllable Pitch Tunnel thrusters, as well as a line of Shallow Draft thrusters.