A water-lubricated stern tube bearing support arrangement

Abstract

The application relates to a water-lubricated stern bearing support device, which comprises a stern bearing support, the top end of which is welded with a ship plate, and the inside of which is provided with a vertical water inlet channel and a circumferential water inlet channel; a stern bearing arranged in the inside of the stern bearing support and in interference fit with the stern bearing support, the upper half of which is provided with a radial bearing water inlet hole and a bearing water flow groove along the length direction; and cooling water of a ship internal cooling system which enters the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft through the vertical water inlet channel, the circumferential water inlet channel, the bearing water inlet hole and the bearing water flow groove in sequence to realize lubrication and cooling. The device is simple in design, reliable and free of environmental pollution, effectively solves the problem that the cooling water of the external stern bearing of the ship cannot flow when the ship is sailing and at anchor, and the problem that the accumulation of silt easily causes root rotation and accelerates the wear of the bearing, greatly improves the service life and reliability of the stern bearing, and ensures the safe and stable operation of the ship and its propulsion system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ship support system design, and particularly relates to a water-lubricated stern bearing support device, which is applicable to various ships with stern bearing support devices installed on the outside of the hull. Background Technology

[0002] To meet speed requirements, some ships have narrower stern profiles, necessitating the installation of one or two pairs of stern bearing supports on the exterior of the hull to support the shafting. These shafts extend beyond the hull through the stern tube, pass through one or two stern bearing supports, and finally have a propeller installed at the end of the shaft. Water-lubricated stern bearings are widely used in ship design due to their simplicity and lack of pollution. To ensure smooth shaft operation, water-lubricated stern bearings are predominantly used inside the stern tube and stern bearing supports.

[0003] Because the bearings inside the stern tube are located within the hull, filtered cooling water can be directly introduced from the front of the compartment into the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft system for lubrication and cooling. The cooling water, pressurized by a water pump, lubricates and cools the bearings before being discharged into the sea through the gap between the rear of the stern tube bearing and the shaft. In contrast, the stern bearings within the stern bearing support system, located outside the hull, are currently cooled using the ship's forward inertia to draw seawater into the gap between the bearing and the shaft system from the front of the stern bearing and discharge it into the sea from the rear. When the ship is moored, especially in inland waterways or docks with high silt content, the cooling water in the stern tube bearings lacks the power to flow. Furthermore, the open structure allows silt to enter the cooling water tanks during navigation and mooring, resulting in a significant accumulation of silt in the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft system over time. During prolonged mooring, this gap may even become completely filled, increasing the coefficient of friction between the stern bearing and the shaft system, leading to increased starting torque in the shaft system and accelerated wear of the stern bearing. Current research mainly focuses on the stern bearing itself, using technical means to improve its lubrication performance, but it has not yet solved the problems of how to supply the treated cooling water to the stern bearing in the external stern bearing support device, the prevention of mud and sand, and the fixation of the stern bearing.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a water-lubricated stern bearing support device, which can not only support and fix the stern bearing, but also improve the cooling and lubrication conditions of the stern bearing inside the external stern bearing support device, and solve the problems of cooling water supply and mud and sand prevention. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide filtered and pressurized cooling water to the stern bearing of the stern shaft bracket during ship navigation and berthing, so as to ensure a continuous and effective supply of cooling water, improve lubrication performance, avoid the accumulation of silt and sand that accelerates bearing wear, improve the reliability of the stern bearing, and ensure the normal operation of the propulsion system and the ship.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is: a water-lubricated stern bearing support device, comprising:

[0007] The stern bearing supports the hull, with its top end welded to the outer plating of the hull. It has both vertical and circumferential water inlet channels inside.

[0008] The stern bearing is arranged inside the stern bearing support and is interference-fitted with the stern bearing support. Its upper semicircle is provided with a radial bearing water inlet hole and a bearing water flow groove along the length direction.

[0009] The cooling water of the ship's internal cooling system enters the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft through the vertical water inlet channel, the circumferential water inlet channel, the bearing water inlet hole and the bearing water channel in sequence to achieve lubrication and cooling.

[0010] Furthermore, the stern bearing support is an "I" or "V" shaped structure, with its vertical water inlet channel connected to the internal cooling water pipes of the hull at the top and connected to the circumferential water inlet channel at the bottom.

[0011] Furthermore, the stern bearing is made of an isotropic material to improve wear resistance and impact resistance.

[0012] Furthermore, the stern bearing adopts an integral or horizontally split structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the front and rear ends of the stern bearing are respectively fixedly connected to a front limiting ring and a rear limiting ring, and the front and rear limiting rings are provided with circumferential limiting keys to prevent the stern bearing from rotating.

[0014] Furthermore, the circumferential limiting keys of the front limiting ring and the rear limiting ring cooperate with the front and rear ends of the bearing flow channel of the stern bearing to restrict the circumferential displacement of the stern bearing.

[0015] Furthermore, the gap between the rear limiting ring and the shaft serves as a cooling water discharge channel, through which the heated cooling water is discharged into the sea.

[0016] Furthermore, a flow guide is fixedly connected to the front limiting ring for guiding external seawater.

[0017] Furthermore, a sealing strip is provided at the end of the flow guide, forming a dynamic and static friction sealing pair with the shaft.

[0018] Furthermore, when the ship is anchored, the clearance between the stern bearing and the shaft is flushed periodically by turning on the cooling water pump to remove deposited silt.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0020] In this invention, the internal cooling system of the hull directs filtered and enhanced clean cooling water to the top of the vertical water inlet channel of the stern bearing support. The cooling water sequentially passes through the vertical water inlet channel of the stern bearing support, the circumferential water inlet channel of the stern bearing support, the bearing water inlet hole, and the bearing water flow groove before entering the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft, and remains in flow to provide cooling and lubrication. As the cooling water is continuously supplied, the heated cooling water flows out into the sea from the gap between the rear limiting ring and the shaft.

[0021] When the ship is in operation, the shafting system is constantly running, and the cooling water pump remains running, with cooling water continuously entering the gap between the stern bearing and the shafting system for cooling and lubrication. When the ship is at anchor, the shafting system is not running, and the cooling water pump is turned on periodically to flush the bearing gaps with filtered cooling water to remove mud, sand and other debris deposited in the gaps, thus preventing the friction coefficient from increasing due to excessive debris and avoiding bearing wear.

[0022] This invention achieves the fixation, water cooling, and lubrication of the external stern bearing of the ship. After being filtered and pressurized, the cooling water is introduced into the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft of the stern shaft support, ensuring the cooling effect of the stern bearing. At the same time, it avoids the accumulation of silt in the stern bearing gap during the ship's navigation and berthing, which would increase the friction coefficient between the shaft system and the stern bearing. This prevents the stern bearing from rotating and causing unnecessary wear, improves the service life and reliability of the stern bearing, and ensures the safe and stable operation of the propulsion system and the ship. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the water-lubricated stern bearing support structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the "I"-type water-lubricated stern bearing support structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the "V"-shaped water-lubricated stern bearing support structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the front limit ring and limit key structure;

[0027] Among them, 1-stern bearing support, 2-vertical water inlet channel, 3-bearing water inlet hole, 4-bearing water flow groove, 5-rear limit ring, 6-front limit ring, 7-guide shield, 8-sealing strip, 9-stern bearing, 10-circumferential water inlet channel, 11-limit key. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to make the technical content clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0029] The dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the accompanying drawings are arbitrary, and the present invention does not limit the dimensions and thicknesses of each component. To make the illustrations clearer, the thickness of some parts has been appropriately exaggerated in the drawings.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention proposes a water-lubricated stern bearing support device, including a stern bearing support 1, a vertical water inlet channel 2, a bearing water inlet hole 3, a bearing water flow groove 4, a rear limiting ring 5, a front limiting ring 6, a flow guide 7, a sealing strip 8, a stern bearing 9, a circumferential water inlet channel 10, and a limiting key 11.

[0031] The top of the stern bearing support 1 is welded to the hull plating and has an "I" shape (see...). Figure 2 ) and “V” shape (see Figure 3 Two types are available; each has a vertical water inlet channel 2 drilled inside and a circumferential water inlet channel 10 drilled inside. The top of the vertical water inlet channel 2 connects to the internal cooling water pipes of the hull, and the bottom communicates with the circumferential water inlet channel 10 of the stern bearing. This is used to guide the cooling water filtered by the cooling system inside the hull into the bearing inlet hole 3 of the stern bearing 9. The dimensions of the vertical water inlet channel 2 and the circumferential water inlet channel 10 can be adjusted according to the cooling water demand.

[0032] The stern bearing 2 is housed inside the stern bearing support 1, and is integrally formed with the support 1 via an interference fit. The stern bearing 2 is made of isotropic material, and its upper semicircle has three radial bearing inlet holes 3 and three longitudinal bearing water channels 4. The top of the bearing inlet holes 3 communicates with the circumferential water inlet channel 10 of the stern bearing support 1, and the bottom communicates with the bearing water channels 4, used to guide cooling water into the gap between the stern bearing 9 and the shaft. The dimensions of the bearing inlet holes 3 and the bearing water channels 4 can be adjusted according to the diameter of the stern bearing.

[0033] The rear limiting ring 5 and the front limiting ring 6 are located at the front and rear ends of the stern bearing and are bolted to the stern bearing support 1 to fix the stern bearing 9 and prevent it from moving back and forth; Figure 4 As shown in (a) and (b), both the front limiting ring 6 and the rear limiting ring 5 are provided with circumferential limiting keys. The limiting keys of the front and rear limiting rings cooperate with the front and rear ends of the bearing water groove 4 of the stern bearing 9, respectively, to prevent the stern bearing 9 from rotating.

[0034] The flow guide 7 and the front limiting ring 5 are fixedly connected by bolts, which serves to guide the external seawater and reduce resistance; the sealing strip 8 is fixed at the end of the flow guide 7 and forms a dynamic and static friction sealing pair with the shaft to prevent external seawater containing mud and sand from entering the gap between the stern bearing 9 and the shaft.

[0035] During ship operation, the shafting system operates continuously, and the cooling water pump remains running. Treated cooling water from inside the hull is continuously supplied to the top of the vertical water inlet channel 2 of the stern bearing support 1. The cooling water then sequentially passes through the vertical water inlet channel 2, the circumferential water inlet channel 10, the bearing water inlet hole 3, and the bearing water flow groove 4 before entering the gap between the stern bearing 9 and the shaft, maintaining flow for cooling and lubrication. With the continuous supply of cooling water, the heated cooling water flows out into the sea through the gap between the aft limiting ring 5 and the shaft. The aft limiting ring 5 and the front limiting ring 6, while fixing the stern bearing 9 to prevent its forward and backward movement, also prevent circumferential rotation of the stern bearing 9 through the limiting key 11 on their end faces. The flow guide 7 guides the external seawater to reduce resistance; the sealing strip 8 is fixed to the end of the flow guide 7, forming a dynamic and static friction sealing pair with the shaft to prevent external seawater containing mud and sand from entering the gap between the stern bearing 9 and the shaft.

[0036] When the ship is moored and the shafting is not running, the cooling water pump is turned on periodically to flush the stern bearing and shaft clearance with filtered cooling water to remove mud, sand and other debris deposited in the clearance, so as to avoid the friction coefficient from increasing due to excessive debris, thereby avoiding bearing wear.

[0037] The core innovation of the water-lubricated stern bearing support device provided by this invention is as follows:

[0038] (1) Cooling water supply system: Cooling water inside the hull is introduced into the stern bearing clearance through vertical and circumferential water inlet channels to ensure continuous lubrication during navigation and berthing and reduce friction;

[0039] (2) Anti-mud and sand design: The sealing strip and the guide shield work together to prevent mud and sand from entering; the gaps are flushed regularly when the vessel is moored to prevent mud and sand from accumulating.

[0040] (3) Limiting structure: The front and rear limiting rings limit the displacement of the stern bearing through the limiting key, thereby enhancing the stability of the stern bearing and extending its service life.

[0041] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A water-lubricated stern bearing support device, characterized in that, include: The stern bearing supports the hull, with its top end welded to the outer plating of the hull. It has both vertical and circumferential water inlet channels inside. A stern bearing, arranged inside a stern bearing support, is interference-fitted with the support. Its upper semicircle has a radial bearing inlet and a bearing water channel along its length. A front limiting ring and a rear limiting ring are fixedly connected to the front and rear ends of the stern bearing, respectively. Both the front and rear limiting rings have circumferential limiting keys to prevent rotation of the stern bearing. A flow guide is fixedly connected to the front limiting ring to guide external seawater. A sealing strip is provided at the end of the flow guide to form a dynamic and static friction sealing pair with the shaft. The cooling water of the ship's internal cooling system enters the gap between the stern bearing and the shaft through the vertical water inlet channel, the circumferential water inlet channel, the bearing water inlet hole and the bearing water channel in sequence to achieve lubrication and cooling.

2. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stern bearing support is an "I" or "V" shaped structure, with its vertical water inlet channel connected to the internal cooling water pipes of the hull at the top and connected to the circumferential water inlet channel at the bottom.

3. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stern bearing is made of an isotropic material to improve wear resistance and impact resistance.

4. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stern bearing adopts an integral or horizontally split structure.

5. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circumferential limiting keys of the front and rear limiting rings engage with the front and rear ends of the bearing flow channel of the stern bearing to restrict the circumferential displacement of the stern bearing.

6. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gap between the rear limiting ring and the shaft serves as a cooling water discharge channel, through which the heated cooling water is discharged into the sea.

7. The water-lubricated stern bearing support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the ship is moored, the clearance between the stern bearing and the shaft is flushed periodically by turning on the cooling water pump to remove deposited silt.

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