Electric hybridization of a bow thruster for river boat application

The paper deals with the electric hybridization of a bow thruster for a river tugboat application. The knowledge gap leads to the full electrical retrofit of a previously high power hydraulic bow thruster system, in the objective of having more electrified subsystems in the boat, leading to an eco-friendly solution. This electrified solution feeding a Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor with on-board storage faces important constraints for the maneuvering of the boat (high torque, low speed). It is also able to operate the propeller in propulsion for both direct-reverse ways of rotation, and would provide large expected benefits in terms of improved energy efficiency, compactness, weight, and reliability.