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Alaa Mahmoud 1
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 Bow thruster
A bow thruster is a transversal
propulsion device built into, or
mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat
to make it more maneuverable. Bow
thrusters make docking easier, since
they allow the captain to turn the
vessel to port or starboard without
using the main propulsion mechanism
which requires some forward motion
A ship equipped with
a bow thruster
for turning. A stern thruster is of the
same principle, fitted at the stern.

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 Tunnel thrusters
Large vessels usually have one or more
tunnels built into the bow below the
waterline. An impeller in the tunnel can
create thrust in either direction which
makes the ship turn. Most tunnel thrusters
are driven by electric motors, but some are
hydraulically powered. These bow
thrusters, also known as tunnel thrusters, Another bow thruster
may allow the ship to dock without the
assistance of tugboats, saving the costs of
such service. Ships equipped with tunnel
thrusters typically have a sign above the
waterline over each thruster on both sides,
a big white cross in a white circle.
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 1- Suction filter
2- Gear pump
3- Coupling
4- Electric motor
5- Manifold
block
6- Check valve
7- Throttle valve
8- Relief valve
9- Solenoid valve
10- Pressure
switch
11- Pressure
gauge
12- Gauge valve
13- Wing pump
14- Stop valve
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 Operation Procedures
• Preparation
 Check oil level
 Check zero pitch
 Check the electric power source
• Operation
 Start the fan
 Start the hydraulic pump
 Start the electric motor for the thruster
 Check that the ampere of the motor has been reduced to its constant
value
 Control the pitch as desired (STBD or PORT) by the knob
 Thruster can be controlled either from the bridge or the wings
• Emergency
 Same steps from 1 to 4 as normal operation
Control the pitch by using knobs
5/24/2023 attached to the solenoid valve at the
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thruster room
 Precautions
• During operation don’t increase the
pitch more than 10⁰ each time except in
emergency cases
• Don’t operate the thruster if the ship
speed exceeds 5 knots
• Every certain period of time clean the
thruster blades and surfaces from
fouling, sediments and marine organisms
to prevent the motor overloading
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