Product category:
Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: ABB Automation Tech (Drives and Motors) | Subject: 14MW Azipod propulsion units
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 May 2006
Power behind the world's largest cruise
liner
Three 14MW propulsion units and a complete electrification package help launch world's largest cruise liner on her maiden transatlantic voyage.
The world's largest cruise liner, Freedom of the Seas, set off on her maiden transatlantic voyage on 3rd May, powered and propelled by ABB electrical and propulsion systems Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Freedom of the Seas sailed from Southampton for New York before continuing to Miami for its first commercial cruise in the Caribbean in June
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 8 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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The 143,000tonne luxury liner is the biggest cruise ship ever built in terms of both gross tonnage and passenger capacity.
It carries 4370 guests and 1360 crew on 18 decks and at a cruising speed of 40km/hr.
ABB's scope of supply comprises three 14MW Azipod propulsion units and a complete electrification package including 43 Unigear medium voltage switchboard panels, protection units, internal arc sensors and monitoring systems, six generators, four bow thruster motors, 18 transformers, and low voltage distribution equipment.
Freedom of the Seas is the first of three cruise liners in Royal Caribbean's new Freedom class (the two sister ships are nearing completion at Aker Finnyard in Finland), and is 14,500tonne larger than the five ships in the line's Voyager series.
All eight vessels in the Freedom and Voyager series are equipped with ABB power and propulsion systems.
Azipod is the world's first podded electric propulsion system.
Among its features are low levels of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, manoeuvrability, and near-elimination of noise and vibration to undetectable levels.
More than 100 Azipod propulsion units are in operation worldwide.
In February 2006 they achieved a cumulative mileage of two million hours and 99.7% availability (accumulated on-hire time).
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