Application —  20 Jun 2022

Innovative hybrid powertrains demand sophisticated coupling solutions

Increasingly complex electric and hybrid drive systems demand sophisticated solutions, such as the tailor-made coupling, damper and shaft solutions by Geislinger. On the road to hybridization, the shipping industry is facing new challenges every day. This is why our innovation department is constantly striving to develop breakthrough solutions for new hybrid powertrain requirements.

Picture 1: Increasingly complex drive systems demand sophisticated solutions.
Picture 1: Increasingly complex drive systems demand sophisticated solutions.

Hybrid drives present a variety of advantages: Not only do they offer reduced fuel consumption, but their flexibility allows the main engine to run at an optimized speed, thus extending maintenance intervals. Certain vessels, especially those requiring low underwater noise levels, benefit from the low torsional vibrations generated by electric drives, making a hybrid propulsion solution inevitable.

Our goal is to tackle every challenge that hybrid powertrains present. In particular, our GESILCO® composite product line offers a wide variety of misalignment couplings for the use in series or parallel hybrid applications. The Geislinger SILENCO® coupling, on the other hand, shows outstanding performance as an acoustic coupling. This specially designed product, offering optimal acoustic attenuation, is part of many silent propulsion systems.

Picture 2: The lightweight Geislinger SILENCO® coupling is designed to minimize the transfer of the structure borne sound. Its modular system comprises components with the best acoustical performance.
Picture 2: The lightweight Geislinger SILENCO® coupling is designed to minimize the transfer of the structure borne sound. Its modular system comprises components with the best acoustical performance.

Our wide hybridization product portfolio offers a solution for nearly every type of vessel, from yachts, mega yacht, research vessels, high-speed ferries, to offshore support vessels or tugboats. Future fuel and power generation technologies and their development are also being carefully monitored by Geislinger to always stay one step ahead and to keep the competitive edge in the era of hybridization and also, digitalization.

One of our latest developments is the new generation of the Geislinger Monitoring System and its accompanying Geislinger Digital Solutions (GDS). Increasingly complex powertrains require monitoring for early detection of wear or fault patterns. By monitoring the whole powertrain, maintenance can be planned more accurately, saving time and money on unplanned repairs. Geislinger Digital Solutions’ newly implemented, cloud-based Analytics Platform also enables ship operators and technical staff to remotely gain insights into vessel and fleet performance. Our anomaly detection algorithms highlight performance deviations and provide customers with an overview of the system status.

Picture 3: Geislinger Digital Solutions – The Geislinger anomaly detection algorithm highlights performance deviations and provides customers with an overview of the system.
Picture 3: Geislinger Digital Solutions – The Geislinger anomaly detection algorithm highlights performance deviations and provides customers with an overview of the system.

At Geislinger, we are always keen to help you find the right product for your powertrain. For more information on our hybridization, check out our new video on hybrid propulsion solutions on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4xxDXQtnjk
Or visit our website: https://www.geislinger.com/en/applications/electric-hybrid.

Picture 4: Geislinger's hybrid solutions allow the vessel to cruise with different propulsion modes, thus maximizing its efficiency.
Picture 4: Geislinger's hybrid solutions allow the vessel to cruise with different propulsion modes, thus maximizing its efficiency.