A marine propulsion unit including a rotary casing rotatable about a central axis A, and blades extending axially from the rotary casing for rotation with the rotary casing about the central axis A, wherein each blade is mounted for pivotal movement about blade axes B. A blade shaft portion of each blade is at least partly surrounded by a blade housing and by a blade portion of each blade is outside the blade housing, wherein the blade housing is releasable attached to the rotary casing, and each blade being supported in the blade housing by means of bearings for the pivotal movement.

An amphibious vehicle for traversing land and bodies of water includes a chassis, and a cycloidal propeller coupled to the chassis and which includes a plurality of cycloidal propeller blades rotatably coupled to the chassis and each extending parallel a rotational axis of the cycloidal propeller, and an extension/retraction system configured to extend the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades away from the chassis and to retract the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades towards the chassis.

A drive arrangement for a cycloidal marine propulsion unit including at least two electrical blade motors each associated to a respective blade for pivoting thereof, each blade motor being operationally coupled to a respective blade drive for actuating the corresponding blade motor. The at least two blade drives each include a respective blade drive power converter operationally coupled to a first common intermediate DC-link, wherein the at least two blade drives being configured to feed power from the first common intermediate DC-link to their respective blade motors, and to feed regenerative power from their respective blade motors to the first common intermediate DC-link. The disclosure also concerns a marine propulsion unit having such a drive arrangement, and a method of operating such a drive arrangement.

A drive arrangement for a cycloidal marine propulsion unit including at least two electrical blade motors each associated to a respective blade for pivoting thereof, each blade motor being operationally coupled to a respective blade drive for actuating the corresponding blade motor. The at least two blade drives each include a respective blade drive power converter operationally coupled to a first common intermediate DC-link, wherein the at least two blade drives being configured to feed power from the first common intermediate DC-link to their respective blade motors, and to feed regenerative power from their respective blade motors to the first common intermediate DC-link. The disclosure also concerns a marine propulsion unit having such a drive arrangement, and a method of operating such a drive arrangement.

A device for controlling thrust vectoring of a cyclorotor includes a control cam positionable relative to a drive shaft of a cyclorotor along each of a first axis and a second axis, where the drive shaft is rotatable about a third axis. The device may further include a frame having a plurality of sides, where the frame is disposed at least partly around the drive shaft of the cyclorotor, a first positioning assembly disposed on a first side of the frame, where the first positioning assembly is structurally configured to move the frame along the first axis, and a second positioning assembly disposed on a second side of the frame, where the second positioning assembly is engaged with the control cam and structurally configured to move the control cam relative to the frame along the second axis.

A device for controlling thrust vectoring of a cyclorotor includes a control cam positionable relative to a drive shaft of a cyclorotor along each of a first axis and a second axis, where the drive shaft is rotatable about a third axis. The device may further include a frame having a plurality of sides, where the frame is disposed at least partly around the drive shaft of the cyclorotor, a first positioning assembly disposed on a first side of the frame, where the first positioning assembly is structurally configured to move the frame along the first axis, and a second positioning assembly disposed on a second side of the frame, where the second positioning assembly is engaged with the control cam and structurally configured to move the control cam relative to the frame along the second axis.

A cycloidal dynamic propulsion or positioning system for a ship in water that exhibits a direction of flow, including a frame, a rotor mounted to be movable in rotation on the frame about a main axis at right angles to the flow, including a plurality of arms extending radially with respect to the main axis, a main motor equipped with a rotary coder and driving the rotor in rotation, for each arm, a blade mounted to be movable in rotation on the arm about a secondary axis parallel to the main, for each blade, a secondary motor equipped with a rotary coder and driving the blade in rotation, for at least one blade, a load sensor able to evaluate the loads exerted on the blade, and a control unit connected to each coder, strain sensor and motor and controlling the rotation of each motor in terms of angle and speed.

A cycloidal dynamic propulsion or positioning system for a ship in water that exhibits a direction of flow, including a frame, a rotor mounted to be movable in rotation on the frame about a main axis at right angles to the flow, including a plurality of arms extending radially with respect to the main axis, a main motor equipped with a rotary coder and driving the rotor in rotation, for each arm, a blade mounted to be movable in rotation on the arm about a secondary axis parallel to the main, for each blade, a secondary motor equipped with a rotary coder and driving the blade in rotation, for at least one blade, a load sensor able to evaluate the loads exerted on the blade, and a control unit connected to each coder, strain sensor and motor and controlling the rotation of each motor in terms of angle and speed.

A device for controlling thrust vectoring of a cyclorotor includes a control cam positionable relative to a drive shaft of a cyclorotor along each of a first axis and a second axis, where the drive shaft is rotatable about a third axis. The device may further include a frame having a plurality of sides, where the frame is disposed at least partly around the drive shaft of the cyclorotor, a first positioning assembly disposed on a first side of the frame, where the first positioning assembly is structurally configured to move the frame along the first axis, and a second positioning assembly disposed on a second side of the frame, where the second positioning assembly is engaged with the control cam and structurally configured to move the control cam relative to the frame along the second axis.

A device for controlling thrust vectoring of a cyclorotor includes a control cam positionable relative to a drive shaft of a cyclorotor along each of a first axis and a second axis, where the drive shaft is rotatable about a third axis. The device may further include a frame having a plurality of sides, where the frame is disposed at least partly around the drive shaft of the cyclorotor, a first positioning assembly disposed on a first side of the frame, where the first positioning assembly is structurally configured to move the frame along the first axis, and a second positioning assembly disposed on a second side of the frame, where the second positioning assembly is engaged with the control cam and structurally configured to move the control cam relative to the frame along the second axis.