Patent ID: 7862393

Claim:
Propulsion arrangement for a marine vessel, which propulsion arrangement comprises an internal combustion engine, a shaft arrangement and a steerable thruster unit, wherein the shaft arrangement comprises a substantially horizontal main shaft extending from the internal combustion engine to a first angle gear transmission, a coupling is provided on the substantially horizontal main shaft, between the internal combustion engine and the first angle gear transmission, a substantially vertical drive shaft extends from the first angle gear transmission to a second angle gear transmission in the steerable thruster unit, the steerable thruster unit comprises a substantially horizontal propeller shaft with a propeller, the marine vessel further comprises a combined electric generator and motor arranged above the first angle gear transmission and arranged to be coupled to the propulsion arrangement, the combined electric generator and motor is arranged to be coupled to the substantially vertical drive shaft after the substantially horizontal main shaft and the first angle gear transmission in the direction of transmission of power from the internal combustion engine, and an auxiliary coupling is provided on the substantially vertical drive shaft, between the combined electric generator and motor and the first angle gear transmission.