Then they performed a 24-hour controlled drift test in battering seas with no damage to the vessels. The boats were launched and maneuvered along the weather and lee sides of the ship, demonstrating their flexibility to move rescue capacity to wherever it is most needed. Wave heights were between 3.6 and 4.6 meters (11.8-15.1 ft) with peaks up to 10 meters (32.8 ft) – 50 percent above the stipulated heavy weather testing requirements – and wind gusts up to 18 meters per second (40 mph) were recorded. The tests, witnessed and approved by DNV-GL, took place in the North Sea. The electric boats successfully completed heavy weather sea trials in October, proving their ability to deploy and operate dependably under the most extreme wind and sea conditions. One motor is installed at each corner of the boat and all are networked into an integrated energy monitoring system, giving the operator a clear view of motor and battery status at a glance. Each craft has four Cruise 4.0 electric pod drives installed, powered by Power 24-3500 lithium-ion batteries in 48-volt banks. The LifeCraft’s propulsion package consists of multiple, smaller motors for redundancy and maneuverability. This allows the electric motors and batteries to be integrated into the compact self-inflating design. Torqeedo’s electric propulsion system is a key enabling technology for the self-propelled inflatable survival craft because they don’t require frequent access to fuel, oil and ignition systems for maintenance when stowed on board. Once each boat is fully loaded, the crew maneuvers it to a safe standoff distance from the ship using the electric motors. Passengers board the boats through escape chutes. The 203-passenger LifeCraft is a motorized inflatable vessel designed to deploy from a shipboard storage/launch station. Torqeedo developed a specialized high-thrust electric propulsion system for VIKING’s revolutionary new LifeCraft survival craft, which are designed to speed safe evacuation of hundreds of passengers from ships at sea.
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