vetus BOWA0401 BOW Pro A Series Thrusters Installation Guide
- June 9, 2024
- vetus
Table of Contents
vetus BOWA0401 BOW Pro A Series Thrusters Installation Guide
Safety
Warning indications
The following warning indications are used in this manual in the context of
safety:
Danger
Indicates that great potential danger exists that can lead to serious injury
or death.
Warning
Indicates that a potential danger that can lead to injury exists.
Caution
Indicates that the usage procedures, actions etc. concerned can result in
serious damage to property. Some CAUTION indications also advise that a
potential danger exists that can lead to serious injury or death.
Note
Emphasises important procedures, circumstances etc.
Symbols
Indicates that the relevant procedure must be carried out.
Indicates that a particular action is forbidden.
Share these safety instructions with all users.
General rules and laws concerning safety and accident prevention must always
be observed.
Introduction
This manual give guidelines for installing a VETUS bow and/or stern thruster
from the BOW PRO series, model ‘BOWA0401.’
The bow or stern thruster system consists of the following basic components:
- Side thruster
- Tunnel
- Energy storage
- Energy supply
- Operation
Note
If necessary, consult the installation manuals for all components before
putting the complete system into operation. For maintenance and warranty,
please refer to the ‘Maintenance and Warranty Manual’.
The quality of installation will determine how reliably the bow and/or stern thruster performs. Almost all faults can be traced back to errors or inaccuracies during installation. It is therefore imperative that the steps given in the installation instructions are followed in full during the installation process and checked afterward. Alterations made to the bow thruster by the user will void any liability on the part of the manufacturer for any damages that may result. The actual thrust generated by the bow and/or stern thruster will vary from vessel to vessel depending on the windage, the hull displacement, and the shape of the underwater section.
The nominal thrust quoted can only be achieved under normal conditions:
- During use ensure the correct battery voltage is available.
- The installation is carried out in compliance with the recommendations given in this installation instruction, in particular with regard to:
- Sufficiently large diameter of the battery cables so that voltage drop is reduced to a minimum.
- The manner in which the tunnel has been connected to the hull.
- Use of bars in the tunnel openings. These bars should only be used where this is strictly necessary (if sailing regularly in severely polluted water.)
- The bars must have been fitted correctly.
Installation recommendations
Positioning of the thruster tunnel
To achieve the optimum performance, position the thruster tunnel as far
forward as possible.
If, in addition to controlling the movement of the bow, the stern of the
vessel is required to move sideways, then a second thruster may be installed
at the stern.
-
For a planing boat the tunnel should, if possible, be so situated so that when the vessel is planing it is above the water level thus causing no resistance.
-
Installation of two bow thrusters in tandem (for larger boats). In this case, depending on weather conditions, one or both bow thrusters may be used.
When choosing the location for the thrust tunnel, take the following into account for optimum performance:
- The distance A shown in the drawing must be at least 0.5 x D (where D is the tunnel diameter).
- The length of the tunnel (distance B) should be between 2 x D and 4 x D.
Positioning of the bow thruster in the thrust-tunnel
When determining the exact position of the bow thruster in the thrust tunnel,
the tailpiece MUST NOT protrude from the tunnel end.
The propeller should preferably be situated on the centreline of the vessel,
but it must always be accessible from the outside.
- The electric motor can be installed in various positions.
- If the motor is set up horizontally or at an angle, support is absolutely essential.
- The electric motor must be positioned in such a way that it is always well clear from the maximum bilge water level.
Connection of thrust tunnel to ship’s hull
Direct connection of the tunnel to the hull, without a fairing, produces
reasonable results.
A The connection to the hull can be abrupt.
B It is better to make the connection rounded with radius ‘R’ of about
0.1 x D.
C It is even better to use sloping sides ‘C’ with dimensions 0.1 to 0.15
x D.
Connection of the thrust tunnel to the ship’s hull with a fairing results in lower hull-resistance during normal sailing.
A The connection with a fairing can be abrupt.
B It is better to make the connection with a fairing rounded with radius
‘R’ of about 0.1 x D.
C The best connection is with a fairing using sloping side ‘C’ with
dimensions 0.1 to 0.15 x D.
- Length ‘L’ of the fairing should be between 1 x D and 3 x D.
- This fairing should be embodied in the ship’s hull in such a way that the centreline of the fairing will correspond with the anticipated shape of the bow wave.
If the connection of the thrust tunnel and the boat’s hull is to be made with
a sloped side, it should be executed in accordance with the drawing. Make the
sloped side (C) with a length of 0.1 to 0.15 x D and make sure that the angle
between the tunnel and the sloped side will be identical to the angle between
the sloped side and the ship’s hull.
C = 15…22 mm (5/8…7/8”)
D = 140 mm (5 1/2”)
β = β
γ = γ
Grid bars in the tunnel openings
Although the thrust force will be adversely affected, grid bars may be placed
into the tunnel openings, for protection of the thruster. In order to limit
the negative effect of this on the thrust and on hull resistance during normal
operation as much as possible, the following must be taken into account:
-
Do not fit more bars per opening than is indicated in the drawing.
-
The bars must have a rectangular cross-section.
-
Do not fit round bars.
-
The bars must overlap a certain amount.
-
The bars must be installed so they are perpendicular to the expected waveform.
Installation of the thrust tunnel
-
Drill 2 holes in the hull, where the centreline of the thrust tunnel will be, in accordance with the diameter of the marking tool.
-
Pass the marking tool (home-made) through both pre-drilled holes and mark the outside diameter of the thrust-tunnel on the hull.
-
Dependent on the vessel’s construction material, cut out the holes by means of a jigsaw or an oxy-acetylene cutter.
-
Install the thrust-tunnel.
Polyester thrust tunnel:
Resin: The resin used for the polyester thrust tunnel is Isophtalic
polyester resin (Norpol Pl 2857).
Pre-treatment: The outside of the tunnel must be roughened. Remove all of
the top surface down to the glass-fibre. Use a grinding disc for this.
Important: After the tunnel been sawn to length, treat the end of the
tube with resin. This will prevent water seeping in.
Laminating: Apply a coat of resin as the first coat. Lay on a glassfibre
mat and impregnate with resin. Repeat this procedure until you have built up a
sufficient number of layers.
A polyester thrust tunnel should be finished as follows:
- Roughen the hardened resin/glass-fibre. Apply a top coat of resin.
- Treat the side of the tunnel which comes into contact with water with ‘epoxy paint’ or 2-component polyurethane paint.
- Then apply anti-fouling treatment if required.
Drilling the holes in the thrust-tunnel
- Mark the installation position of the bow thruster by means of the intermediate flange.
- Use the drill pattern supplied, to determine the correct position of the holes to be drilled.
Important: The pattern of the holes must be positioned precisely on the centreline of the tunnel
Consult the template for the dimensions of the holes to be drilled. Drill the holes through the thrust tunnel and take care that the holes are free of burrs.
Protection of the bow thruster against corrosion
To prevent corrosion problems, do not use copper based antifouling. Cathodic
protection is a ‘must’ for the protection of all metal parts under water and
the bow thruster is supplied with a zinc anode for this purpose.
Corrosion of a steel or aluminium thrust tunnel can be reduced by ensuring
that the tail piece is completely insulated from the thrust-tunnel.
NOTE: The gaskets supplied are already electrically insulated. However
the bolts and the shaft need to be fitted with insulation material, for
example nylon bushes.
Installation
For overall dimensions see drawing, The bow thruster is supplied in parts as shown.
Installation tailpiece and intermediate flange
-
Ensure that the plastic shim plate (1) has been positioned on the tail piece.
-
Place one packing (2) between the tail piece and the tunnel.
-
Apply a sealant (e.g. polyurethane*) or silicone) between the tail piece and packing, and between the packing and the tunnel wall.
-
Place the tail piece in the hole in the tunnel. Any extra packings used should be ones capable of justifying the tail piece.
-
Grease the hole of the intermediate flange and position this flange.
-
Grease the threads of the bolts with ‘outboard gear grease’ *) before inserting and tightening them.
Final assembly
-
Grease the propeller shaft with ‘outboard gear grease’ *) and install the propeller.
-
The propeller should run a minimum of 1.5 mm (1/16”) free of the thrust tube wall, around the complete circumference.|
-
Slide the flexible coupling onto the output spindle of the electric motor as far as necessary to allow the end of the output spindle (A) and the underside of the flange (B) to become aligned.
-
Tighten the lock-screw (C) to the specified torque.
-
Grease the input shaft with an installation compound, such as ‘Molykote® G-n plus’.
-
Grease the threads of the fastenings bolts with ‘outboard gear grease’ and install the electric motor to the intermediate flange.
-
For a first check, turn the propeller by hand – it should turn easily, while connected to the output spindle of the electric motor
Electrical installation
Choice of battery
The total battery capacity must be sufficient for the size of the bow thruster; see the table. See page 106 for the applicable battery capacity. The minimum battery capacity is specified in the table; with a larger battery capacity, the bow thruster will perform even better! We recommend VETUS maintenance free marine batteries; these can be supplied in the following sizes: 55 Ah, 70 Ah, 90 Ah, 108 Ah, 120 Ah, 143 Ah, 165 Ah, 200 Ah and 225 Ah. We also recommend that each bow thruster is powered by its own separate battery or batteries. This allows the battery bank to be placed as close as possible to the bow thruster; the main power cables can then be short thus preventing voltage losses caused by long cables. Always use batteries whose type and capacity are compatible for their use.
Note
Be sure to only use ‘sealed’ batteries if the batteries are located in the
same compartment as the bow thruster. VETUS ‘SMF’ and ‘AGM’ maintenance-free
batteries are ideal for this application. Batteries that are not ‘sealed’ may
produce small amounts of explosive gas during the charging cycle.
Main switch
The main switch must be fitted to the ‘positive cable’. The VETUS battery switch type BATSW250 is a suitable switch, which is also available in a 2-pole version, VETUS part number BATSW250T.
Fuses
A fuse must be included in the ‘positive cable’ for the main switch, as close to the battery as possible. This fuse protects the on-board power cabling from short circuits
Connecting the main power cables and configuring the bow and/or stern thruster
- Take off the cover.
- Feed the battery cables through the input glands in the cover.
- Apply cable terminals to the battery cables and connect the cables to the motor controller.
Make sure that the cable terminal on the negative cable cannot cause a short circuit to the lowest of the three motor connections on the controller!
Bow thruster
The configuration as supplied is for application as a bow thruster.
Stern thruster
Configure a stern thruster by putting the switch on the inside of the cover
into the correct position.
Reinstall the cover and tighten the glands.
Main power fuse 2
In the connection unit, there is a main power fuse on the controller. This
fuse protects the controller and motor against short circuit/overloading and
it must remain present under all circumstances.
Troubleshooting
Please note that his is a general instruction. Specific actions may slightly differ from one type to another. Check, and if necessary correct, the following items if the system is not working properly.
CAN bus system
-
Is the power supply switched on?
-
Is the CAN bus supply voltage correct? (=12VDC).
-
Does the control panel switch on?
-
Are both terminating resistors correctly positioned?
Note: The CAN bus power supply has an integrated terminating resistor. -
Did all connectors “click” when inserted in the connection point?
-
Are the correct CAN bus cables used and in good condition?
-
Are the correct CAN bus connectors used and in good condition?
-
Does the total length of the CAN bus network not exceed 40 meters?
-
Is each “node” connected to the power supply? Check by measuring the voltage on the 2 opposite pins in the connector on the node (pin 1=12 VDC positive, pin 3=12 VDC neutral).
Thruster installation
-
Is the battery supply switched on?
-
Is the supply voltage of the thruster correct? (measure the voltage at the motor controller terminals).
-
Is the thruster correctly configured? (bow or stern thruster).
-
Do both the positive and neutral cables have the correct diameter and length?
-
Are both the positive and neutral wires connected to the correct terminals of the thruster motor controller?
-
Are both the positive and neutral wires correctly routed? Incorrect routing may cause the wire(s) to press against the circuit board, which can lead to malfunctions.
-
Is the pressed cable lug of the neutral cable isolated from the nearby motor winding connections? (spacer ring installed?)
Note: Not applicable to bow thrusters with external cable connections. -
Are the cable glands of the power supply cables firmly tightened?
-
Is the white connector for the thermal sensor of the motor correctly connected to the circuit board under the top cover?
-
Is the fuse (5 A) of the motor controller in place?
-
Is the connector running from the top cover circuit board to the thruster motor controller fixed and are all connector pins correctly connected? (latch in place?)
Technical data
Type : BOWA0401
Electromotor
Type : EC Motor (8VAC-2.7kW)
For DC systems : 12 V =
Current (In) : 295 A @ 12,0 V 337 A @ 10,5 V
Power consumption : 3,5 kW
Rating : S2 – 10 min. [1] Protection : IP44
Insulation class : F
Motor controller
MCV : MCV30024 + MCVB0401
Transmission
Gears : Bevel gear helical teeth
Gear ratio : 1 : 1
Lubrication : oilbath, outboard gear oil SAE80W or EP 90 : ca. 0.04 litre
(1.4 fl.oz.)