A sea water pressure compensation device for a vibration-reducing thrust bearing

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of the submersible shock absorbing thrust bearing, and particularly relates to a seawater pressure compensation device for a shock absorbing thrust bearing. The seawater pressure compensation device structure can flexibly conduct the external environment water pressure of the submersible to the internal hydraulic system and realize the static water thrust balance of the shock absorbing thrust bearing, which is of great significance to realize the full-depth effective shock absorption of the shock absorbing thrust bearing. The seawater pressure compensation device is provided with displacement monitoring and alarm functions, which can timely and effectively remind the operator to avoid the loss of the compensation device function caused by pipeline corrosion and leakage in the external environment water pressure transmission process. The present application has the self-closing function under the extreme condition of pipeline damage, which can avoid the use safety hazard of the submersible caused by a large amount of water in the extreme condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of submersible vibration damping thrust bearing technology, specifically to a seawater pressure compensation device for vibration damping thrust bearings. Background Technology

[0002] Vibration-damping thrust bearings are the core equipment for controlling longitudinal vibration of shafting. They not only transmit torque in both directions of the shafting, as well as thrust and tension during forward and reverse rotation, but also attenuate the alternating excitation force component during the transmission of shafting thrust. This prevents shafting vibration from being transmitted to the hull structure and causing radiated noise, thus achieving effective control of longitudinal vibration of the shafting.

[0003] For submersibles, as diving depth increases, the static thrust of the shafting caused by seawater pressure accounts for a larger proportion of the thrust bearing's design thrust, leading to a corresponding increase in the thrust bearing's design thrust. Meanwhile, the longitudinal vibration reduction design of the shafting requires the longitudinal stiffness of the vibration-damping thrust bearing to be as low as possible. These two parameters—high thrust and low stiffness—will result in a significant increase in the longitudinal movement of the shafting, posing a substantial risk to the safe operation of other equipment in the shafting (such as sealing devices and propellers).

[0004] Applying hydrostatic thrust balancing technology to vibration-damping thrust bearings is one of the technical measures to solve the problem of excessive static thrust on the vibration-damping components of thrust bearings. The difficulty in applying existing hydrostatic thrust balancing technology lies in how to flexibly transfer the external water pressure of the submersible to the inside of the thrust bearing, while ensuring that the seawater outside the hull does not cause corrosion damage to the internal structure of the thrust bearing, and also preventing problems such as pipe damage and leakage in extreme situations such as pipeline breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to propose a seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing, which can flexibly transmit external water pressure to the inside of the thrust bearing, avoid corrosion damage to the internal structure of the bearing by seawater outside the hull, and have a self-sealing function in extreme cases such as pipeline damage, which can effectively prevent the submersible from taking in a large amount of water.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A seawater pressure compensation device for vibration damping thrust bearing includes an inner cavity 13 formed by connecting a left end cover 1 and a right end cover 6. A piston 4 and a diaphragm 5 are located in the inner cavity 13. The connecting surfaces of the left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6 press and fix the outer circular surface of the diaphragm 5. The middle part of the diaphragm 5 is fixedly connected to the piston 4 through a connector. The diaphragm 5 is made of a thin rubber film material and divides the inner cavity 13 into a left liquid cavity and a right liquid cavity. The piston 4 is slidably disposed in the left liquid cavity, and a plurality of through holes 16 for liquid flow are opened along the axial direction on the end face of the piston 4.

[0008] The left end cap 1 is provided with a hydraulic connection pipe 17. One end of the hydraulic connection pipe 17 is connected to the hydraulic pipeline through a threaded joint, and the other end is connected to the left liquid chamber. The right end cap 6 is provided with a seawater connection pipe 18. One end of the seawater connection pipe 18 is connected to the seawater pipeline through a flange, and the other end is connected to the right liquid chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, a scale rod 8 is provided along the axial direction at the bottom of the outer wall of the left end cover 1. The scale rod 8 is marked with a diaphragm position scale, and a sliding magnetic ring 10 is sleeved on the scale rod 8. A magnet 9 matching the sliding magnetic ring 10 is embedded on the outer circular surface of the piston 4.

[0010] Furthermore, multiple sets of guide rings 3 are provided on the surface of the piston 4 that contacts the inner cavity 13. The diaphragm 5 is used to transmit the pressure of the liquid chambers on both sides. When the liquid pressure on both sides of the diaphragm 5 is different, the diaphragm 5 will drive the piston 4 to slide along the inner cavity 13 towards the side with lower pressure.

[0011] Furthermore, the hydraulic connecting pipe 17 has an oil filling port 12 on its side wall. Under normal working conditions, the oil filling port 12 is sealed by the sealing plug 2. When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and needs to be replenished with oil, the sealing plug 2 is opened and hydraulic oil is added through the oil filling port 12.

[0012] Furthermore, the hydraulic connecting pipe 17 is provided with a positioning groove 14 at one end near the left liquid chamber, and the piston 4 is provided with a positioning post that matches the positioning groove 14 at one end facing the hydraulic connecting pipe 17, and the outer circular surface of the positioning post is provided with an O-ring seal 15.

[0013] Furthermore, a positioning sensor 7 is installed on the end face of the left end cover 1. When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and the pressure in the left liquid chamber decreases, the diaphragm 5 will drive the piston 4 to move to the left along the inner cavity 13, so that the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning groove 14 to block the hydraulic pipeline and trigger the positioning sensor 7. The positioning sensor 7 sends an alarm signal to prompt the operator to check and replenish the hydraulic pipeline.

[0014] Furthermore, the pressure transmission capability of the diaphragm 5 satisfies the following condition: the pressure difference across the diaphragm is no greater than 1%.

[0015] Furthermore, both the left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6 are made of titanium alloy.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following main advantages:

[0017] 1. The seawater pressure compensation device structure proposed in this invention can flexibly transmit the water pressure of the external environment of the submersible to the internal hydraulic system and realize the hydrostatic thrust balance of the vibration-damping thrust bearing, which is of great significance for realizing effective vibration reduction of the vibration-damping thrust bearing at all depths.

[0018] 2. The seawater pressure compensation device of the present invention is equipped with displacement monitoring and alarm functions, which can promptly and effectively remind operators and avoid loss of function of the compensation device due to pipeline corrosion and leakage during the transmission of water pressure in the external environment.

[0019] 3. This invention has a self-sealing function in extreme situations such as pipeline damage, which can prevent a large amount of water from entering the submersible and endangering its safety. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the diaphragm of the seawater pressure compensation device for the vibration damping thrust bearing of the present invention in its normal position.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the diaphragm of the seawater pressure compensation device of the present invention at the initial installation allowable limit position;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the diaphragm of the seawater pressure compensation device of the present invention at the leakage alarm limit position.

[0023] In the diagram: 1-Left end cap, 2-Sealing end cap, 3-Guide ring, 4-Piston, 5-Diaphragm, 6-Right end cap, 7-Position sensor, 8-Scale rod, 9-Magnet, 10-Magnetic ring, 11-Fastener, 12-Oil inlet, 13-Inner cavity, 14-Positioning groove, 15-O-ring seal, 16-Through hole, 17-Hydraulic connection pipe, 18-Seawater connection pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of this invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0025] It should be noted that, depending on the implementation needs, the various steps / components described in this application can be broken down into more steps / components, or two or more steps / components or parts of the operation of steps / components can be combined into new steps / components to achieve the purpose of this invention.

[0026] Example 1: This example provides a seawater pressure compensation device for vibration-damping thrust bearings, such as... Figures 1-3As shown, the inner cavity 13 is formed by connecting the left end cap 1 and the right end cap 6. The inner cavity 13 contains a piston 4 and a diaphragm 5. The connecting surfaces of the left end cap 1 and the right end cap 6 press and fix the outer circular surface of the diaphragm 5. The middle part of the diaphragm 5 is fixedly connected to the piston 4 through a connector. The diaphragm 5 is made of rubber film material and divides the inner cavity 13 into a left liquid cavity and a right liquid cavity. The piston 4 is slidably disposed in the left liquid cavity, and multiple through holes 16 for liquid flow are opened along the axial direction on the end face of the piston 4.

[0027] The left end cap 1 is provided with a hydraulic connection pipe 17, one end of which is connected to a hydraulic pipeline through a threaded joint, and the other end is connected to the left liquid chamber; the right end cap 6 is provided with a seawater connection pipe 18, one end of which is connected to a seawater pipeline through a flange, and the other end is connected to the right liquid chamber.

[0028] Furthermore, a scale rod 8 is provided along the axial direction at the bottom of the outer wall of the left end cover 1. The scale rod 8 is marked with a diaphragm position scale, and a sliding magnetic ring 10 is sleeved on the scale rod 8. A magnet 9 matching the sliding magnetic ring 10 is embedded on the outer circular surface of the piston 4.

[0029] Furthermore, multiple sets of guide rings 3 are provided on the surface of the piston 4 that contacts the inner cavity 13. The diaphragm 5 is used to transmit the pressure of the liquid chambers on both sides. When the liquid pressure on both sides of the diaphragm 5 is different, the diaphragm 5 will drive the piston 4 to slide along the inner cavity 13 towards the side with lower pressure.

[0030] Furthermore, the hydraulic connecting pipe 17 has an oil filling port 12 on its side wall. Under normal working conditions, the oil filling port 12 is sealed by the sealing plug 2. When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and needs to be replenished with oil, the sealing plug 2 is opened and hydraulic oil is added through the oil filling port 12.

[0031] Furthermore, the hydraulic connecting pipe 17 is provided with a positioning groove 14 at one end near the left liquid chamber, and the piston 4 is provided with a positioning post that matches the positioning groove 14 at one end facing the hydraulic connecting pipe 17, and the outer circular surface of the positioning post is provided with an O-ring seal 15.

[0032] Furthermore, a positioning sensor 7 is installed on the end face of the left end cover 1. When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and the pressure in the left liquid chamber decreases, the diaphragm 5 will drive the piston 4 to move to the left along the inner cavity 13, so that the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning groove 14 to block the hydraulic pipeline and trigger the positioning sensor 7. The positioning sensor 7 sends an alarm signal to prompt the operator to check and replenish the hydraulic pipeline.

[0033] Furthermore, the pressure transmission capability of the diaphragm 5 satisfies the following condition: the pressure difference across the diaphragm is no greater than 1%.

[0034] Furthermore, both the left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6 are made of titanium alloy.

[0035] Example 2: This example provides a seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration damping thrust bearing, which mainly includes: a left end cover 1, a sealing end cap 2, a guide ring 3, a piston 4, a diaphragm 5, a right end cover 6, a position sensor 7, a scale rod 8, a magnet 9, a magnetic ring 10, and fasteners 11, etc.

[0036] The left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6 are fixed to the outer circle of the diaphragm 5 by pressing the outer circle of the diaphragm 5 with the mounting surface; the center of the diaphragm 5 is fixedly connected to the piston 4 through a connector; the piston 4 is installed inside the left end cover 1, and two sets of guide rings 3 are set on the outer circle surface; the left end cover 1 is connected to the hydraulic pipeline through a threaded joint, and an oil inlet 12 is set on the pipeline, which is sealed by a sealing plug 2; a position sensor 7 is set on the end face of the left end cover 1, and a scale rod 8 is fixed on the left end cover, with a magnetic ring 10 installed on the scale rod 8; the right end cover 6 is connected to the seawater pipeline through a flange.

[0037] The left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6 are the pressure-bearing boundaries of the seawater pressure compensation device, achieving isolation between the internal high-pressure liquid environment and the external normal-pressure air environment. The piston 4 and the diaphragm 5 are both arranged in the inner cavity 13 formed by the left end cover 1 and the right end cover 6, and can move flexibly, serving as the boundary of the internal liquid cavity of the seawater pressure compensation device.

[0038] Furthermore, the diaphragm 5 divides the inner cavity 13 of the seawater pressure compensation device into two liquid chambers, left and right. The left liquid chamber of the diaphragm 5 is filled with hydraulic oil, and the right liquid chamber of the diaphragm 5 is connected to the submersible's external seawater system via a pipeline. The diaphragm 5 is made of a thin rubber film material, which has sensitive pressure transmission capability, ensuring that the pressure difference between the two sides of the diaphragm is no more than 1%, while effectively isolating the liquid chambers on the left and right sides to prevent seawater from entering the hydraulic oil system.

[0039] Furthermore, the piston 4 is fixedly connected to the diaphragm 5 via a connector. Two sets of guide rings 3 are arranged on the outer circumference of the piston 4, and several through holes are arranged axially inside to reduce piston weight and ensure hydraulic oil flow. A small magnet 9 is embedded in the outer circumference of the piston 4. A scale rod 8 is fixed to the outside of the left end cover 1 of the compensation device, with diaphragm position markings on the scale rod 8, and a flexibly movable magnetic ring 10 arranged on it. This arrangement allows the piston 4 and diaphragm 5 to move synchronously when the volume of the left lubricating oil chamber changes. The magnetism of the magnet 9 on the piston 4 drives the external magnetic ring 10 to move, thus displaying the relative movement position of the diaphragm outside the device, providing operators with information on diaphragm position.

[0040] Furthermore, the left end cover 1 has a positioning groove 14 on its inner side, and the piston 4 has a protruding cylinder on its left end. An O-ring 15 is arranged on the outer circle of the protruding cylinder, forming a mating surface with the positioning groove 14 of the left end cover 1. This design ensures that when a large amount of hydraulic oil leaks from the left side of the compensation device, the piston 4 can quickly move to the left under the pressure of seawater, causing the protruding cylinder to be pressed into the positioning groove. This achieves a seal between the seawater pressure compensation device and the submersible, quickly preventing the rapid influx of seawater pressure from outside the submersible into the submersible through the compensation device, thus ensuring the safety of the submersible's pressure boundary.

[0041] Furthermore, an oil inlet 12 is provided on the left end cover 1. During normal operation, the oil inlet is blocked by the sealing plug 2. When hydraulic oil leaks in the pipeline and needs to be replenished, the sealing plug 2 is opened and hydraulic oil is added through the oil inlet 12 to ensure that the diaphragm is in the normal working range.

[0042] Furthermore, the left end cap 1 and the right end cap 6 are made of titanium alloy, which has good resistance to seawater corrosion and is also a non-magnetic material, which can ensure the non-contact transmission of the magnetic field of the magnet 9 to the magnetic ring 10.

[0043] Furthermore, a position sensor 7 is installed on the contact surface between the left end cover 1 and the piston 4. For example... Figure 3 As shown, when the piston moves to its limit position, the position sensor 7 will issue an audible and visual alarm signal to prompt the operator to check and replenish the hydraulic oil chamber in time to prevent the pressure transmission function of the seawater pressure compensation device from failing.

[0044] Furthermore, all parts of this application that are not described in detail are the same as or implemented using existing technology.

[0045] In summary:

[0046] 1. The seawater pressure compensation device structure proposed in this invention can flexibly transmit the water pressure of the external environment of the submersible to the internal hydraulic system and realize the hydrostatic thrust balance of the vibration-damping thrust bearing, which is of great significance for realizing effective vibration reduction of the vibration-damping thrust bearing at all depths.

[0047] 2. The seawater pressure compensation device of the present invention is equipped with displacement monitoring and alarm functions, which can promptly and effectively remind operators and avoid loss of function of the compensation device due to pipeline corrosion and leakage during the transmission of water pressure in the external environment.

[0048] 3. This invention has a self-sealing function in extreme situations such as pipeline damage, which can prevent a large amount of water from entering the submersible and endangering its safety.

[0049] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements 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 seawater pressure compensation device for vibration-damping thrust bearings, characterized in that, The cavity (13) is formed by connecting the left end cap (1) and the right end cap (6). The cavity (13) is provided with a piston (4) and a diaphragm (5). The connecting surfaces of the left end cap (1) and the right end cap (6) press and fix the outer circular surface of the diaphragm (5). The middle part of the diaphragm (5) is fixedly connected to the piston (4) through a connector. The diaphragm (5) is a thin film material made of rubber. The diaphragm (5) divides the cavity (13) into a left liquid chamber and a right liquid chamber. The piston (4) is slidably disposed in the left liquid chamber. The piston (4) has multiple through holes (16) for liquid flow along the axial direction on its end face. The left end cap (1) is provided with a hydraulic connection pipe (17), one end of which is connected to the hydraulic pipeline through a threaded joint, and the other end is connected to the left liquid chamber; the right end cap (6) is provided with a seawater connection pipe (18), one end of which is connected to the seawater pipeline through a flange, and the other end is connected to the right liquid chamber. The bottom of the outer wall of the left end cap (1) is provided with a scale rod (8) along the axial direction. The scale rod (8) is marked with the diaphragm position scale, and a sliding magnetic ring (10) is sleeved on the scale rod (8). A magnet (9) matching the sliding magnetic ring (10) is embedded on the outer circular surface of the piston (4). Multiple guide rings (3) are provided on the surface of the piston (4) that contacts the inner cavity (13). The diaphragm (5) is used to transmit the pressure of the liquid chambers on both sides. When the liquid pressure on both sides of the diaphragm (5) is different, the diaphragm (5) will drive the piston (4) to slide along the inner cavity (13) towards the side with lower pressure.

2. The seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydraulic connecting pipe (17) has an oil inlet (12) on its side wall. Under normal working conditions, the oil inlet (12) is sealed by a sealing plug (2). When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and needs to be replenished, the sealing plug (2) is opened and hydraulic oil is added through the oil inlet (12).

3. The seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hydraulic connecting pipe (17) has a positioning groove (14) at one end near the left liquid chamber. The piston (4) has a positioning post that matches the positioning groove (14) at one end facing the hydraulic connecting pipe (17), and the outer surface of the positioning post is provided with an O-ring (15).

4. The seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing according to claim 3, characterized in that, A positioning sensor (7) is installed on the end face of the left end cap (1). When the hydraulic pipeline leaks and the pressure in the left liquid chamber decreases, the diaphragm (5) will drive the piston (4) to move to the left along the inner cavity (13), so that the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning groove (14) to block the hydraulic pipeline and trigger the positioning sensor (7). The positioning sensor (7) sends an alarm signal to prompt the operator to check and replenish the hydraulic pipeline.

5. A seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure transmission capability of the diaphragm (5) satisfies the following condition: the pressure difference across the diaphragm is not greater than 1%.

6. The seawater pressure compensation device for a vibration-damping thrust bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the left end cap (1) and the right end cap (6) are made of titanium alloy.

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