Twin Fin award
The Caterpillar Propulsion twin fin system recently won the Technical Innovation prize at the Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, Dubai – one of the highlights of Dubai Maritime Week 2014.
Focusing on the first commercial installation of the Caterpillar Propulsion twin fin system, onboard the Polarcus DMCC vessel Polarcus Naila, Caterpillar convinced an independent judging panel that the solution lives up to fuel and emissions savings claims made for it, while also improving performance and reliability.
The Cat Propulsion twin fin system comprises a compact electric motor and gearbox connected via short drive shaft, rotating a pair of controllable pitch propellers whose performance is enhanced by two tailor-made fins. The hydro-dynamically-optimised fins protect and give inboard access to mechanical parts, while also saving cargo space and enhancing manoeuvrability.
Jim Johnson, General Manager Caterpillar Propulsion, who accepted the Technical InnovationAward, said: “When Polarcus needed to replace an inefficient propulsion system on two survey vessels, we had every confidence in twin fin. What we could not know was that its benefits would be so quickly recognised across the industry.”
By Jake Frith
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