Voith Inline Thruster

The Voith Inline Thruster (VIT) is a tunnel thruster from Voith with a rim-driven propeller turned by an integrated permanent-magnet synchronous ring motor, with no shaft and no gearbox. The rotor carries the permanent magnets and the propeller blades, made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, attach to its inner ring; the motor is cooled by the surrounding seawater and runs on water-lubricated bearings. Removing the shaft and gears makes it quieter and nearly vibration-free, which suits ships seeking low underwater noise. It covers a power range of about 50 to 1500 kW for maneuvering and station keeping.