A drive shaft structure suitable for use in a nuclear powered merchant ship drive

Abstract

The application discloses a driving shaft structure suitable for a nuclear power merchant ship driving device, which comprises an input driving unit, an output driving unit and a plurality of intermediate driving units, the plurality of intermediate driving units are divided into two groups, intermediate driving units in one group are uniformly and interval arranged along a first direction, intermediate driving units in the other group are uniformly and interval arranged along a second direction, the first direction is parallel to the second direction and is arranged in an offset manner, intermediate driving units in the two groups are distributed in a staggered manner and adjacent end portions are drivingly connected, the input driving unit is drivingly connected with intermediate driving units at one end, and the output driving unit is drivingly connected with intermediate driving units at the other end. Through combination of a plurality of driving units, not only the driving effect of a long shaft can be realized, but also the possibility of producing flutter or even resonance is avoided due to adoption of a short shaft form, the inherent frequency of each section driving shaft is improved, and maintenance is convenient and low in cost after a driving shaft fault.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nuclear-powered merchant ship technology, and more specifically to a drive shaft structure suitable for the drive unit of a nuclear-powered merchant ship. Background Technology

[0002] Nuclear-powered merchant ships are a crucial component of maritime nuclear energy applications, typically housing a reactor and containment vessel within the hull. They enable uninterrupted transport at sea for extended periods (two years or more) without the need for dedicated marine fuel tanks, thus increasing transport space and efficiency. For ease of evacuation and dry-dock maintenance, they are usually equipped with one or more propulsion systems. Nuclear-powered merchant ships primarily utilize steam generated by the reactor to drive a steam turbine to generate electricity, or a turbine engine to power a propeller at the rear, propelling the ship.

[0003] To ensure the safety of nuclear reactors and for better balance due to the overall weight of the reactor system, reactors are typically located in the middle of the hull of nuclear-powered merchant ships. Because the hull platform of a nuclear-powered merchant ship is relatively long, this design requires an extended drive shaft to accommodate the turbine propulsion unit at the stern. However, extending the drive shaft can lead to problems such as buckling, deformation, vibration, flutter, and even resonance, resulting in equipment damage and reduced lifespan, as well as higher costs and greater difficulties in maintenance and replacement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems of long drive shafts in nuclear-powered merchant ships, which can easily lead to vibration, flutter, and even resonance, resulting in equipment damage and reduced lifespan. It also addresses the issues of high purchase prices and difficulties in maintenance and replacement associated with excessively long drive shafts in traditional ships. This invention provides a drive shaft structure suitable for nuclear-powered merchant ship drive systems. By dividing a single drive shaft into multiple drive units, it not only reduces equipment costs and achieves the driving effect of traditional long shafts, but also overcomes various defects inherent in the use of long shafts.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a drive shaft structure for a nuclear-powered merchant ship drive device, comprising an input drive unit, an output drive unit, and a plurality of intermediate drive units. The plurality of intermediate drive units are divided into two groups, wherein the intermediate drive units in one group are evenly spaced along a first direction, and the intermediate drive units in the other group are evenly spaced along a second direction. The first direction is parallel to and offset from the second direction. The intermediate drive units in the two groups are staggered and their adjacent ends are connected by transmission. The input drive unit is connected to the intermediate drive unit at one end, and the output drive unit is connected to the intermediate drive unit at the other end.

[0007] In the above scheme, by dividing the drive shaft into an input drive unit, an output drive unit, and multiple intermediate drive units, and forming a transmission connection between the ends of adjacent drive units, not only can the driving effect of a long shaft be achieved, but also, because the length of each drive unit is reduced compared to the entire drive shaft, the stiffness and natural frequency of each section of the drive shaft are greatly improved, avoiding the possibility of buckling, flutter, or even resonance that are prone to occur in long shafts. Moreover, modular assembly is achieved, and different numbers of drive shaft modules can be arranged according to the tonnage and length of the nuclear-powered merchant ship. In addition, when the drive shaft fails, a specific drive unit that has failed can be replaced without returning to the dry dock, making maintenance convenient and cost-effective.

[0008] In some embodiments, the intermediate drive unit includes an intermediate shaft segment and intermediate gears respectively disposed at both ends of the intermediate shaft segment, and the ends of adjacent intermediate drive units are connected by two of the intermediate gears. This design allows multiple intermediate drive units to transmit power through the meshing of intermediate gears, resulting in a simple transmission structure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the input drive unit includes an input shaft segment and an input gear disposed at one end of the input shaft segment, the input gear meshing with an intermediate gear at one end. This design allows the input drive unit and the adjacent intermediate drive unit to transmit power through the meshing of the input gear and the intermediate gear, resulting in a simple transmission structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the output drive unit includes an output shaft segment and an output gear disposed at one end of the output shaft segment, the output gear meshing with an intermediate gear at the other end. This design allows the output drive unit and the adjacent intermediate drive unit to transmit power through the meshing of the output gear and the intermediate gear, resulting in a simple transmission structure.

[0011] In some embodiments, the intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate shaft section have the same number of teeth. This design improves the versatility of multiple intermediate drive units, facilitating assembly and subsequent maintenance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate shaft segment have different numbers of teeth. This design allows multiple intermediate drive units to form multiple different transmission ratios, increasing the range of applications.

[0013] In some embodiments, the input gear and / or the output gear have different numbers of teeth than the meshing intermediate gear. This design allows the input drive unit and / or the output drive unit to form different transmission ratios with adjacent intermediate drive units, further increasing the range of applications.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ratio of the diameter to the length of the intermediate shaft segment ranges from 1:10 to 1:100. This design ensures that the length of the intermediate drive unit is appropriate, avoiding both excessively long intermediate shaft segments that could affect strength and rigidity, and excessively short intermediate shaft segments that could lead to an excessive number of intermediate drive units and reduce production and assembly efficiency.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention provides a drive device, including a steam turbine, a propeller, and the drive shaft structure described in the first aspect. The input drive unit is drivenly connected to the output end of the steam turbine, and the output drive unit is drivenly connected to the propeller. Because this drive device employs the aforementioned drive shaft structure, it significantly reduces the failure problems caused by the long drive shaft, thereby improving the reliability of continuous operation of the drive device.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides a nuclear-powered merchant ship, including a hull, a nuclear reactor, and the drive device described in the second aspect. The nuclear reactor is located in the middle of the hull and drives the steam turbine to rotate to achieve power output.

[0017] Because the drive shaft of this nuclear-powered merchant ship is connected by multiple drive units to achieve long-distance transmission, when the drive shaft fails, it is easy to directly replace a faulty drive unit in the ship's cabin, which shortens the replacement time and improves the replacement efficiency. For traditional nuclear-powered merchant ships that are used at sea for a long time, this reduces the probability and time that they need to go into dry dock for maintenance due to drive shaft problems, thus improving the utilization efficiency and the economics of nuclear-grade platform equipment.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. By dividing the drive shaft into an input drive unit, an output drive unit, and multiple intermediate drive units, different numbers of intermediate drive units can be equipped for nuclear-powered commercial ships of different tonnages and displacements, depending on the length of the hull, thereby realizing the functions of drive shafts of different lengths and solving the problem of long-distance power transmission.

[0020] 2. Since the drive shaft is composed of multiple drive units, the material requirements are reduced and the manufacturing difficulty is reduced compared to the traditional whole drive shaft, which helps to reduce the overall cost of the drive shaft.

[0021] 3. Compared to the entire drive shaft, the shaft length of each drive unit is significantly reduced, which enhances strength and rigidity and avoids equipment damage and reduced lifespan caused by vibration, chatter, or even resonance that would result from simply lengthening the drive shaft.

[0022] 4. If a certain drive shaft unit is partially damaged after long-term use, such as gear damage, air bubbles, cracks, or inclusions in the drive shaft, the faulty drive shaft unit can be quickly replaced to ensure the safe and stable operation of the entire drive shaft system, which can greatly improve the life of the drive shaft and reduce replacement costs.

[0023] 5. When any drive unit fails, the faulty drive unit can be replaced on board without returning to the dry dock, reducing repair time and improving the efficiency and economy of nuclear-powered merchant ships. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be considered as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a driving device according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another drive shaft in the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the intermediate driving unit in this invention.

[0028] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names:

[0029] 1-Input drive unit, 11-Input shaft segment, 12-Input gear, 2-Output drive unit, 21-Output shaft segment, 22-Output gear, 3-Intermediate drive unit, 31-Intermediate shaft segment, 32-Intermediate gear, 4-Support base, 5-Steam turbine, 6-Propeller, 7-First clutch, 8-Second clutch. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0033] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals denote the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components are omitted in different embodiments. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of various components in the embodiments of this application shown in the accompanying drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the integrated device, are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces), unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0039] Nuclear-powered merchant ships, propelled by nuclear power plants, can transport cargo over long distances at sea. However, to enhance safety and prevent serious consequences from impacts with external objects, the nuclear island and conventional islands are typically located in the middle of the hull. This arrangement significantly improves safety thanks to the protection of the ship's hull and surrounding non-nuclear equipment and compartments. However, this design necessitates a longer drive shaft to accommodate the turbine propulsion system at the stern.

[0040] Because some nuclear-powered merchant ships have excessively long hulls, their propulsion systems are elongated. With an extended drive shaft, the resulting elongated structure has a very low natural frequency. During ship operation, external forces can cause buckling, vibration, flutter, and even resonance, leading to equipment damage and reduced lifespan. Furthermore, the increased length of the drive shaft increases manufacturing costs, and failures require returning the entire shaft to dry dock for replacement, resulting in difficult and costly repairs and replacements.

[0041] Based on the above considerations, in order to alleviate the problems caused by the lengthening of the drive shaft, the applicant, after in-depth research, invented a drive shaft structure suitable for the drive device of nuclear-powered merchant ships. By using multiple drive units to form a transmission connection, not only can long-distance power transmission be achieved, but also the natural frequency is increased due to the short length of each drive unit. This avoids the equipment damage and reduced lifespan caused by vibration, flutter, or even resonance that would result from simply lengthening the drive shaft, and also facilitates maintenance and replacement.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1-3 This application provides a drive shaft structure for a nuclear-powered merchant ship drive device, including an input drive unit 1, an output drive unit 2, and a plurality of intermediate drive units 3. The plurality of intermediate drive units 3 are divided into two groups. The intermediate drive units 3 in one group are evenly spaced along a first direction, and the intermediate drive units 3 in the other group are evenly spaced along a second direction. The first direction is parallel to and offset from the second direction. The intermediate drive units 3 in the two groups are staggered and their adjacent ends are connected by transmission. The input drive unit 1 is connected to one end of the intermediate drive unit 3, and the output drive unit 2 is connected to the other end of the intermediate drive unit 3.

[0044] Multiple intermediate drive units 3 are divided into two groups. The intermediate drive units 3 in each group are coaxial and spaced apart, and the axes of the two groups of intermediate drive units 3 are spaced a certain distance apart. The first direction can be the axis direction of the first group of intermediate drive units 3, and the second direction can be the axis direction of the second group of intermediate drive units 3. The input drive unit 1 and the output drive unit 2 can be coaxially arranged, or they can be non-coaxial, that is, one is arranged along the first direction and the other is arranged along the second direction.

[0045] By dividing the drive shaft into an input drive unit 1, an output drive unit 2, and multiple intermediate drive units 3, and forming a transmission connection between the ends of adjacent drive units, not only can the driving effect of a long shaft be achieved, but also, because the length of each drive unit is reduced compared to the entire drive shaft, the stiffness and natural frequency of each section of the drive shaft are greatly improved, avoiding the possibility of buckling, flutter, or even resonance that are prone to occur in long shafts. Moreover, modular assembly is achieved, and different numbers of drive shaft modules can be arranged according to the tonnage and length of the nuclear-powered merchant ship. In addition, when the drive shaft fails, a specific drive unit that is faulty can be replaced without returning to the dry dock, making maintenance convenient and cost-effective.

[0046] According to some embodiments of this application, the intermediate drive unit 3 includes an intermediate shaft section 31 and intermediate gears 32 respectively disposed at both ends of the intermediate shaft section 31, and the ends of adjacent intermediate drive units 3 are connected by the two intermediate gears 32.

[0047] Intermediate gears 32 are fixedly installed at both ends of the intermediate shaft section 31. The intermediate drive units 3 in different groups transmit power through the external meshing of the intermediate gears 32 on the two intermediate shaft sections 31 at adjacent ends.

[0048] With the intermediate drive unit 3 designed in this way, multiple intermediate drive units 3 transmit power through the meshing of intermediate gears 32, which simplifies the transmission structure.

[0049] According to some embodiments of this application, the input drive unit 1 includes an input shaft segment 11 and an input gear 12 disposed at one end of the input shaft segment 11, the input gear 12 meshing with an intermediate gear 32 at one end.

[0050] With the input drive unit 1 designed in this way, the input drive unit 1 and the adjacent intermediate drive unit 3 transmit power through the meshing of the input gear 12 and the intermediate gear 32, which simplifies the transmission structure.

[0051] According to some embodiments of this application, the output drive unit 2 includes an output shaft segment 21 and an output gear 22 disposed at one end of the output shaft segment 21, the output gear 22 meshing with an intermediate gear 32 at the other end.

[0052] With the output drive unit 2 designed in this way, the output drive unit 2 and the adjacent intermediate drive unit 3 transmit power through the meshing of the output gear 22 and the intermediate gear 32, which simplifies the transmission structure.

[0053] According to some embodiments of this application, the intermediate gears 32 at both ends of the intermediate shaft segment 31 have the same number of teeth. This design improves the versatility of multiple intermediate drive units, facilitating assembly and subsequent maintenance.

[0054] According to some embodiments of this application, the intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate shaft segment have different numbers of teeth. This design allows multiple intermediate drive units to form multiple different transmission ratios, increasing the range of applications.

[0055] It should be noted that the number of teeth of the intermediate gears 32 at both ends of different intermediate shaft sections 31 can also be different. With this design, each pair of meshing intermediate gears can have different transmission ratios, which is suitable for occasions where speed increase or decrease is required using a drive shaft. However, this method will reduce the versatility of the intermediate drive unit.

[0056] According to some embodiments of this application, the number of teeth of the input gear 12 and / or the output gear 22 is different from that of the meshing intermediate gear 32.

[0057] Specifically, there are three situations: only the number of teeth of the input gear 12 and the meshing intermediate gear 32 are different; only the number of teeth of the output gear 22 and the meshing intermediate gear 32 are different; and both the input gear 12 and the output gear 22 have different numbers of teeth from the meshing intermediate gear 32.

[0058] By adopting the above technical solution, the input drive unit and / or output drive unit can form different transmission ratios with the adjacent intermediate drive unit, which can further increase the scope of application.

[0059] According to some embodiments of this application, the intermediate shaft segment 31, the input shaft segment 11, and the output shaft segment 21 can each be provided with two support seats 4 to achieve rotational support for each shaft segment. During installation, the support seats are fixed to the hull to support the aforementioned shaft segments, which facilitates the installation and replacement of each drive unit.

[0060] According to some embodiments of this application, the input gear 12, the output gear 22, and the intermediate gear 32 can be cylindrical gears. External meshing transmission using cylindrical gears enables power transmission between adjacent drive units, simplifying the transmission structure while allowing the gears to withstand a relatively large transmission force.

[0061] According to some embodiments of this application, the drive shaft structure further includes multiple protective covers (not shown in the figure), which are used to cover the transmission connection parts of adjacent drive units.

[0062] Specifically, protective covers can be installed at the transmission connection points between the input drive unit and the intermediate drive unit at one end, the transmission connection points between multiple intermediate drive units, and the transmission connection points between the output drive unit and the intermediate drive unit at the other end.

[0063] By setting multiple protective covers, the meshing transmission parts of the input gear, intermediate gear, and output gear can be protected to prevent external influences on power transmission, which helps to improve transmission reliability.

[0064] According to some embodiments of this application, the ratio of the diameter to the length of the intermediate shaft segment 31 ranges from 1:10 to 1:100. This design ensures that the length of the intermediate drive unit is appropriate, avoiding both excessively long intermediate shaft segments that could affect strength and rigidity, and excessively short intermediate shaft segments that could lead to an excessive number of intermediate drive units and reduce production and assembly efficiency.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] The driving device provided in this application embodiment includes a steam turbine 5, a propeller 6 and the drive shaft structure described in embodiment 1. The input drive unit 1 is drivenly connected to the output end of the steam turbine 5, and the output drive unit 2 is drivenly connected to the propeller 6.

[0067] Specifically, the input drive unit 1 can be connected to the output end of the steam turbine 5 via the first clutch 7, and the output drive unit 2 can be connected to the propeller thruster 6 via the second clutch 8. This design can achieve dual control, so as to interrupt the driving force when the nuclear reactor is running.

[0068] Because the drive unit adopts the aforementioned drive shaft structure, the failure problems caused by the long drive shaft are greatly reduced, which helps to improve the reliability of continuous operation of the drive unit.

[0069] Example 3

[0070] This application provides a nuclear-powered merchant ship, which includes a hull, a nuclear reactor, and the drive device described in Embodiment 2. The nuclear reactor is located in the middle of the hull and drives the steam turbine to rotate to achieve power output.

[0071] Because the drive shaft of this nuclear-powered merchant ship is connected by multiple drive units to achieve long-distance transmission, when the drive shaft fails, the faulty drive unit can be easily replaced on board, reducing replacement time and improving replacement efficiency. For traditional nuclear-powered merchant ships that are used at sea for a long time, this reduces the probability and time that they need to go into dry dock for maintenance due to drive shaft problems, thus improving utilization efficiency and the economy of nuclear-grade platform equipment.

[0072] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drive shaft structure for a nuclear-powered merchant ship drive system, characterized in that, It includes an input driving unit, an output driving unit, and multiple intermediate driving units. The multiple intermediate driving units are divided into two groups. The intermediate driving units in one group are evenly spaced along a first direction, and the intermediate driving units in the other group are evenly spaced along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are parallel and offset. The intermediate driving units in the two groups are staggered and their adjacent ends are connected by transmission. The input driving unit is connected to the intermediate driving unit at one end, and the output driving unit is connected to the intermediate driving unit at the other end. The intermediate drive unit includes an intermediate shaft section and intermediate gears respectively disposed at both ends of the intermediate shaft section. The ends of adjacent intermediate drive units are connected by the two intermediate gears. The intermediate shaft segment and the intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate drive unit are fixedly connected. The input drive unit includes an input shaft segment and an input gear disposed at one end of the input shaft segment, the input gear meshing with an intermediate gear at one end; The output drive unit includes an output shaft segment and an output gear disposed at one end of the output shaft segment, the output gear meshing with an intermediate gear at the other end.

2. The drive shaft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate shaft section have the same number of teeth.

3. The drive shaft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate gears at both ends of the intermediate shaft section have different numbers of teeth.

4. The drive shaft structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of teeth of the input gear and / or the output gear is different from that of the meshing intermediate gear.

5. The drive shaft structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of the diameter to the length of the intermediate shaft segment is in the range of 1:10 to 1:

100.

6. A driving device, characterized in that, The device includes a steam turbine, a propeller, and a drive shaft structure as described in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the input drive unit is driven to the output end of the steam turbine, and the output drive unit is driven to the propeller.

7. A nuclear-powered merchant ship, characterized in that, It includes a hull, a nuclear reactor, and the drive device as described in claim 6, wherein the nuclear reactor is located in the middle of the hull and drives the steam turbine to rotate to achieve power output.

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