ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Voith Schneider Propeller

Do you know what a propeller is? It's like a giant fan that helps move boats through the water. But have you ever seen a special kind of propeller that can move a boat in any direction? This special propeller is called a Voith Schneider propeller.

The Voith Schneider propeller is made up of many small blades on a circular wheel, like a merry-go-round. But instead of moving in a circle, the blades can turn around and around, just like a regular propeller. The special thing about the Voith Schneider propeller is that each blade can also move up and down, like a seesaw.

So why is this special? Well, when regular propellers move, they can only push a boat through the water in one direction. But with a Voith Schneider propeller, each blade can move independently, which means the propeller can push the boat forward, backward, left, right, or even spin in circles!

This is really helpful for big boats like ferries, because they need to move in and out of tight spaces in the harbor. The Voith Schneider propeller makes it easier for them to maneuver, even if there are strong currents or winds pushing against them.

So next time you see a boat moving in a lot of different directions, you might be looking at a special Voith Schneider propeller. Pretty cool, huh?