Ships that are used for fire fighting duties must provide the highest possible powers for their fire extinguishing pumps, but still retain a maximum in manoeuvrability.
The Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) is the optimum solution for such applications because it can be operated with constant motor speeds. As a result, the main motors can also be used for driving the fire extinguishing pumps.
In order to produce the required fire-fighting capacity, the fire extinguishing pumps need approximately 60 – 70% of the drive power. Since the drive power taken up by the VSP is limited, the Voith Water Tractor (VWT) remains fully maneuverable during the fire-fighting process and can be positioned and held against external forces. These positive characteristics also apply to oil-fighting measures where they help to drive other auxiliary machines.
L. A. Fireboat 2, currently the world's most powerful fire-fighting vessel in the USA, is a perfect example for this. Fireboat 2 requires a drive that stays maneuverable even in extreme situations. Equipped with ten fire extinguishing guns, it can pump 10,300 cubic meters of water and foam-mix directly to the fire source. The two VSPs are each driven by a 1,800 HP diesel engine. Generators that are also driven by the diesel engines ensure that there is sufficient energy for powering four of the six pumps rated from 4,500 to 7,500 gpm (gpm=gallon per minute). |
