Abstract: A method and a device for protecting an electric motor in a pod unit for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks when the blades of the pod propeller hit ice blocks or other hard objects, said motor having a drive shaft, a rotor and a stator, said shocks tending to momentarily bend the drive shaft (3) to such an extent that the rotor (41) will come into contact with the stator. The rotor is prevented from coming in detrimental contact with the stator by providing at least two members, which together form a radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces, which during normal operation of the motor are spaced from one another by a gap and come in contact with one another only at extreme loads with short durations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for cooling of a pod propulsion device, including a motor casing (3) and a strut (2), which strut (2) is connected at a lower part thereof to the motor casing (3) and is arranged to be connected at an upper part thereof to a hull (1) of a ship, said motor casing (3) including a housing (6) enclosing an electric motor (5) with a stator (51) and a rotor, wherein periodically a forced cooling air flow (W,S) is shifted to use a front duct (2A) as supply (S) for limited time period TF and thereafter shift to use the aft duct (2B) as supply (S) for a limited time period TA. The invention also relates to a ship provided with such a system and method for cooling of pod propulsion device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for cooling of a pod propulsion device, including a motor casing (3) and a strut (2), which strut (2) is connected at a lower part thereof to the motor casing (3) and is arranged to be connected at an upper part thereof to a hull (1) of a ship, said motor casing (3) including a housing (6) enclosing an electric motor (5) with a stator (51) and a rotor, wherein periodically a forced cooling air flow (W,S) is shifted to use a front duct (2A) as supply (S) for limited time period TF and thereafter shift to use the aft duct (2B) as supply (S) for a limited time period TA. The invention also relates to a ship provided with such a system and method for cooling of pod propulsion device.

Abstract: A method of and a device for protecting an electric motor (4) in a pod unit (1) for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks when the blades (2) of the pod propeller hit ice blocks or other hard objects, said motor (4) having a drive shaft (3), a rotor (41) and a stator (42), said shocks tending to momentarily bend the drive shaft (3) to such an extent that the rotor (41) will come into contact with the stator (42). In accordance with the present invention, the rotor (41) is prevented from coming in detrimental contact with the stator (42) by providing at least two members (61, 62), which together form a radial plain bearing (6) having mating arcuate bearing surfaces (611 and 621, respectively), which during normal operation of the motor (4) are spaced from one another by a gap and come in contact with one another only at extreme loads with short durations.