Smaller nozzle for tugs and dredgers
Netherlands headquartered Damen Marine Components (DMC), part of Damen Shipyards Group, has supplied its smallest ever propeller nozzle. This downsizing to an inside diameter of 665 millimetres – from the previous 1,000 mm ‘entry level model’ – marks a new milestone for DMC’s Optima Nozzle series.
The two recently delivered smallest ever Optima nozzles may not constitute precision mechanics in the true sense. “They definitely offered a fine engineering and precision manufacturing challenge to our teams indeed”, Aart Vogelaar, sales manager DMC enthused.
The two mini Optimas were commissioned at Damen Marine Components by a third-party manufacturer of propulsion systems.
According to DMC, the Optima propeller nozzle is recognised throughout the industry for its proven characteristics of combining reduced noise and vibration with propelling performance. Its specific inside profile design was patented in 1998. Thousands of units have since established the Optima’s reputation as the nozzle for mixing crew comfort with performance within its own operational segment. “Its profile was designed towards an optimum ratio between engine output, fewer revolutions and thrust, both forward and reverse”, Vogelaar said. As this works best at modest to medium sailing speeds, this model – with the matching propeller pitch – is widely deployed in inland waterway vessels, Tugs, push boats and hopper dredgers. Its noise/vibration/thrust performance mixture is the Optima’s trademark.
By Jake Frith
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