A bearing assembly for a podded propulsor and a stern seal test device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a podded propeller bearing assembly and a stern seal test device, which includes a driving device, an axial force loading device, a test piece support stand, a simulated shafting, a radial force loading device, a stand base, a heating and ventilation device, a hydraulic device, and a cooling water device. The test piece support stand is installed on the stand base; the driving device is installed on the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting and drives it to rotate; the axial force loading device is installed at one end of the test piece support stand, connected to the simulated shafting, and applies an axial force load to the shafting support system; the radial force loading device is installed at the other end of the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting, and the heating and ventilation device, the hydraulic device, and the cooling water device are arranged on one side of the stand base and connected to the reserved interfaces of the test device. The present invention can simulate the operating conditions of the bearing assembly and the stern seal, verify that its design performance and reliability meet the design index requirements, and reduce the technical risks in the development of the podded propeller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship power propulsion system, in particular to a podded propeller bearing assembly and a stern seal test device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, ship electric propulsion technology has developed rapidly. Due to its advantages such as flexible maneuverability, simple structure, low vibration and low noise, and small occupied space in the cabin, the podded propeller has become the preferred choice for the main propeller of electric propulsion ships.

[0003] The propulsion motor of the podded propeller is placed in the underwater cabin and directly drives the propeller through the output shaft to generate the power required for ship navigation. Therefore, a stern seal device needs to be equipped to prevent seawater from entering the propulsion motor cabin through the output shaft. At the same time, the load of the propeller is transmitted to the pylon, slewing module and hull through the bearing assembly. Therefore, the performance and reliability of the bearing assembly and the stern seal greatly determine the operating stability of the podded propeller.

[0004] At present, foreign countries are relatively mature in the design and application of podded propellers, and have formed a large number of reliable methods and achievements for the design of podded propeller bearing assemblies and stern seals, equipped with many test platforms for components and complete machines, and verified and improved through a large amount of actual ship application data. The research and development of podded propellers in China is still in the exploration stage. There is no finished product for high-power podded propellers, especially. One of the main reasons is the lack of relevant technologies for the design and test of high-power podded propeller bearing assemblies and stern seals. Only relying on the experience design and theoretical calculation of R & D personnel cannot ensure the performance and reliability requirements of their operation. At the same time, the scale, risk and cost of the onshore or actual ship test of the complete podded propeller are huge, and the time node is relatively late in the research and development process. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design a test device that can better simulate the operating conditions of the bearing assembly and the stern seal, verify the design performance and operating reliability of the bearing assembly and the stern seal, solve this key technology in the research and development process, and reduce the technical risk of the research and development of podded propellers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a test device for a podded propeller bearing assembly and a stern seal, which simulates the operating conditions of the bearing assembly and the stern seal, verifies that its design performance and reliability meet the design index requirements, and reduces the technical risk of the research and development of podded propellers. In the test device, a driving device is used to drive the shafting to rotate, a simulated shafting is used to simulate the physical characteristics of the propulsion motor shafting, a heating and ventilation device is used to simulate the temperature environment of the motor cavity, an axial force loading device and a radial force loading device are used to simulate the load generated by the propeller, a test piece support bench, a hydraulic device and a cooling water device are used to ensure the operating environment of the test piece (bearing assembly and stern seal), and an integral bench base is used to control the influence of the test site on the test device.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is: a podded propeller bearing assembly and a stern seal test device, including a driving device, an axial force loading device, a test piece support stand, a simulated shafting, a radial force loading device, a stand base, a heating and ventilation device, a hydraulic device, and a cooling water device. The test piece support stand is installed on the stand base; the driving device is installed on the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting and driving it to rotate; the axial force loading device is installed at one end of the test piece support stand, connected to the simulated shafting, and used to apply an axial force load to the shafting support system; the radial force loading device is installed at the other end of the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting, and used to apply a radial force load to the shafting support system; the heating and ventilation device, the hydraulic device, and the cooling water device are arranged on one side of the stand base and connected to the reserved interfaces of the test device.

[0007] Furthermore, a test piece is installed in the test piece support stand, and the test piece is connected to the simulated shafting.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving device is composed of a driving motor, a motor mounting bracket, and an elastic coupling. The driving motor is installed on the motor mounting bracket and connected to the simulated shafting through the elastic coupling.

[0009] Furthermore, the axial force loading device is composed of an oil cylinder end cover, a piston guide column, an oil cylinder piston, a thrust self-aligning roller bearing, an oil cylinder housing, a lubricating oil chamber housing, and a bearing spacer ring. The axial force loading device is installed on the test piece support stand through the oil cylinder housing, and the generated axial force is transmitted to the bearing assembly through the simulated shafting; the oil cylinder end cover, the piston guide column, the oil cylinder piston, and the oil cylinder housing form a thrust oil cylinder, and the thrust oil cylinder is filled with hydraulic oil inside and generates an axial force through pressurization by the hydraulic device.

[0010] Furthermore, the test piece support stand is composed of a thrust bearing end support frame, a support housing, a support bearing end support frame, and a dynamic seal support plate. The thrust bearing end support frame and the axial force loading device form a thrust bearing end cooling water chamber, and the thrust bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water, which is used to simulate the external seawater environment of the thrust bearing assembly; the support housing adopts a split structure, which is convenient for installation and disassembly, and at the same time encloses the simulated shafting, and forms a simulated motor chamber with the bearing assembly; the heating and ventilation device is connected to the support housing, which is used to maintain the temperature of the simulated motor chamber at the temperature of the podded propeller propulsion motor chamber under the test conditions, forming a thermal load environment for the test; the support bearing end support frame and the dynamic seal support plate form a support bearing end cooling water chamber, and the support bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water, which is used to simulate the external seawater environment of the podded propeller support bearing assembly and the stern seal.

[0011] Furthermore, the simulated shafting consists of a propeller shaft, a simulated motor rotor, and a thrust shaft. One end of the simulated motor rotor is connected to the thrust shaft, and the other end is connected to the propeller shaft, which is used to transmit the loads under test conditions to the bearing assembly and stern seal of the test piece.

[0012] Furthermore, the radial force loading device consists of a loading support frame, a loading connecting plate, a hydraulic cylinder, a bearing seat, and a spherical roller bearing. The radial force loading support frame is installed on the bench base. The radial movement module composed of the radial force loading connecting plate, the bearing seat, and the spherical roller bearing is installed on the propeller shaft. The hydraulic cylinders are arranged on both sides of the propeller shaft of the simulated shafting and are connected to the radial force loading support frame and the radial force loading connecting plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the radial force loading support frame is provided with slide rails to guide the radial movement of the radial movement module, avoiding uneven stress on the spherical roller bearing caused by mechanical and load errors, resulting in local overheating or damage. The parameters of the single or multiple hydraulic cylinders on both sides are the same and are connected to the same hydraulic device to reduce the difference in radial tensile forces on both sides.

[0014] Furthermore, the bench base adopts an integral structure.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] A test device for the bearing assembly and stern seal of a podded thruster according to the present invention can experimentally verify the parameters such as vibration, lubrication, heat generation, clearance, and life of the thrust bearing and support bearing of the podded thruster during operation, the strength, material selection, and structural form of the mechanical accessories of the thrust bearing and support bearing, the leakage amount, seal material selection, spring design, structural design, and air pressure design of the stern seal, etc. (see the attached Figure 5 ) for the system principle). This test device includes 9 primary modules: a driving device, an axial force loading device, a test piece support bench, a simulated shafting, a radial force loading device, a bench base, a heating and ventilation device, a hydraulic device, and a cooling water device. The interfaces of each module are clear, which can greatly shorten the assembly cycle of each module, and can conveniently and promptly find faults and replace the faulty modules, shortening the maintenance cycle. In addition, this test device has excellent versatility and can conveniently replace the bearing assembly and stern seal of podded thrusters with different power ratings for relevant tests.

[0017] The driving device of this test device is connected to the simulated shafting by an elastic coupling, which can avoid the influence of the vibration generated by the operation of the driving motor and the misalignment of the shafting on the test.

[0018] The axial force loading device of this test device is installed on the test piece support frame through a connecting flange, and the generated axial force is transmitted to the shafting support system through the simulated shafting. The oil cylinder housing, oil cylinder piston and oil cylinder end cover form a thrust oil cylinder, and the thrust load is transmitted through a thrust self-aligning roller bearing. The piston guide column can prevent the oil cylinder piston from jamming due to uneven force. The cylinder diameter of the thrust oil cylinder, the hydraulic oil pressure, the structural rigidity and strength, and the model of the thrust bearing can be adjusted according to the requirements of the test conditions and the performance parameters of the hydraulic device.

[0019] The test piece support frame of this test device not only supports the test piece, but also constructs the seawater environment and thermal load environment of the test. The thrust bearing assembly is installed on the thrust bearing end support frame, and together with the axial thrust load loading device, it forms a thrust bearing end cooling water chamber. Circulating cooling water is passed through the cooling water device to simulate the seawater environment of the podded propeller thrust bearing assembly. It forms a simulated motor cavity with the thrust bearing assembly and the support bearing assembly, and the temperature in the cavity is maintained at the temperature of the podded propeller propulsion motor cavity under the test conditions by using a heating and ventilation device to form the thermal load environment of the test. The support bearing assembly and the stern seal are installed on the support bearing end support frame, and together with the dynamic seal support plate, they form a support bearing end cooling water chamber. Circulating cooling water is passed through the cooling water device to simulate the seawater environment of the podded propeller support bearing assembly and the stern seal.

[0020] The simulated shafting of this test device transmits the load under the test conditions to the bearing assembly and the stern seal. The propeller shaft, the simulated motor rotor and the thrust shaft are designed according to the stiffness, mass, moment of inertia and thermal expansion of the podded propeller propulsion motor shaft to ensure that the loading conditions of the bearings and the stern seal under the test conditions are basically the same as the actual operating conditions of the podded propeller.

[0021] The radial force generated by the radial force loading device of this test device acts on the radial resultant force point of the propeller shaft. The radial force loading support frame bears the radial tension, and its slide rail is designed to guide the radial movement of the radial movement module, which can avoid uneven force on the self-aligning roller bearing caused by mechanical and load errors, resulting in local overheating or damage. The hydraulic cylinder, bearing seat and self-aligning roller bearing can be designed, selected and the equipped quantity can be determined according to the installation space and the test ultimate radial load.

[0022] The bench base of this test device adopts an integral design, which can reduce the difficulty of shaft alignment and the influence of changes in the test site environment on the test device.

[0023] The heating and ventilation device, hydraulic device and cooling water device of this test device are designed and selected respectively according to the test conditions to meet the requirements of the test for air temperature, hydraulic oil pressure, cooling water flow rate, temperature and pressure. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1It is a schematic diagram of the bearing assembly and stern seal test device of the pod thruster of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 the view from direction A in

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the axial force loading device;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the support stand for the test piece;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the radial force loading device;

[0029] Figure 6 It is Figure 5 the view from direction A in

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the system principle of the present invention. Specific implementation mode

[0031] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, a bearing assembly and stern seal test device for a pod thruster of the present invention is composed of nine major modules: a driving device 1, an axial force loading device 2, a support stand 3 for the test piece, a simulated shafting 4, a radial force loading device 5, a stand base 6, a heating and ventilation device 7, a hydraulic device 8, and a cooling water device 9. See Attachment Figure 1 , 2. The test piece 10 (bearing assembly and stern seal) is installed in the support stand 3 for the test piece, and the support stand 3 for the test piece is installed on the stand base 6; the driving device 1 is installed on the stand base 6, connected to the simulated shafting 4 and driving it to rotate; the axial force loading device 2 is installed at one end of the support stand 3 for the test piece, and applies an axial force load to the shafting support system through the simulated shafting 4; the radial force loading device 5 is installed on the stand base 6 and applies a radial force load to the shafting support system through the simulated shafting 4; the heating and ventilation device 7, the hydraulic device 8, and the cooling water device 9 are arranged on one side of the stand base 6 and connected to the reserved interfaces of the test device. The developed bearing assembly and stern seal test device for the pod thruster can verify various performances of the bearing assembly and stern seal of the pod thruster.

[0033] The driving device 1 mainly consists of a driving motor, a motor mounting bracket, and an elastic coupling. The coupling should be an elastic coupling to avoid the influence of vibrations generated by the operation of the driving motor and the misalignment of the shafting on the test. Select a suitable driving motor and elastic coupling according to the frictional torque received by the simulated shafting 4, the moment of inertia of the simulated shafting 4, and the rotational speed requirements of the test conditions.

[0034] The axial force loading device 2 mainly consists of an oil cylinder end cover 2a, a piston guide column 2b, an oil cylinder piston 2c, a thrust self-aligning roller bearing 2d, an oil cylinder housing 2e, a lubricating oil chamber housing 2f, and a bearing spacer ring 2g. See attachment Figure 3 . The axial force loading device 2 is installed on the test piece support frame 3 through the oil cylinder housing 2e, and the generated axial force is transmitted to the bearing assembly through the simulated shafting 4. The oil cylinder end cover 2a, the piston guide column 2b, the oil cylinder piston 2c, and the oil cylinder housing 2e form a thrust oil cylinder, which is filled with hydraulic oil inside and generates axial force by being pressurized by a hydraulic device 8. The piston guide column 2b can prevent the oil cylinder piston from jamming due to uneven force. The cylinder diameter of the oil cylinder of the axial force loading device, the hydraulic oil pressure, the structural strength and stiffness are designed according to the test working condition requirements and the performance parameters of the hydraulic device 8, and a suitable thrust bearing is selected.

[0035] The test piece support frame 3 mainly consists of a thrust bearing end support frame 3a, a support housing 3b, a support bearing end support frame 3c, and a dynamic seal support plate 3d. See attachment Figure 3 . The test piece support frame 3 not only plays a role in supporting the test piece, but also constructs the seawater environment and thermal load environment of the test. The thrust bearing end support frame 3a and the axial force loading device 2 form a thrust bearing end cooling water chamber. The thrust bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water to simulate the external seawater environment of the thrust bearing assembly. The support housing 3b adopts a split design, which is convenient for installation and disassembly, and at the same time encloses the simulated shafting 4, and forms a simulated motor cavity with the bearing assembly. The heating and ventilation device 7 is connected to the support housing 3b to maintain the temperature of the simulated motor cavity at the temperature of the pod thruster propulsion motor cavity under the test working condition, forming the thermal load environment of the test. The support bearing end support frame 3c and the dynamic seal support plate 3d form a support bearing end cooling water chamber. The support bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water to simulate the external seawater environment of the pod thruster support bearing assembly and the stern seal.

[0036] The simulated shafting 4 mainly consists of a propeller shaft, a simulated motor rotor, and a thrust shaft. The simulated shafting 4 transmits the load under the test working condition to the bearing assembly and the stern seal. The propeller shaft, the simulated motor rotor, and the thrust shaft are designed according to the stiffness, mass, moment of inertia, and thermal expansion of the pod thruster propulsion motor shaft to ensure that the load conditions of the bearing assembly and the stern seal under the test working condition are basically the same as the actual operating conditions of the pod thruster.

[0037] The radial force loading device 5 mainly consists of a loading support frame 5a, a loading connecting plate 5b, a hydraulic cylinder 5c, a bearing seat 5d, and a self-aligning roller bearing 5e. See attachment Figure 5, 6. The radial force generated by the radial force loading device 5 acts on the radial resultant force point of the propeller shaft. The radial force loading support frame 5a is installed on the test bench base 6. The radial movement module composed of the radial force loading connecting plate 5b, the bearing seat 5d, and the spherical roller bearing 5e is installed on the propeller shaft 4a. The hydraulic cylinders 5c are arranged on both sides of the propeller shaft 4a and are connected to the radial force loading support frame 5a and the radial force loading connecting plate 5b. The radial force loading support frame 5a bears the radial tension, and its slide rail is designed to guide the radial movement of the radial movement module, avoiding uneven force on the spherical roller bearing 5e caused by mechanical and load errors, resulting in local overheating or damage. Two or more hydraulic cylinders 5c on both sides have the same parameters and are connected to the same hydraulic device 8 to reduce the difference in radial tension on both sides. The hydraulic cylinders 5c, the bearing seats 5d, and the spherical roller bearings 5e are selected and determined according to the installation space and the test limit radial load.

[0038] The test bench base 6 adopts an integral design to reduce the difficulty of shaft alignment and the influence of changes in the test site environment on the test device. The heating and ventilation device 7, the hydraulic device 8, and the cooling water device 9 are designed and selected according to the test conditions respectively, meeting the requirements of the test for simulating the air temperature in the motor cavity, the oil pressure of the axial force cylinder and the radial force hydraulic cylinder, the water flow rate and temperature of the thrust and support shaft end cooling water chambers, and the stern seal water pressure.

[0039] Example 1: According to the invention content described in the above podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device, a 10MW-class podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device was designed and developed. It is divided into a driving device, an axial force loading device, a test piece support bench, a simulated shafting, a radial force loading device, a test bench base, a heating and ventilation device, a hydraulic device, and a cooling water device in terms of composition.

[0040] The driving device consists of a 315KW variable-frequency motor and an elastic coupling with a rated torque of 20kNm.

[0041] The axial force loading device can generate a rated thrust of 1200kN, and the selected bearing is a single 29452 spherical roller thrust bearing.

[0042] The test piece support bench meets the dimensional installation requirements of the 10MW-class podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal. The simulated motor compartment can effectively simulate the thermal load environment of the propulsion motor compartment of the 10MW-class podded propeller, and the cooling water chambers at the thrust bearing end and the support bearing end can effectively simulate the seawater environment.

[0043] The stiffness, mass, moment of inertia, and thermal expansion of the simulated shafting are basically the same as those of the propulsion motor shaft of the 10MW-class podded propeller. The load-bearing conditions of the bearing assembly and the stern seal under the test conditions match those during the actual operation of the 10MW-class podded propeller.

[0044] The radial force loading support frame of the radial force loading device is designed with excellent guiding slide rails, two hydraulic cylinders that can respectively generate a tensile force of 235 kN are selected, one set of self-aligning roller bearings with a 23044K+H3044 adapter sleeve is selected, and one SNL3044 bearing housing is selected.

[0045] The test bench base is an integral base formed by integral casting and machining, with length and width dimensions of 10 m × 3 m. It can accommodate the bearing assembly of a 10 MW podded thruster and the stern seal test device, effectively reducing the difficulty of shaft alignment and the influence of changes in the test site environment on the test device.

[0046] The heating and ventilation device uses a duct-type heater with a rated power of 25 kW, and the simulated temperature inside the motor cavity can be adjusted between 55 °C and 75 °C.

[0047] The hydraulic device is equipped with two sets of hydraulic pump units. The axial thrust loading hydraulic pump unit has a rated pressure of 5 MPa, and the radial force loading hydraulic pump unit has a rated pressure of 10 MPa.

[0048] The cooling water device has a cooling water flow rate of 30 t / h, a cooling water temperature less than 36 °C, and a water pressure of 0.1 MPa, effectively simulating the seawater cooling environment of the shafting support system, the water lubrication environment of the stern seal device, and the water pressure environment.

[0049] Using various types of sensors and instrumentation, through this 10 MW podded thruster bearing assembly and stern seal test device, it is verified that the thrust of the propulsion motor and the vibration, lubrication, heating, clearance, and life of the support bearing during operation are within the design range, verified that the strength, material selection, and structural form of the mechanical accessories of the thrust and support bearings meet the requirements, and verified the rationality of the stern seal leakage rate, seal material selection, spring design, structural design, and air pressure design.

Claims

1. A podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device, characterized in that: It includes a driving device, an axial force loading device, a test piece support stand, a simulated shafting, a radial force loading device, a stand base, a heating and ventilation device, a hydraulic device, and a cooling water device. The test piece support stand is installed on the stand base; the driving device is installed on the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting and driving it to rotate; The axial force loading device is installed at one end of the test piece support stand, connected to the simulated shafting, and used to apply an axial force load to the shafting support system; the radial force loading device is installed at the other end of the stand base, connected to the simulated shafting, and used to apply a radial force load to the shafting support system; The heating and ventilation device, the hydraulic device, and the cooling water device are arranged on one side of the stand base and connected to the reserved interfaces of the test device; the axial force loading device consists of an oil cylinder end cover, a piston guide column, an oil cylinder piston, a thrust self-aligning roller bearing, an oil cylinder housing, a lubricating oil chamber housing, and a bearing spacer. The axial force loading device is installed on the test piece support stand through the oil cylinder housing, and the generated axial force is transmitted to the bearing assembly through the simulated shafting; the oil cylinder end cover, the piston guide column, the oil cylinder piston, and the oil cylinder housing form a thrust oil cylinder. The thrust oil cylinder is filled with hydraulic oil inside and generates an axial force through pressurization by the hydraulic device; the test piece support stand consists of a thrust bearing end support frame, a support housing, a support bearing end support frame, and a dynamic seal support plate. The thrust bearing end support frame and the axial force loading device form a thrust bearing end cooling water chamber. The thrust bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water and is used to simulate the external seawater environment of the thrust bearing assembly; the support housing adopts a split structure, which is convenient for installation and disassembly, and at the same time encloses the simulated shafting, and forms a simulated motor chamber with the bearing assembly; the heating and ventilation device is connected to the support housing and is used to maintain the temperature of the simulated motor chamber at the temperature of the pod thruster propulsion motor chamber under the test conditions to form the thermal load environment of the test; the support bearing end support frame and the dynamic seal support plate form a support bearing end cooling water chamber. The support bearing end cooling water chamber is connected to circulating cooling water and is used to simulate the external seawater environment of the pod thruster support bearing assembly and the stern seal.

2. The podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test piece is installed in the test piece support stand, and the test piece is connected to the simulated shafting.

3. The podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device consists of a driving motor, a motor mounting bracket, and an elastic coupling. The driving motor is installed on the motor mounting bracket and is connected to the simulated shafting through the elastic coupling.

4. The podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The simulated shafting consists of a propeller shaft, a simulated motor rotor, and a thrust shaft. One end of the simulated motor rotor is the thrust shaft, and the other end is connected to the propeller shaft, and is used to transmit the load under the test conditions to the bearing assembly and the stern seal of the test piece.

5. The podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radial force loading device consists of a loading support frame, a loading connecting plate, a hydraulic cylinder, a bearing seat, and a self-aligning roller bearing. The radial force loading support frame is installed on the stand base. The radial movement module composed of the radial force loading connecting plate, the bearing seat, and the self-aligning roller bearing is installed on the propeller shaft. The hydraulic cylinders are arranged on both sides of the propeller shaft of the simulated shafting and are connected to the radial force loading support frame and the radial force loading connecting plate.

6. The podded propulsor bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The radial force loading support frame is provided with sliding rails for guiding the radial movement of the radial movement module, avoiding uneven force on the spherical roller bearing due to mechanical and load errors, which may cause local overheating or damage; the parameters of the single or multiple hydraulic cylinders on both sides are the same and are connected to the same hydraulic device to reduce the difference in radial tensile forces on both sides.

7. The podded propeller bearing assembly and stern seal test device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bench base adopts an integral structure.

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