Marine thruster

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A marine thruster is a device for producing directed hydrodynamic thrust mounted on a marine vehicle, primarily for maneuvering or propulsion.^[1] There are a variety of different types of marine thrusters and each of them plays a role in the maritime industry. Marine thrusters come in many different shapes and sizes, for example screw propellers, Voith-Schneider propellers, waterjets, ducted propellers, tunnel bow thrusters, and stern thrusters, azimuth thrusters, rim-driven thrusters, ROV and submersible drive units. A marine thruster consists of a propeller or impeller which may be encased in some kind of tunnel or ducting that directs the flow of water to produce a resultant force intended to obtain movement in the desired direction or resist forces which would cause unwanted movement. The two subcategories of marine thrusters are for propulsion and maneuvering, the maneuvering thruster typically in the form of bow or stern thrusters and propulsion thrusters ranging from Azimuth thrusters to Rim Drive thrusters.^[1]