ZF Launches Space-Saving Marine Hybrid Module for Efficient Ship Electrification

Effizienter Antrieb, kompaktes Design: Das neue Marine-Hybridmodul von ZF. Dank seines patentierten Tragrahmens spart es Platz beim Einbau, vereinfacht die Installation und erlaubt auch die Elektrifizierung bestehender Schiff-Designs.
//
Efficient drive, compact design: ZF’s new marine hybrid module. Thanks to its patented supporting frame, it reduces installation space, simplifies installation and supports the electrification of existing ship designs.

(IN BRIEF) ZF, a leading driveline and chassis technology specialist, has introduced a marine hybrid module that simplifies the electrification of ships. The module features a patented supporting frame, eliminating the need for a separate base and offset-adjustment coupling for the electric motor. This plug-and-play design reduces installation space, simplifies maintenance, and is unparalleled in the market. The module combines ZF’s ZF 3300 PTI transmission with an application-specific electric motor, offering high propulsion power in a compact package. ZF will showcase the hybrid module at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo, where they will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their marine location in Krimpen.

(PRESS RELEASE) LILLESTRØM NEAR OSLO, 6-Jun-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, has unveiled its new marine hybrid module, offering simplified electrification for both new and existing ship designs. The module’s key feature is a patented supporting frame, which eliminates the need for a separate base for the electric motor and an offset-adjustment coupling, unlike traditional setups. This plug-and-play approach reduces installation space, simplifies module installation and electric motor maintenance, and is unmatched in the market. ZF will showcase the hybrid module at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo, where they will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Dutch marine location, Krimpen.

The marine hybrid module combines ZF’s proven ZF 3300 PTI transmission, with a power range of up to 1,940 kW at 2,450 rpm, with an application-specific electric motor available in three options: 150 kW, 200 kW, and 300 kW. The module’s standout feature is the newly developed supporting frame. Alexander Thum, Product and System Development Hybrid Drives at ZF, explains that this patented frame offers remarkable space-saving capabilities by eliminating the need for a separate base and offset-adjustment coupling. Additionally, a custom-designed torsion clutch absorbs torsional vibrations from the electric motor, while the supporting frame ensures precise centering of the motor in relation to the transmission.

The plug-and-play design of the module simplifies installation and maintenance, making it particularly advantageous for yacht and ferry designs where space is limited. Moreover, the hybrid module can be seamlessly integrated with standard equipment, allowing existing ship platforms to be retrofitted and electrified with ease.

“This enables our customers to respond comparatively quickly and easily to dynamic market demands or new emission regulations,” continues Thum. “Customer feedback also confirms that we’re on the right track with this strategy,” adds Wolfram Frei, Head of Sales Commercial and Fast Craft at ZF. The first concrete orders from two European yacht builders attest to this successful strategy.

ZF will present the new hybrid module at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo from June 6 to 9. The event will also serve as an opportunity to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ZF’s Krimpen location in the Netherlands, where cutting-edge thruster solutions, including the recently introduced hybrid version of the ZF AT 80, have been developed and produced for half a century.

Media contacts:

Svenja Mayer
Head of Marketing and Communications, Marine & Special Driveline
+49 7541 77-2418
svenja.mayer@zf.com

Gernot Hein
Head of Communication & Public Affairs / Press Spokesperson, Industrial Technology Division
+49 851 494-2480
gernot.hein@zf.com

SOURCE: ZF Friedrichshafen AG