Thrust Vector Control Device for Shaftless Propeller

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster, which includes a duct housing, a blade device and a pitch adjustment device located in the duct housing. The blade device includes a drive gear, a connecting flange, a blade and a pitch adjustment pulley. The connecting flange is installed at the leading edge of the blade root, and the pitch adjustment pulley is installed at the trailing edge of the blade root. The drive gear drives the blade to rotate around the blade axis through the connecting flange. The pitch adjustment device includes a synchronous pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring flange and an independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring are radially stacked, and the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear is installed outside the independent pitch adjustment ring. The present invention can significantly improve the maneuverability of the shaftless propulsion vehicle, further expand the application range of the shaftless thruster, which is a low-altitude, low-noise and high-efficiency propulsion device, and promote the development of high-tech ships.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a thruster, specifically an axisless thruster. Background Art

[0002] An axisless thruster is a new type of propulsion device, which has the advantages of no propeller shaft, no tip vortex, no hub vortex, and anti-winding, and can significantly improve the cavitation and noise performance of ships. It is a new type of propulsion device with broad development prospects. However, in actual use, due to the huge differences in the geometry and structure of the axisless propulsion device from traditional thrusters, the pitch adjustment device designed for traditional propellers cannot be applied to axisless thrusters, and the further development of marine vehicle devices has put forward new requirements for the thrust vector control ability of propulsion devices. The pitch adjustment device can enable the thruster to make full use of the power of the main engine under different navigation conditions, and an independent pitch adjustment device can generate a yawing force, improving the maneuverability and flexibility of the vehicle. Therefore, developing a device that can effectively change the magnitude and direction of the thrust of an axisless thruster is of great significance for axisless propulsion vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thrust vector control device for an axisless thruster that can change the magnitude of the thrust of the thruster without changing the rotational speed of the thruster.

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is achieved as follows:

[0005] The thrust vector control device of the axisless thruster of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a duct housing, a blade device and a pitch adjustment device located in the duct housing. The blade device includes a driving gear, a connecting flange, blades and pitch adjustment pulleys. The connecting flange is installed at the leading edge of the blade root, the pitch adjustment pulley is installed at the trailing edge of the blade root, the blades and the pitch adjustment pulleys rotate around the center of the connecting flange, and the driving gear drives the blades to rotate around the blade axis through the connecting flange. The pitch adjustment device includes a synchronous pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring flange and an independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring are radially stacked and installed, with the synchronous pitch adjustment ring on the inner side and the independent pitch adjustment ring on the outer side. The independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear is installed on the outer side of the independent pitch adjustment ring. The independent pitch adjustment ring flange is a protrusion installed on the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring, the independent pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange are in contact with the pitch adjustment pulley through the end face.

[0006] The present invention may further include:

[0007] 1. Both the synchronous pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring can translate axially. The independent pitch adjustment ring and the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring can rotate around the blade axis under the drive of the drive gear of the independent pitch adjustment ring.

[0008] 2. In the initial state, the drive gear rotates under the action of power input. The rotating drive gear drives the blade to rotate through the connecting flange. The blade rotation generates thrust. The pitch adjustment pulley is pressed against the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring by the thrust on the blade. At this time, the independent pitch adjustment ring, the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring, and the drive gear of the independent pitch adjustment ring do not extend backward. The pitch angle of the blade is determined by the relative distance between the connecting flange and the synchronous pitch adjustment ring.

[0009] 3. When it is necessary to increase the pitch, the synchronous pitch adjustment ring moves backward, pushing the pitch adjustment pulley to move backward, so that the blade superimposes a rotational movement around the connecting flange on the rotational movement around the blade axis, increasing the pitch of the blade.

[0010] 4. When vector thrust is required, rotate the drive gear of the independent pitch adjustment ring. The drive gear of the independent pitch adjustment ring drives the independent pitch adjustment ring and the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring to rotate synchronously. When the independent pitch adjustment ring, the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring, and the drive gear of the independent pitch adjustment ring rotate to the preset position, stop rotating. The independent pitch adjustment ring moves backward and drives the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring to move backward until the end face of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring crosses the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring; the pitch adjustment pulley on the blade moves closely against the end face of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring. At this time, when each blade rotates to the preset position, under the action of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring, a larger pitch angle is generated, so that each blade generates a larger thrust when rotating to this preset position. When the blade passes this preset position, the pitch adjustment pulley moves closely against the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring under the action of the thrust, and the pitch decreases and the thrust decreases.

[0011] The advantages of the present invention are as follows: The present invention can adjust the pitch of the propeller blade of the shaftless thruster, realizing the change of the thrust of the thruster without changing the rotational speed of the thruster. This device can also change the pitch when the blade rotates to the preset position, enabling the blade to generate a larger thrust at this position, realizing the function of vector propulsion. The present invention can significantly improve the maneuverability of the shaftless propulsion vehicle, further expand the application range of the shaftless thruster, which is a low-altitude, low-noise, and high-efficiency propulsion device, and promote the development of high-tech ships. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 is the isometric view of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is the schematic diagram of the pitch adjustment device and the blade device;

[0014] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the synchronous pitch adjustment device;

[0015] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the independent pitch adjustment device;

[0016] Figure 5 Side view of each component of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 6 Exploded view of the parts of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the independent pitch adjustment ring and the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring. Specific implementation mode

[0019] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows:

[0020] Combined with Figure 1-7 , the thrust vector control device of the shaftless thruster of the present invention is composed of three parts: a blade device, a pitch adjustment device, and a duct housing 9. Among them, the blade device is mainly used to generate thrust under the action of an external driving force. The function of the pitch synchronous adjustment device 5 in the pitch adjustment device is to synchronously change the pitch of the propeller blade 3. The pitch independent adjustment device 6 in the pitch adjustment device is used to independently adjust the pitch of the blade. The duct housing 9 is used to accommodate and protect mechanisms such as the blade, the pitch synchronous adjustment device, and the pitch independent adjustment device.

[0021] The blade device is composed of a driving gear [1], a connecting flange [2], a blade [3], and a pitch adjusting pulley [4]. Among them, the driving gear [1] receives the driving force transmitted by an external power device and a transmission device, and drives the blade [3] to rotate around the axis of the thruster through the flange [2] installed on each blade [3]. The flange [2] is installed at the leading edge of the root of the blade [3]. Each blade [3] can rotate around the center of the connecting flange [2]. The pitch adjusting pulley [4] is installed at the trailing edge of the root of each blade [3], and the pitch adjusting pulley [4] can also rotate around its center.

[0022] The pitch adjustment device consists of a synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5], an independent pitch adjustment ring [6], an independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7], and an independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8]. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5] and the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] are radially stacked and installed, with the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5] on the inner side and the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] on the outer side. The independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] is a protrusion installed on the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring [6], and it is distributed within a 90° sector range. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5], the independent pitch adjustment ring [6], and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] are in contact with the pitch adjustment pulley [4] through their end faces. Both the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5] and the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] can translate along the axial direction. Among them, the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] can also rotate around the propeller shaft under the drive of the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8].

[0023] The duct housing is mainly composed of a duct housing [9], and its function is to enclose various components installed inside the duct.

[0024] In the initial working state, the drive gear [1] rotates under the action of power input. The rotating drive gear [1] drives the blade [3] to rotate through the connecting flange [2]. At this time, since the rotation of the blade [3] generates a thrust, the pitch adjustment pulley [4] will be pressed against the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5] by the thrust on the blade. At this time, the independent pitch adjustment ring [6], the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7], and the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8] do not extend backward, and the pitch angle of the propeller blade is determined by the relative distance between the connecting flange [2] and the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5].

[0025] When it is necessary to increase the pitch, the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5] moves backward, pushing the pitch adjustment pulley [4] to move backward, so that the blade [3] superimposes a rotational motion around the connecting flange [2] on the rotational motion around the axis of the propeller, increasing the pitch of the blade [3].

[0026] When vector thrust is required, rotate the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8]. The independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8] drives the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] to rotate synchronously. When the independent pitch adjustment ring [6], the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7], and the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8] rotate to a specific position, stop rotating. The independent pitch adjustment ring [6] moves backward and drives the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] backward until the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] crosses the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring [5]. Since the pitch adjustment pulley [4] on the blade [3] moves closely along the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7], at this time, when each blade [3] rotates to a specific position, under the action of the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7], a larger pitch angle is generated, so that each blade [3] generates a greater thrust when rotating to this specific position. When the blade [3] passes over this specific position, the pitch adjustment pulley [4] moves closely along the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] under the action of the thrust, the pitch decreases, and the thrust also decreases. Each blade [3] will experience an increase in pitch when rotating to a specific position and return to the normal pitch after moving past the specific position, thus realizing vector propulsion.

[0027] When a single blade is damaged, the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8] drives the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] to move to the angular position corresponding to the damaged blade. Subsequently, the independent pitch adjustment ring [6] and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange [7] move backward, and through the pitch adjustment pulley [4], the pitch angle of the damaged blade is increased. Subsequently, the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear [8] rotates at the same speed as the drive gear [1], so that the damaged blade maintains a larger pitch during the entire rotation process, using the method of increasing the pitch to make up for the thrust loss caused by the blade damage, making the thrust distribution between the blades more uniform and reducing vibration.

Claims

1. Thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster, Characterized in that: It includes a duct housing and a blade device and a pitch adjustment device located in the duct housing. The blade device includes a driving gear, a connecting flange, a blade and a pitch adjustment pulley. The connecting flange is installed at the leading edge of the blade root, and the pitch adjustment pulley is installed at the trailing edge of the blade root. The blade and the pitch adjustment pulley rotate around the center of the connecting flange. The driving gear drives the blade to rotate around the blade axis through the connecting flange. The pitch adjustment device includes a synchronous pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring, an independent pitch adjustment ring flange, and an independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring are radially stacked and installed, with the synchronous pitch adjustment ring on the inner side and the independent pitch adjustment ring on the outer side. The independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear is installed on the outer side of the independent pitch adjustment ring. The independent pitch adjustment ring flange is a protrusion installed on the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring. The synchronous pitch adjustment ring, the independent pitch adjustment ring, and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange are in contact with the pitch adjustment pulley through the end face.

2. The thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster according to claim 1, Characterized in that: Both the synchronous pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring can translate along the axial direction, and the independent pitch adjustment ring and the independent pitch adjustment ring flange can rotate around the blade axis under the drive of the independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear.

3. The thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster according to claim 1, Characterized in that: In the initial state, the driving gear rotates under the action of power input. The rotating driving gear drives the blade to rotate through the connecting flange. The rotation of the blade generates thrust, and the pitch adjustment pulley is pressed against the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring by the thrust on the blade. At this time, the independent pitch adjustment ring, the independent pitch adjustment ring flange, and the independent pitch adjustment ring driving gear do not extend backward, and the pitch angle of the blade is determined by the relative distance between the connecting flange and the synchronous pitch adjustment ring.

4. The thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster according to claim 1, Characterized in that: When it is necessary to increase the pitch, the synchronous pitch adjustment ring moves backward, pushing the pitch adjustment pulley backward, so that the blade superimposes a rotational motion around the connecting flange on the rotational motion around the blade axis, increasing the pitch of the blade.

5. The thrust vector control device for a shaftless thruster according to claim 1, Characterized in that: When When vector thrust is required, rotate the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear. The independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear drives the independent pitch adjustment ring and the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring to rotate synchronously. Stop rotating when the independent pitch adjustment ring, the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring, and the independent pitch adjustment ring drive gear rotate to the preset position. The independent pitch adjustment ring moves backward and drives the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring to move backward until the end face of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring passes over the end face of the synchronous pitch adjustment ring. The pitch adjustment pulley on the blade moves closely along the end face of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring. At this time, when each blade rotates to the preset position, under the action of the flange of the independent pitch adjustment ring, a larger pitch angle is generated, so that each blade generates a greater thrust when rotating to this preset position. When the blade passes over this preset position, the pitch adjustment pulley moves closely along the end face of the independent pitch adjustment ring under the action of the thrust, the pitch decreases, and the thrust decreases.

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