A cooling structure for a pod thruster

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cooling structure of a pod propeller, the cooling structure includes a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit; the water cooling unit includes: a water permeable window, a water permeable window grid baffle, a guide cap and a guide cap grid baffle, the water permeable window is opened on the side wall of the lower box body and is located above the motor stator, the outer side of the water permeable window is installed with a water permeable window grid baffle, one end of the lower box body is provided with a guide cap, and the lower surface of the guide cap is installed with a guide cap grid baffle; the air cooling unit includes: an air duct adapter, a cooler, a fan and a rib plate, the side wall of the well box is connected to one end of the air duct adapter, and the other end of the air duct adapter is connected to the cooler and the fan in sequence. The cooling structure of the pod propeller is internally provided with two structures, namely a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit, which improves the internal cooling efficiency, and effectively reduces the heating condition during operation by increasing the contact area between the hot point of the pod propeller and the seawater and adding a forced cooling unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to pod propulsion, and in particular to a cooling structure of a pod propulsion. Background Art

[0002] At present, pod thrusters have been widely used in diving supply ships, oil drilling platforms, supply ships, shuttle tankers and ro-ro ships, icebreakers and some military ships due to their advantages of low noise and low vibration. Pod thrusters place the propulsion motor outside the cabin, and the electric energy generated by the generator is transmitted to the motor outside the cabin through cables. The motor directly drives the propeller to rotate to provide power for the ship.

[0003] During the operation of the pod propulsion system, heat is generated due to friction and other reasons, which is mainly reflected in the heating of the motor and the heating of the bearing. Among them, the motor is the power source of the pod propulsion system. During the operation, part of the input energy is lost in the form of heat energy. The power loss of the motor is inevitable. The heat generation increases when the output is high power and high torque. In severe cases, it will cause the motor to shut down and lose the propulsion function. At the same time, the motor is arranged in the cylinder of the pod propulsion system, and the upper part of the motor cylinder is connected to the column. There is no contact with seawater in the upper area, so the motor overheating point is easy to form above the cylinder. It can be roughly considered that when the motor temperature alarm is on, the point with the highest temperature is the overheating point. The overheating point is the weak point of aging and failure of the pod propulsion system motor. Therefore, the cooling problem is one of the constraints for the development of pod propulsion system towards high power and high torque. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem that the existing pod propeller generates heat during operation and needs to be cooled, and to provide a cooling structure for the pod propeller, by increasing the contact area between the hot point of the pod propeller and the seawater, that is, opening a water-permeable window in the upper area so that the upper area can contact the seawater; and adding a forced cooling unit, that is, setting a fan to reduce the heat generated during operation.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A cooling structure of a pod propeller, the pod propeller comprising a well box and a lower box body, wherein a motor rotor and a motor stator are arranged in the lower box body; the cooling structure comprises a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit;

[0007] The water cooling unit comprises: a water permeable window, a water permeable window grid baffle, a guide cap and a guide cap grid baffle, wherein the water permeable window is provided on the side wall of the lower box body and is located above the motor stator, the water permeable window grid baffle is installed on the outer side of the water permeable window, a guide cap is provided at one end of the lower box body, and the guide cap grid baffle is installed on the lower surface of the guide cap;

[0008] The air cooling unit includes: an air duct adapter, a cooler, a fan and a rib plate. The side wall of the well box is connected to one end of the air duct adapter, and the other end of the air duct adapter is connected to the cooler and the fan in sequence. A bearing seat is installed at one end of the lower box body close to the guide cap. The bearing seat is connected to one end of the propeller shaft, and the other end of the propeller shaft is connected to the propeller. A rib plate is provided on the peripheral wall of the propeller shaft, and a motor rotor is sleeved on the outer periphery of the rib plate, and a motor stator is sleeved on the outer side of the motor rotor. There is a gap between the aforementioned rib plate and the motor rotor.

[0009] Furthermore, flexible connection joints are provided on both sides of the cooler, and the cooler is respectively connected to the air duct adapter and the outer surface of the fan through the flexible connection joints.

[0010] Furthermore, two groups of the flexible connection joints are symmetrically arranged about the center point of the cooler, and the air duct adapter is arranged as an inclined structure.

[0011] Furthermore, water-permeable windows are symmetrically arranged on the surface of the lower box body, and the water-permeable windows and the water-permeable window grid baffles constitute a disassembly and installation structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the deflector cap is configured as an arc-shaped structure, and the deflector cap and the deflector cap grid baffle constitute a disassembly and installation structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the surface of the propeller shaft has ribs arranged at equal angles, and the length of the ribs is greater than the length of the coil at the end of the motor stator.

[0014] Furthermore, the length of the rib plate is greater than the length of the coil at the end of the motor stator by a distance 2A, and the range of A is 0-20 mm.

[0015] Furthermore, the propeller and the lower box body form a rotating structure, and the lower box body and the propeller shaft are rotationally connected.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The pod propeller cooling structure of the present invention is internally provided with two structures, namely a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit, thereby improving the internal cooling efficiency. By increasing the contact area between the hot point of the pod propeller and the seawater and adding a fan forced cooling unit, the heating condition during operation is effectively reduced.

[0018] The surface of the lower box of the present invention is symmetrically provided with water-permeable windows. The water-permeable windows can allow external seawater to flow on the surfaces of the motor rotor and the motor stator during navigation. The flowing seawater has a good cooling effect on the motor rotor and the motor stator, avoiding hot spots due to heat accumulation, which is beneficial to extending the overall service life of the device.

[0019] The present invention is provided with a fan and a cooler. When the temperature inside the device is high, starting the fan can drive the air flow inside the device. The flowing air is cooled by the cooler and then re-delivered to the surface of the motor rotor and the motor stator, which not only has a better cooling effect but also reduces energy consumption. A gap is provided between the rib plate and the motor rotor to ensure the smooth passage of the gas after cooling.

[0020] Flexible connection joints are provided between the cooler and the air duct adapter and the fan of the present invention. The flexible connection joints can prevent the vibration generated during the operation of the device and the fan from being transmitted to the inside of the cooler, thereby providing better protection for the cooler and ensuring the normal cooling work of the cooler.

[0021] The present invention is provided with a water-permeable window grid baffle and a guide cap grid baffle, which can effectively filter impurities in seawater during the process of seawater passing through, and the water-permeable window grid baffle and the guide cap grid baffle and the lower box body and the guide cap all constitute a disassembly and installation structure, and the inside of the device is convenient to clean by disassembling and assembling the water-permeable window grid baffle and the guide cap grid baffle, thereby improving the overall practicality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the front cross-sectional structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a left-side structural schematic diagram of the propeller shaft and rib plate installation of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the top view of the installation structure of the lower box body and the water-permeable window of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a right view structural schematic diagram of the installation of the water-permeable window and the water-permeable window grille baffle of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure: 1. well box; 2. air duct adapter; 3. cooler; 4. fan; 5. flexible connection joint; 6. lower box body; 7. water-permeable window; 8. water-permeable window grid baffle; 9. guide cap; 10. guide cap grid baffle; 11. bearing seat; 12. propeller shaft; 13. rib plate; 14. motor rotor; 15. motor stator; 16. propeller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] See also Figure 1-4 The present invention provides a technical solution: a cooling structure of a pod propeller, the pod propeller comprises a well box 1 and a lower box body 6, the lower box body 6 is provided with a motor rotor 14 and a motor stator 15; the cooling structure comprises a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit;

[0029] The water cooling unit comprises: a water permeable window 7, a water permeable window grid baffle 8, a guide cap 9 and a guide cap grid baffle 10, wherein the water permeable window 7 is provided on the side wall of the lower box body 6 and is located above the motor stator 13, the water permeable window grid baffle 8 is installed on the outer side of the water permeable window 7, the guide cap 9 is provided at one end of the lower box body 6, and the guide cap grid baffle 10 is installed on the lower surface of the guide cap 9;

[0030] The air cooling unit includes: an air duct adapter 2, a cooler 3, a fan 4 and a rib plate 13. The side wall of the well box 1 is connected to one end of the air duct adapter 2, and the other end of the air duct adapter 2 is connected to the cooler 3 and the fan 4 in sequence; a bearing seat 11 is installed at one end of the lower box body 6 close to the guide cap 9, and the bearing seat 11 is connected to one end of the propeller shaft 12, and the other end of the propeller shaft 12 is connected to the propeller 16. A rib plate 13 is provided on the peripheral wall of the propeller shaft 12, and a motor rotor 14 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the rib plate 13, and a motor stator 15 is sleeved on the outer side of the motor rotor 14; there is a gap between the aforementioned rib plate 13 and the motor rotor 14.

[0031] In this embodiment, by providing two structures, a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit, the internal cooling efficiency is improved, and by increasing the contact area between the hot point of the pod thruster and the seawater and adding a forced cooling unit, the heat generation during operation is effectively reduced.

[0032] Two groups of flexible connection joints 5 are symmetrically arranged about the center point of the cooler 3, and the flexible connection joints 5 are fixedly connected to the air duct adapter 2, and the air duct adapter 2 is arranged in an inclined structure. The symmetrically arranged flexible connection joints 5 can avoid rigid contact between the cooler 3, the air duct adapter 2 and the fan 4, and prevent the vibration generated during the operation of the device and the fan 4 from being transmitted to the inside of the cooler 3, thereby playing a better protective role for the cooler 3;

[0033] Furthermore, water-permeable windows 7 are symmetrically arranged on the surface of the lower box body 6, and the water-permeable windows 7 and the water-permeable window grille baffle 8 constitute a disassembly and installation structure. The symmetrically arranged water-permeable windows 7 facilitate the flow of seawater inside the lower box body 6 during navigation, and the flowing seawater is used to promptly take away the heat in the area above the motor rotor 14 and the motor stator 15, thereby achieving a better cooling effect. By removing the water-permeable window grille baffle 8, it is convenient to flush the interior of the lower box body 6.

[0034] Furthermore, the guide cap 9 is configured as an arc-shaped structure, and the guide cap 9 and the guide cap grid baffle 10 constitute a disassembly and installation structure. The arc-shaped structure can reduce the resistance of the water flow. By disassembling the guide cap 9 and the guide cap grid baffle 10, it is convenient to clean the inside of the device, thereby improving the convenience during maintenance.

[0035] The ribs 13 are arranged at equal angles on the surface of the propeller shaft 12, and the length of the ribs 13 is greater than the length of the end coil of the motor stator 15; the length of the ribs 13 is greater than the length of the end coil of the motor stator 15 by a distance 2A, and the range of A is 0-20mm. The propeller 16 and the lower box body 6 constitute a rotating structure, and the lower box body 6 and the propeller shaft 12 are rotatably connected; the left and right lengths of the ribs 13 both exceed the end distance of the motor stator 15 by A (0<A≤20mm), and the gap between the ribs 13 and the motor rotor 14 is convenient for the circulation of cold air, so that the rotating ribs 13 can generate wind when the propeller shaft 12 rotates, so as to cool the coil at the end of the motor stator 15.

[0036] Working principle: When using the cooling structure of the pod thruster, according to Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, when the nacelle is sailing under low load, seawater outside the device enters the interior of the lower box body 6 from the water-permeable window 7 on one side and then flows out from the water-permeable window 7 on the other side. The flow of seawater can effectively cool the area above the motor rotor 14 and the motor stator 15 to avoid overheating of the upper part of the motor rotor 14 and the motor stator 15. The lower surface of the guide cap 9 is also provided with a water-permeable window 7 and a water outlet hole, which facilitates the flowing seawater to contact with the bearing seat 11 and cool the bearing seat 11. The outer surfaces of the guide cap 9 and the lower box body 6 are respectively provided with a guide cap grid baffle 10 and a water-permeable window grid baffle 8. The combined effect of the guide cap grid baffle 10 and the water-permeable window grid baffle 8 can prevent impurities and foreign matter in the seawater from entering the interior of the device from the water-permeable window 7. When the interior of the device needs to be cleaned, according to Figure 4 As shown, the bolts on the surface of the guide cap grid baffle 10 and the water-permeable window grid baffle 8 can be removed, and the guide cap grid baffle 10 and the water-permeable window grid baffle 8 can be removed from the surface of the guide cap 9 and the lower box 6. At this time, the inside of the device can be easily washed with a high-pressure water gun, and the operation is very simple;

[0037] When the nacelle is sailing under high load, the motor rotor 14 and the motor stator 15 will generate a lot of heat due to the large output power. At this time, the fan 4 is started to draw the air inside the device from the inside of the lower box 6 to the well box 1, and then transported from the air duct adapter 2 to the inside of the cooler 3. The gas cooled by the cooler 3 flows from the air duct adapter 2 to the well box 1, and finally reaches the inside of the lower box 6. The cooler 3 and the fan 4 work together to make the air inside the lower box 6 circulate and flow, and are well cooled during the flow process, so that the surface temperature of the motor rotor 14 and the motor stator 15 is maintained at a low level;

[0038] according to Figure 2 As described, the surface of the propeller shaft 12 is provided with a rib plate 13. When the propeller 16 drives the propeller shaft 12 to rotate, the rib plate 13 performs synchronous rotational motion on the surface of the propeller shaft 12. The rotating rib plate 13 can produce a fan effect to cool the coil at the end of the motor stator 15. The device as a whole utilizes the flow of seawater and the effect of wind force to achieve separate cooling of different parts. The cooling efficiency is high, so that the temperature inside the device is maintained at a low level. Flexible connecting joints 5 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cooler 3. The flexible connecting joints 5 can prevent the vibration generated by the cooling device and the fan 4 during operation from being transmitted to the inside of the cooler 3, which plays a good protective role on the cooler 3, is conducive to extending the service life of the device, and increases the overall practicality.

[0039] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for a pod propeller, the pod propeller comprising a well box (1) and a lower box body (6), wherein a motor rotor (14) and a motor stator (15) are arranged in the lower box body (6); the characteristics are: The cooling structure includes a water cooling unit and an air cooling unit; The water cooling unit comprises: a water permeable window (7), a water permeable window grid baffle (8), a guide cap (9) and a guide cap grid baffle (10); the water permeable window (7) is opened on the side wall of the lower box body (6) and is located above the motor stator (15); the water permeable window grid baffle (8) is installed on the outer side of the water permeable window (7); one end of the lower box body (6) is provided with a guide cap (9), and the lower surface of the guide cap (9) is installed with the guide cap grid baffle (10); The air cooling unit comprises: an air duct adapter (2), a cooler (3), a fan (4) and a rib plate (13); the side wall of the well box (1) is connected to one end of the air duct adapter (2), and the other end of the air duct adapter (2) is connected to the cooler (3) and the fan (4) in sequence; a bearing seat (11) is installed at one end of the lower box body (6) close to the guide cap (9); the bearing seat (11) is connected to one end of the propeller shaft (12), and the other end of the propeller shaft (12) is connected to the propeller (16); a rib plate (13) is provided on the peripheral wall of the propeller shaft (12); a motor rotor (14) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the rib plate (13), and a motor stator (15) is sleeved on the outer side of the motor rotor (14); a gap is provided between the rib plate (13) and the motor rotor (14); Flexible connection joints (5) are provided on both sides of the cooler (3), and the cooler (3) is respectively connected to the outer surfaces of the air duct adapter (2) and the fan (4) via the flexible connection joints (5); The surface of the lower box body (6) is symmetrically provided with water-permeable windows (7), and the water-permeable windows (7) and the water-permeable window grid baffle (8) form a disassembly and installation structure.

2. The cooling structure of a pod propeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible connection joints (5) are arranged in two groups symmetrically about the center point of the cooler (3), and the air duct adapter (2) is arranged as an inclined structure.

3. The cooling structure of a pod propeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deflector cap (9) is configured as an arc-shaped structure, and the deflector cap (9) and the deflector cap grid baffle (10) form a disassembly and installation structure.

4. The cooling structure of a pod propeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the propeller shaft (12) has ribs (13) arranged at equal angles, and the length of the ribs (13) is greater than the length of the end coil of the motor stator (15).

5. The cooling structure of a pod propeller according to claim 4, characterized in that: The length of the rib plate (13) is greater than the length of the end coil of the motor stator (15) by a distance of 2A, and the range of A is 0<A<20mm.

6. The cooling structure of a pod propeller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The propeller (16) and the lower box (6) form a rotating structure, and the lower box (6) and the propeller shaft (12) are rotationally connected.

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