Föri

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Föri in December 2016
Föri in Turku, Finland, in December 2016
History
NameFöri
OwnerCity of Turku[1]
Operator[3]
RouteThis side of the River–Other side of the River, 78 meters, 1,5 minutes.[1][2]
BuilderAb Vulcan, Grand Duchy of Finland[4]
Completed1903[1]
Maiden voyage1904[1]
In service1904–Present[1]
StatusIn service[1]
NotesOldest vehicle in daily operation in Finland.[1]
General characteristics
TypeChain ferry
Ramps2
Installed power2 ×  electric motor, ran on alternating days.[5][6]
PropulsionChain
Capacity75 passengers[1]
Crew1[1]

Föri is a ferry running across the River Aura in Turku, Finland. The ferry was completed in 1903, and it is the oldest vehicle still in daily operation in Finland. Föri is also the only municipally owned ferry in Finland. The name "Föri" is derived either from the Swedish word "färja", or from the English word "ferry".[1]

If the river freezes over and the ice is thicker than 30 cm, the ferry is replaced by an ice bridge.[1]

History[]

Föri was built at the Ab Vulcan in 1903[4] to suit the needs of the employees at the  [fi] factory in Turku on the shore of the River Aura. The ferry was originally driven by steam engines fed from a woodfired boiler. In 1955 the steam engines were replaced by diesel engines. The ferry was operated by the City of Turku till 2008, when the operation was outsourced to .[7]

In 2015 city authorities announced that the two diesel engines powering the Föri would be replaced by electric motors.[8][9] The old engines consumed 7500–8000 litres of fuel each year, with the average speed of ~2 km/h. According to the manufacturer , the new electric engines should consume around "three kilowatts of electricity per hour [sic] in summer and four in winter". The average speed will remain unchanged and the ferry will still have dual motors for redundancy. Each of the two engines consists of a DC/DC converter to increase the voltage from the batteries, and a permanent magnet motor drive to transform the electrical signal into mechanical energy. Both of the two motors can also be used simultaneously if more power is needed due to e.g. ice conditions. The new system is also eight tonnes lighter than the diesel engines and hydraulic motor it has replaced.[5][6][9] This retrofit was done by , and it took place in the spring of 2017.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Föri, the City Ferry. City of Turku. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  2. ^ YLE news article on 110 year old Föri. YLE. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Electrification of the Föri. Turkulainen. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Föri eli kaupunkilautta". City of Turku (in Finnish). Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Electrification of the Föri. Tutka. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Electrification of the Föri. Turun Sanomat. Retrieved 2017-04-21.[dead link]
  7. ^ Latvakangas, Holmén, Kivelä (2011). Turku – muuttuva kaupunki. Raisio: Turun Sanomat / Newprint. p. 50. ISBN 978-951-9129-84-6.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Turku haluaa jokilautta Förin sähkökäyttöiseksi" [Turku wants a river ferry to be powered by För]. Kuntatekniikka (in Finnish). 27 May 2015. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Finland's oldest operating ferry given electric motor". BBC News. 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-04-29.

External links[]

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