ABSTRACT
Bow thruster design has not been in the spotlights for a long time. The increasing size of cruise vessels has led to a demand for larger, more powerful units, with strict requirements on the noise and vibration side. Due to these conflicting requirements it has only been possible to make a proper step ahead, by proper research. In the paper ‘the journey towards the new generation tunnel thrusters’ will be described, where increased power ratings have been achieved in combination with reductions of noise and vibrations. With the aid of full scale RANS CFD flow simulations, the inflow characteristics of the thrusters have been visualized and, based on that understanding, enhancement of the inflow has been established which contributes to clear reduction in load variations during a revolution of the propeller. The outlook of the developments which will come in the near future take into account an even wider design envelope, where performance in maneuvering mode will be addressed too. Based on all new insights it has become clear that the journey has not ended yet.
