Question 166General Subjects - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is B) Hydraulic fluid-type clutch. Hydraulic fluid-type clutches are effective in preventing the transmission of torsional vibrations from an engine to a reduction gear. The hydraulic fluid acts as a damping medium, absorbing and dissipating the vibrations, which helps to protect the reduction gear from potential damage. This is a crucial feature for marine applications, where engines can produce significant torsional vibrations that need to be isolated from sensitive components like reduction gears. The other options are not as well-suited for this purpose. Inflatable tire-type pneumatic clutches (A) do not provide the same level of vibration dampening as a hydraulic fluid-type clutch. Multiple disk friction clutches (C) can transmit some torsional vibrations, and solid couplings (D) do not have any inherent vibration-dampening capabilities.