Hi @seetomgo,
You are correct there are a lot of variables that will greatly effect the longevity of a thruster in continuous use. Due to the nature of the marine environment and the many different use cases, its difficult to give an official MTBF rating to our thrusters. Sediment density, particle size, and composition is perhaps the greatest factor affecting longevity. In particular, a high density of ferrous particles in the water can clog up and potentially damage the internals of the thruster if not cleared out and cleaned regularly.
I can give you an couple example from my own experience. We have carried out some long endurance testing on an exemplar T100 from an early batch. This thruster was run at 50% throttle in a heavily chlorinated freshwater tank virtually nonstop for a little over four months total, with no signs of letting up. The main factor limiting thruster lifespan in most circumstances is bearing wear. We’ve estimated the bearings should last at least several thousand hours in ideal circumstances, and I believe this test demonstrates that.
Of course environmental conditions are still the number one factor, and can greatly affect this number.
-Adam