An L-drive is a type of azimuth thruster where the electric motor is mounted vertically, removing the second bevel gear from the drivetrain. Azimuth thruster pods can be rotated through a full 360 degrees, allowing for rapid changes in thrust direction and eliminating the need for a conventional rudder.This form of power transmission is called a L-drive because the rotary motion has to.
muth Z -drive and L-drive config-ured thrusters range from 55 to 8 MW. Z and L drives use electric or diesel prime movers and are per-fect for tractor tugs and work ves-sels needing maximum power in all directions. Hydraulic Outboard Thrusters range from 26 to 1,500 kW and can be built in a variety of ways to suit your particular application.
A Z -drive has two gears, whereas an L-drive has one. Each gear transmission results in a 1% efficiency loss. In addition to higher efficiency, an L-drive is also less expensive to install. That is why an L-drive is preferable, provided there is enough space for the electric motor.
Horizontal vs . vertical In the case of electric and hydraulic units, you can also choose for a vertical drive: the Veth L-drive. Here, the motor is mounted vertically and the upper gearbox with optional clutch is eliminated. The integrated steering transmission, however, is the same as on a Z -drive.
An L-drive thruster has a vertical input shaft and a horizontal output shaft with one right-angle gear. A Z-drive thruster has a horizontal input shaft , a vertical shaft in the rotating column and a horizontal output shaft , with two right-angle gears.
