Shaftless propeller with rear-mounted hub-free guide blades and adjustable blade pitch

Abstract

The shaftless propeller comprises a motor shell, a rotating cylinder, the hub-free guide vane, a steering nozzle and a sealed bearing assembly, the motor shell coaxially sleeves the rotating cylinder, an annular motor used for driving the rotating cylinder to rotate is arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder, and the hub-free guide vane is arranged on the rotating cylinder. The rotating cylinder comprises a plurality of blades arranged on the inner wall of the rotating cylinder and a distance adjusting mechanism used for changing the pitch of the blades in the running process, the hub-free guide vane is fixedly arranged at the rear end of the rotating cylinder and used for rectifying water flow output by the rotating cylinder, and the steering nozzle is arranged at the outlet end of the hub-free guide vane and used for spraying water to the rotating cylinder. The sealing bearing assembly is arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder body and used for supporting the rotating cylinder body and preventing fluid from invading the interior of the motor shell. The propeller pitch can be adjusted in real time, steering control is integrated, high sealing performance and reliability are achieved, and therefore the ship propulsion performance is comprehensively improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ship propulsion, in particular to a rear hubless guide vane and pitch-adjustable shaftless propeller. BACKGROUND

[0002] The conventional ship propulsion system usually adopts shaft transmission, that is, the power of the engine is transmitted to the propeller through the main shaft. Such structure has the following problems: large space occupation, low transmission efficiency, significant vibration and noise, and additional rudder device is needed to realize ship steering, resulting in complex system and high maintenance cost. In addition, the pitch of the propeller blade is usually fixed, which cannot be adjusted in real time according to the sailing load, resulting in reduced propulsion efficiency under different working conditions.

[0003] In recent years, shaftless propulsion technology has gradually developed, which integrates the motor directly into the propeller, eliminates the traditional shaft structure, and improves the space utilization and transmission efficiency. However, the existing shaftless propeller still has the following deficiencies: first, the outlet water flow rotates violently, resulting in energy loss; second, the structure design is complex, and the pitch adjustment mechanism of the blade has low reliability; third, it lacks integrated steering function, and still needs external rudder, which fails to truly realize "propeller-rudder integration".

[0004] Therefore, a new type of shaftless propeller is needed, which can effectively straighten the outlet water flow, realize real-time adjustment of the pitch of the blade, integrate steering control, and has high sealing performance and reliability, so as to comprehensively improve the ship propulsion performance. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the present application aims to provide a rear hubless guide vane and pitch-adjustable shaftless propeller to solve the problems of low propulsion efficiency, large vibration and noise, external rudder for steering, and inconvenient maintenance in the prior art.

[0006] The rear hubless guide vane and pitch-adjustable shaftless propeller of the present application comprises a motor housing, a rotating cylinder, a hubless guide vane, a steering nozzle and a sealing bearing assembly. The motor housing is coaxially sleeved outside the rotating cylinder, and an annular motor is arranged between the two for driving the rotating cylinder to rotate. The inner wall of the rotating cylinder is provided with a plurality of blades and a pitch adjustment mechanism for adjusting the pitch of the blades in real time during operation. The hubless guide vane is fixedly installed at the rear end of the rotating cylinder and is used for straightening the spiral water flow and converting the circumferential induced speed kinetic energy into pressure energy. The steering nozzle is arranged at the outlet end of the hubless guide vane and can be driven to deflect around the axis to change the jet flow direction, thereby realizing ship steering. The sealing bearing assembly is arranged between the motor housing and the rotating cylinder and is used for supporting the rotating cylinder and preventing fluid from entering the motor.

[0007] Further, the front end of the motor shell is provided with a fairing, which, together with the rotating cylinder, forms a streamlined structure, and the shape thereof includes a front contraction section and a rear diffusion section, so that water flow resistance can be effectively reduced, and an internal and external pressure difference can be generated when the water flows through, thereby forming additional thrust.

[0008] Further, the annular motor includes a stator fixed to the motor shell and a rotor installed on the rotating cylinder, and the stator and the rotor are respectively packaged by low-magnetic stainless steel shielding sleeves and are vacuum-poured by high-molecular resin, so that electromagnetic shielding and fluid sealing are achieved, and motor efficiency and service life are improved.

[0009] Further, the rotating cylinder is provided with uniformly distributed mounting window holes for detachably mounting paddles, and the paddles are composite airfoils with side skew angles and longitudinal angles, and the airfoil cross section thereof is transitioned from a symmetrical fusiform shape to a concave-convex shape in the middle, so that high lift-drag ratio can be achieved, and vibration and noise can be significantly reduced.

[0010] Further, the pitch adjusting mechanism includes an annular piston and a rotating sleeve, the annular piston is driven to move axially through a hydraulic oil path arranged in the motor shell, and the rotating sleeve is driven to move axially while rotating with the rotating cylinder through a thrust bearing arranged between the annular piston and the rotating sleeve.

[0011] Further, the pitch adjusting mechanism further includes a crank disc arranged at the root of the paddle and a crank pin arranged on the rotating sleeve, the axis of the crank pin is parallel to but offset from the rotation axis of the crank disc, a radial groove passing through the center of the crank disc is arranged on the crank disc, and the crank pin extends into the radial groove; when the rotating sleeve moves axially, the crank pin slides in the radial groove and drives the crank disc to rotate around its axis through the offset structure, thereby driving the paddle to rotate around its radial axis to change the pitch angle.

[0012] Further, the hubless guide vane includes a plurality of blades arranged in a ring shape, and no hub structure is arranged in the middle, so that hub vortex can be eliminated, water flow friction can be reduced, and the circumferential kinetic energy of spiral water flow can be converted into pressure energy, thereby improving thrust and efficiency.

[0013] Further, the turning nozzle is connected to the hubless guide vane through a hinged mechanism and is driven to swing around the axis by a hydraulic device, so that the jet flow direction can be controlled, and the turning control of the ship can be realized, thereby replacing the traditional rudder device.

[0014] Further, the sealing bearing assembly includes a water-lubricated bearing arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder, the water-lubricated bearing is forcedly lubricated by an external high-pressure water source, and a sealing structure is arranged to ensure that water flow does not enter the interior of the motor shell.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present application: the rear-mounted hubless guide vane, pitch-adjustable paddle of the shaftless propeller can convert the circumferential induced kinetic energy into pressure energy through the hubless guide vane to the outlet water flow, significantly improving the propelling efficiency; the hydraulic real-time pitch-adjusting mechanism is adopted, so that the paddle can maintain the optimal pitch under different loads, optimizing the motor load and propelling performance; the integrated steering nozzle realizes the combination of paddle and rudder functions, simplifies the ship tail structure, and improves the steering flexibility; the streamlined shell and high-efficiency sealing bearing design reduce water flow resistance and maintenance requirements, and improve system reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and examples:

[0017] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 is a pitch-adjusting mechanism structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 is a rotating cylinder structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0020] Figure 4 is a hubless guide vane structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 is a steering nozzle structural schematic diagram of the present application.

[0022] The reference signs are as follows: 1, motor shell; 101, fairing; 102, hydraulic oil way; 2, rotating cylinder; 201, paddle; 202, thrust bearing; 203, annular piston; 204, rotating sliding sleeve; 205, crank disc; 206, crank pin; 207, radial groove; 3, hubless guide vane; 4, steering nozzle; 5, annular motor; 501, stator; 502, rotor; 6, hinged mechanism; 7, water-lubricated bearing; 701, water channel; 8, sealing element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It should be noted that in the description of the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0024] The rear hubless guide vane and pitch adjustable blade shaftless propeller of the embodiment comprises a motor shell 1, a rotating cylinder 2, a hubless guide vane 3, a steering nozzle 4 and a sealing bearing assembly, the motor shell 1 is coaxially sleeved outside the rotating cylinder 2 as a main force bearing and sealing structure, an annular motor 5 is arranged in the annular cavity between the motor shell 1 and the rotating cylinder 2, the annular motor 5 directly drives the rotating cylinder 2 to rotate around its axis, the traditional propeller shaft system is omitted, the structure is compact, and the transmission efficiency is high; a plurality of blades 201 are uniformly arranged on the inner wall of the rotating cylinder 2, and a pitch adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pitch of the blades 201 in real time during operation is integrated, so that the propeller can always work at the best efficiency point; the hubless guide vane 3 is fixedly installed at the rear end of the rotating cylinder 2, which functions to straighten the spiral water flow with strong rotation tendency discharged from the rotating cylinder 2, recover the kinetic energy of the circumferential induced velocity, and convert it into useful thrust; the steering nozzle 4 is arranged at the outlet end of the hubless guide vane 3, the steering nozzle 4 can be driven by an external hydraulic device to deflect left and right within a certain angle around the axis of the hinge mechanism 6, so as to change the water flow injection direction and generate a lateral moment for turning the ship, realizing "combination of rudder and propeller", replacing the traditional rudder system; the sealing bearing assembly is arranged between the motor shell 1 and the rotating cylinder 2 at the support position, which not only provides radial and axial support for the high-speed rotating cylinder, but also ensures that the external water flow cannot invade the inside of the motor shell 1, and guarantees the safe operation of the core driving components.

[0025] A fairing 101 is designed at the front end of the motor shell 1, the fairing 101 and the front profile of the internal rotating cylinder 2 jointly form an elongated droplet-shaped streamlined structure, specifically, the outer shape comprises a smoothly transitioned front contraction section and a gradually expanding rear diffusion section, when the front water flow approaches the propeller, it first passes through the front contraction section, the flow passage cross-sectional area decreases, the water flow speed increases, and the pressure decreases; after the water flow passes through the narrowest part, it enters the rear diffusion section, the flow velocity slows down, and the pressure rises, this structure can significantly reduce the form resistance and friction resistance suffered by the propeller body during navigation; at the same time, due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the shell, an additional forward thrust will be generated on the surface of the streamlined shell, further improving the propelling efficiency.

[0026] The ring motor 5 in the embodiment is the power core of the propeller, adopts the existing technology such as permanent magnet synchronous motor technology, the stator 501 is fixed to the inner side of the motor shell 1 through the mounting seat, and the rotor 502 is directly embedded or mounted on the outer surface of the rotating cylinder 2, so that the rotor 502 is directly integrated with the propeller structure. In order to cope with the harsh working environment under water and improve the efficiency of the motor, the stator 501 and the rotor 502 are both wrapped with a low magnetic permeability stainless steel shield, which effectively suppresses the eddy current loss. At the same time, high-performance polymer resin is used to fill and seal the two ends of the motor assembly through the vacuum filling process. This process not only completely isolates the water flow and prevents the intrusion of high-pressure seawater, but also plays an excellent electromagnetic shielding and internal wire group fixing role, thereby significantly improving the reliability, efficiency and service life of the motor.

[0027] In the embodiment, a plurality of installation window holes are uniformly arranged on the cylinder wall of the rotating cylinder 2 in the circumferential direction, and each window hole is detachably mounted with a paddle 201 through a bearing and a sealing element 8. This detachable design greatly facilitates maintenance and replacement. The shape of the paddle 201 is carefully optimized, and a composite structure of lateral inclination (in the rotation plane, the blade tip is offset backward relative to the blade root) and longitudinal inclination (the blade tip is offset in the axial direction relative to the blade root) is adopted, which helps to reduce the interaction of the paddle 201 with the ship stern vortex during rotation, thereby effectively suppressing vibration and cavitation noise. In addition, the airfoil section of the paddle 201 is not a single shape, but a smooth transition from a relatively symmetrical fusiform (or airfoil) in the middle to a concave-convex (or arc-shaped) at the blade tip. This high-lift-drag ratio airfoil design can generate large thrust while maintaining low resistance, further improving the propulsion efficiency and hydrodynamic performance.

[0028] The pitch adjusting mechanism of the embodiment includes a ring piston 203 and a rotating sleeve 204. The ring piston 203 is arranged in the annular oil cylinder formed inside the motor shell 1 and receives high-pressure oil through the hydraulic oil path 102 (including the hydraulic oil inlet and outlet arranged on both sides of the ring piston 203) arranged inside the motor shell 1. When the pressure oil enters from one side of the hydraulic oil inlet and outlet and flows out from the other side of the hydraulic oil inlet and outlet, the ring piston 203 is pushed to move axially. The ring piston 203 and the rotating sleeve 204 are connected through the thrust bearing 202, which enables the rotating sleeve 204 to rotate with the rotating cylinder 2 while passively following the axial movement of the ring piston 203.

[0029] In order to convert the axial movement of the rotating sleeve 204 into the rotating movement of the paddle 201, a crank turning mechanism is arranged in the pitch adjusting mechanism. Specifically, at the root of each paddle 201, a crank disc 205 is fixed, and on the rotating sleeve 204, a crank pin 206 is arranged corresponding to the position of each crank disc 205; the axis of the crank pin 206 is parallel to the rotating axis of the crank disc 205 (i.e. the radial axis of the paddle 201), but there is an eccentricity between the two; at the same time, a radial groove 207 passing through the center of the crank disc 205 is opened on the crank disc 205, and the end of the crank pin 206 extends into the radial groove 207; when the rotating sleeve 204 moves axially under the hydraulic drive, the crank pin 206 moves with it and slides in the radial groove 207; due to the eccentricity, the force of the crank pin 206 on the groove wall will form a moment, driving the crank disc 205 to rotate around its axis, thereby driving the paddle 201 fixedly connected thereto to rotate around its radial axis, accurately changing the pitch angle of the paddle 201; this process can be completed during the full-speed operation of the propeller, realizing the real-time optimization of the propelling performance according to the load and sailing state of the ship.

[0030] The hubless guide vane 3 of the embodiment is composed of an annular outer ring and a plurality of blades fixed uniformly thereon in the circumferential direction, and the core feature is that there is no hub structure supporting the blades in the middle of the guide vane; the hub of the traditional hub guide vane or propeller will generate significant hub vortex, consuming energy and causing vibration, and the hubless guide vane 3 of the design completely eliminates the generation of hub vortex, reduces the friction loss of water flow and hub, and the blades are aerodynamically designed, can efficiently "straighten" the circumferential kinetic energy of the rotating water flow from the front propeller, and convert it into pressure energy of water, thereby increasing the effective thrust and improving the overall propelling efficiency, and at the same time making the structure more compact.

[0031] In the embodiment, a turning nozzle 4 is connected to the outlet end of the hubless guide vane 3 through a hinged mechanism 6, the hinged mechanism 6 allows the turning nozzle 4 to swing left and right within a certain angle range around the axis (or a vertical axis) of the propeller, and the swinging is driven by an independent hydraulic device (such as a hydraulic cylinder); when turning is needed, the hydraulic device pushes or pulls the turning nozzle 4 to deflect it by an angle; the straightened water flow from the hubless guide vane 3 changes the jet direction when passing through the deflected turning nozzle 4, and is no longer in the axial direction; according to the principle of action and reaction, the water flow exerts a reverse lateral force on the turning nozzle 4 and the entire propeller, and this force forms a turning moment relative to the center of gravity of the ship, thereby pushing the ship to realize turning; this design ingeniously combines the functions of the propeller and the rudder, simplifying the structure of the stern of the ship.

[0032] The sealing bearing assembly of the embodiment is arranged at the position where the motor shell 1 and the rotating cylinder 2 relatively rotate, for example, near the annular oil cylinder and the guide vane installation position, and is provided with water-lubricated bearings 7 made of high polymer materials (such as Siron, rubber, etc.), which not only play a supporting role, but also are forcedly lubricated and cooled by introducing high-pressure water source through the external water channel 701; on both sides of the water-lubricated bearings 7, sealing members 8 are arranged in a matched mode, the dynamic ring of the sealing member 8 rotates with the rotating cylinder 2, the static ring is fixed on the motor shell 1, and the two form a very narrow sealing gap between the precisely processed end faces, which can effectively prevent the external high-pressure water flow from invading the inside of the motor shell 1 along the gap between the rotating cylinder 2 and the motor shell 1, and ensures that the annular motor 5 and the distance-adjusting mechanism hydraulic system work in a dry and safe environment.

[0033] Finally, it should be pointed out that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced equivalently without departing from the purpose and scope of the present application, and all of them should be covered in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propeller, characterized in that: The application relates to a water turbine, which comprises a motor shell, a rotating cylinder, a hubless guide vane, a steering nozzle and a sealed bearing assembly, the motor shell is coaxially sleeved outside the rotating cylinder, an annular motor for driving the rotating cylinder to rotate is arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder, the rotating cylinder comprises a plurality of paddles arranged on the inner wall of the rotating cylinder and a pitch adjusting mechanism for changing the pitch of the paddles during operation, the hubless guide vane is fixedly arranged at the rear end of the rotating cylinder and is used for rectifying the water flow output by the rotating cylinder, the steering nozzle is arranged at the outlet end of the hubless guide vane and can be driven to deflect around the axis to change the jet flow direction, and the sealed bearing assembly is arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder and is used for supporting the rotating cylinder and preventing fluid from invading the interior of the motor shell.

2. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The front end of the motor shell is provided with a flow guide cover, and the flow guide cover and the rotating cylinder jointly form a streamlined structure, and the shape thereof comprises a front contraction section and a rear diffusion section.

3. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The annular motor comprises a stator arranged on the motor shell and a rotor assembled on the rotating cylinder, the stator and the rotor are respectively packaged by shield sleeves, and sealing and electromagnetic shielding are realized through resin pouring.

4. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The rotating cylinder is provided with uniformly distributed mounting window holes for detachably mounting paddles, the paddles are composite airfoils with side rake angles and longitudinal angles, and the airfoil section thereof is transitioned from a symmetrical shape to a concave-convex shape.

5. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 4, wherein: The pitch adjusting mechanism comprises an annular piston and a rotating sleeve, the annular piston is driven to move along the axis through a hydraulic oil path arranged in the motor shell, and the rotating sleeve is driven to move along the axis while rotating with the rotating cylinder through a thrust bearing arranged between the annular piston and the rotating sleeve.

6. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 5, wherein: The pitch adjusting mechanism further comprises a crank disc arranged at the root of the paddle and a crank pin arranged on the rotating sleeve, the axis of the crank pin is parallel to but offset from the rotating axis of the crank disc, a radial groove passing through the center of the crank disc is formed in the crank disc, and the crank pin extends into the radial groove; when the rotating sleeve moves along the axis, the crank pin slides in the radial groove and drives the crank disc to rotate around the axis through the biasing structure, so that the paddle is driven to rotate around the radial axis to change the pitch angle.

7. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The hubless guide vane comprises a plurality of blades arranged in a ring shape and used for converting the circumferential induced velocity kinetic energy of the spiral water flow into pressure energy.

8. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The steering nozzle is connected with the hubless guide vane through a hinged mechanism and can be driven to swing around the axis to realize the control of the jet flow direction.

9. The rear-mounted hubless vane, pitch-adjustable shaftless propulsor of claim 1, wherein: The sealed bearing assembly comprises a water-lubricated bearing arranged between the motor shell and the rotating cylinder, the water-lubricated bearing is forcedly lubricated through an external high-pressure water source and is provided with a sealing structure.

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