New Zealand jet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet has unveiled a jet specifically designed for electric motors. This waterjet incorporates the advantages of these propulsion systems by adapting them finely to the characteristics of electric motors.

Hamilton's jet thrusters are built around a scoop that forces water towards a solid pump coupled to a motor.

The pump delivers a powerful, perfectly channelled flow of water. At the end of the tunnel is a deflector that leaves the jet free for forward travel and deflects it for turning or reversing.

As a result, the jets have no need for reversing gear, and benefit from exceptional manoeuvrability, with a particularly tight turning radius.

The four advantages of a jet thruster 

These thrusters operate just below the surface of the water. They limit the draught of the boats on which they are mounted.

As they have no propeller, they are less sensitive to tips and other debris and are less dangerous to swimmers than moving propellers.

The deflector makes it possible to move backwards and forwards without having to go into neutral, as the pump always turns in the same direction. This makes for exceptional manoeuvrability and reduced maintenance (no reverser).

The pumped flow is channelled through a tunnel, which limits cavitation and increases the efficiency of this type of transmission. Hamilton Jet's figure is 15%.

Hamilton Jet LTX thruster 

This thruster can be coupled to electric motors with a power rating of up to 310 kW. 

100% electric or hybrid vessels are rarely fast ships, unlike Hamilton's diesel customers. These include administrative speedboats, SAR and naval vessels, as well as support craft such as crewboats and fishing vessels designed to operate in shallow waters. 

Hamilton's new LTX jet has been designed for lower speeds, 20 to 30 knots, where diesel jets are designed for 10 or 15 knots more.

It retains all the advantages of this family of engines.

Hamilton Jet uses its LTX on board Aria, its test vessel, a hybrid patrol boat equipped with two of these waterjets coupled to an in-line parallel hybrid propulsion system, the Hamilton Hybrid HTX propulsion system.

On board Aria, the jets can be powered by electric motors or diesels. The boat was used as a development platform for the Jet LTX.