SHIP PROPULSION AND SHIP EQUIPPED THEREWITH

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a ship propulsion system comprising a tunnel-shaped housing and an electrically driven propeller arranged in the housing with an annular rotor which carries a plurality of propeller blades on its radially inner side and has a stator for driving the rotor on its radially outer side.

[0002] Such marine propulsion systems are well known and are used as so-called rim thrusters, both as main propulsion systems and as maneuvering propulsion systems, for example in the form of transverse thrusters, particularly in passenger ships and large yachts. They form a space-saving and lightweight drive that converts electrical energy directly into propulsion power without transmission losses. In the known rim thrusters, the propeller blades are arranged on the radially inner side of the ring-shaped rotor, and the rotor is enclosed by a stator arranged concentrically on the radially outer side, which also extends in a ring around the circumference of the rotor over 360°. The active part of the electrically driven propeller, formed by the stator, is thus mounted completely underwater, completely encloses the rotor, and simultaneously forms the foundation for absorbing the propulsion forces.Depending on the design of the rim thruster, the rotor is mounted on the stator in sliding guides, or the radially inwardly projecting ends of the propeller blades are mounted on a centrally located hub, which in turn is supported on the housing. Examples of such rim thrusters are disclosed in EP 1 739 007 A1 and US Pat. No. 3,708,251 A.

[0003] US 2012 / 0093668 A1 discloses a rim thruster which has a propeller designed as a rotor and is set in rotation by a plurality of stators distributed around the circumference of the rotor.

[0004] A disadvantage of such rim thrusters compared to a conventional transverse thruster is the complex installation and maintenance of the underwater electrical active part of the motor, in particular the stator, which can only be carried out by docking the vessel equipped with the rim thruster. This problem can be avoided by installing a relatively complex, large-scale well in the ship's hull, but this approach is very cost-intensive and requires considerable installation space. DE 10 2006 003 089 B3 describes such a design for a transverse thruster with an annular stator and an annular rotor rotatably mounted within it. A further disadvantage of a rim thruster when used as a (main) drive with a nozzle, for example in the form of an azimuth drive or in a swing-out design, is the comparatively large nozzle cross-section required to accommodate the rotor and stator.Another disadvantage is the high gap losses of known rim thrusters.

[0005] US 2003 / 186601 A1 also discloses the combination of an annular rotor with an annular stator, which completely encloses the annular rotor. A connection box housing the electrical connections is placed on top of the annular stator.

[0006] CN 113 815 832 A teaches a partially submerged propeller that does not require a tunnel-shaped housing, as the stator is mounted on a bracket above the annular rotor. The stator is inserted into this bracket in the area of ​​a groove on the underside and sealed with epoxy resin or a sealant.

[0007] WO 2010 / 134850 A2 describes a bearing arrangement for a propeller provided with a ring on the radial outer side within an annular housing. Both the annular housing and the propeller ring mounted therein have similarly polarized permanent magnets to achieve a magnetic, contactless bearing arrangement. However, no drive power is transferred to the rotor.

[0008] The object of the invention is to propose a ship propulsion system of the type mentioned above, in particular in the form of a rim thruster, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0009] To achieve the stated object, the invention proposes the design of a ship propulsion system having the features of patent claim 1.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] The inventive proposal provides that the stator extends only over a partial circumferential area of ​​the rotor. Such a design makes it possible to reduce the installation space of the ship's propulsion system required by the parts standing in the water, which brings with it advantages in terms of fluid dynamics. Furthermore, the stator can be arranged in a suitable position with respect to the annular rotor such that it can be arranged in a corresponding installation space in the ship's hull, so that it is accessible via the hull and, in particular, can be installed and removed without the ship having to dock. Furthermore, the inventive design results in improved design options for the gap between the rotor and stator in order to minimize gap losses.

[0012] The arrangement of an annular rotor with a stator extending only over a partial circumferential area of ​​the rotor is derived from linear drives, in which the usually elongated straight rail of the linear drive is converted into a rotor with an annular extension.

[0013] It has surprisingly been shown within the scope of the invention that with such an arrangement an electrically driven propeller of a ship's propulsion system can be created with high performance and extremely advantageous design options, even in continuous operation.

[0014] In addition, the invention provides that the housing has a shaft in the region of its upper side into which the stator can be inserted.

[0015] This insertion of the stator into the housing immediately adjacent to the rotor can be facilitated by the fact that, according to a further proposal of the invention, the stator is arranged in a watertight stator housing which can be inserted into the shaft.

[0016] According to a proposal of the invention, the stator is arranged in the upper region of the propeller, for example when viewed in the direction of the propeller rotation axis between a position at approximately 10:00 o'clock and at approximately 2:00 o'clock.

[0017] According to a further proposal of the invention, the stator runs over a ring segment arranged concentrically to the rotor, which is delimited by an angle between approximately 90 and 150°, in particular approximately 120°.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, it is further provided that the propeller blades and the rotor are rotatably mounted on a centrally arranged hub and the hub is supported on the housing.

[0019] In another embodiment of the invention, the propeller blades and the rotor are rotatably mounted on a centrally arranged axle. Advantageously, a hub can also be provided at the radially inner end of the propeller blades, which hub can be mounted fixedly or rotatably on the central axle. The rotor can also be fixedly mounted on the central axle, and the axle itself can be rotatably mounted in the ship's hull.

[0020] Such an embodiment opens up the possibility of providing the marine propulsion system according to the invention as an integrated variant, e.g., as the main propulsion system of a ship. The centrally arranged shaft, provided for supporting the rotor and propeller blades, can then be mounted and supported on or in the ship's hull, similar to a conventional shaft line, and can be rotatably mounted if necessary. The generated propeller thrust is introduced into the ship's hull via the shaft. If the housing, which is preferred in this respect, has a nozzle profile, the resulting nozzle thrust can simultaneously be introduced into the ship's hull via the housing.

[0021] To influence the gap dimensions, the stator housing can also be arranged in the shaft in a height-adjustable manner.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotor can be formed with a plurality of permanent magnets which are arranged at regular intervals along the circumference of the rotor and are optionally coated.

[0023] In addition to such a permanently excited rotor, according to an alternative proposal of the invention, the rotor can also be designed as a squirrel-cage rotor.

[0024] In every embodiment of the marine propulsion system according to the invention, the drive is cooled primarily by the surrounding water. If necessary, the stator can be additionally cooled by targeted water or air cooling. Targeted water or air cooling offers the advantage over cooling by the surrounding water in that it prevents growth of fouling, which would progressively impair cooling performance. Furthermore, with this type of forced cooling, the cooling performance is controllable, and the system can be maintained at an optimal operating temperature.

[0025] In a further embodiment of the invention, the invention also relates to a ship with a hull and a tunnel running through the hull, and a well opening into the tunnel from above, into which a ship's propulsion system as described above is inserted. The housing of the ship's propulsion system forms a partial section of the tunnel in the area of ​​the well and thus continues the tunnel in a flush manner. The well can be designed very simply and space-savingly, since it only needs to accommodate the ship's propulsion system, which can be inserted from above, in particular vertically above the hull.

[0026] In particular, it is intended that the stator in the ship's hull is accessible from the top of the well, which considerably simplifies both installation and maintenance, as docking of the ship is no longer necessary.

[0027] Another possible variant is to integrate the function of the tunnel-shaped housing of the ship's propulsion system directly into the tunnel provided on the ship's side.

[0028] In addition, the tunnel-shaped housing of the ship's propulsion system can also form the complete ship-side tunnel.

[0029] In a further possible embodiment, the ship's propulsion system explained above is not installed in a tunnel of the ship's hull or forms such a tunnel, but the ship's propulsion system is attached or arranged in a known manner as a main or auxiliary drive on the hull of the ship below the waterline.

[0030] According to one possible embodiment, the ship's propulsion system is designed with a central axis on which the propeller blades and the rotor are rotatably mounted, if necessary with the interposition of a hub rotatably mounted on the axis, and the axis is rotatably mounted and supported with one of its ends in the ship's hull, as is also known from conventional shaft drives.

[0031] According to another possible embodiment of the invention, the ship's propulsion system, which is designed in principle similar to the tunnel-mounted version, is mounted on the ship's hull so that it can rotate about a vertical axis and can be rotated about this axis as desired by means of a steering drive, similar to a rudder propeller. Accordingly, the thruster can also be rotated about this axis in any direction to provide both propulsion and steering for the ship.

[0032] Finally, it can also be provided that the rigid ship propulsion system or the one that can be pivoted around the vertical axis can be mounted on or in the ship's hull in a retractable and extendable manner, so that it can be retracted and deactivated during long-distance travel, for example, and extended and put into operation during maneuvering, for example during a mooring maneuver.

[0033] Such marine propulsion systems according to the invention, which are provided below the waterline on the hull, preferably have a nozzle profile at at least one end of the tunnel-shaped housing, e.g., in the form of a correspondingly shaped ring attached to the end region of the housing. If the marine propulsion system has only one preferred flow direction, such a nozzle profile can be provided only on the outlet side of the housing. If the thrust direction is reversible, both ends of the tunnel-shaped housing are preferably equipped with such a nozzle profile. The nozzle profile can advantageously be designed to be particularly slim, thereby reducing flow losses.

[0034] Further embodiments and details of the invention are explained below using exemplary embodiments in the drawings. They show: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a ship propulsion system according to the invention in an exploded view; Figure 2 shows the design according to Figure 1 in assembled configuration viewed from a different angle; Figure 3 the design according to Figure 2 in a vertical sectional view; Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a ship propulsion system according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a vertical section through the embodiment according to Figure 4 ; Figure 6 shows a schematic representation of a ship equipped with a ship propulsion system; Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of a ship propulsion system according to the invention; Figure 8a shows a further embodiment of a ship propulsion system according to the invention in a front view; Figure 8b shows the ship propulsion system according to Figure 8a in a perspective view viewed from the rear; Figure 8c schematic representation of the installation of the ship's propulsion system according to Figures 8a and 8b to a ship's hull.

[0035] From the Figure 6 is a highly simplified sectional view of a ship with a hull 3 and a tunnel 30 running through the hull 3 at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof, which tunnel 30 accommodates a propeller 2 enclosed by a housing 1, with which a water stream in the tunnel 30 can be accelerated to the right or left as shown in the drawing and ejected from the hull 3, allowing the ship to be maneuvered, for example, at right angles to the longitudinal axis. The housing 1 accommodating the propeller 2 is, as will be explained in more detail below, itself tunnel-shaped and forms a section of the tunnel 30 in the area of ​​the well 4, in which it continues the walls of the tunnel 30 flush or aligned. The propeller 2 is constructed in the manner described below and is electrically driven.

[0036] The entire drive unit is shown in further detail in the Figure 1visible. The sections of the tunnel 30 leading horizontally out of the well shaft 40 on both sides of the well 4 can be seen, which end in the corresponding hull openings (not shown here).

[0037] From the top of the well 4, an electric marine propulsion system is inserted into the well shaft 40 in a vertical direction, which has a tunnel-shaped housing 1 which, when installed in the well shaft, continues the sections of the tunnel 30 in the area of ​​the well 4 and is thus tubular with dimensions adapted to the geometry of the tunnel 30.

[0038] Arranged within the tunnel-shaped housing 1 is the electrically driven propeller 2, which carries a plurality of propeller blades 21, typically five or seven such propeller blades 21. For the rotatable mounting of the propeller 2, the radially inner ends of the propeller blades 21 are attached to a horizontally extending hub 23, which is rotatably mounted on a fixed axle by means of rolling bearings in a manner not shown in detail. The hub 23 or its axle is connected to the housing 1 via a support structure with several struts 210 and supported thereon. The bearing is typically oil-lubricated, and seals seal the rolling bearing space.

[0039] The radially outer ends of the propeller blades 21 are connected to an annular, permanently excited rotor 20 which rotates in the region of the inner surface of the tubular or tunnel-shaped housing 1.

[0040] For the electrical rotary drive of the permanently excited rotor 20, a stator 22 is provided in a manner known per se, which stator carries a plurality of windings for forming current-carrying coils as well as their external connections, which are collectively designated by reference numeral 221 in the figures. The stator 22 is housed in an associated stator housing 220, which is sealed against the ingress of liquid on the tunnel side and is inserted into a shaft 10 attached to the top of the tunnel-shaped housing 1, so that the stator 22 is positioned coaxially and directly adjacent to the annular rotor 20. By means of a height adjustment (not shown in detail), the stator 22, together with the housing 220, can be adjusted in height relative to the annular rotor 20 within the shaft 10, for example in order to precisely adjust the gap between the rotor 20 and the stator 22.

[0041] As can be seen in particular from the further descriptions of the ship’s propulsion system according to Figures 2 and 3 As can be seen in the installation position, not only is the housing 1 inserted from above into the well shaft 40 of the well 4, but the stator 22 with its stator housing 220 is also inserted from above into the shaft 10 of the housing 1. Thus, in particular the stator 22, together with its coils and external connections 221, is accessible upwards to the engine room arranged in the hull 3 of the ship and can be installed and maintained from the hull 3 without the ship having to be docked.

[0042] An essential feature of the arrangement shown is that the stator 22, as can be seen in particular from the Figure 3As can be seen, only runs in the upper region of the propeller 2 along a partial circumferential region of the rotor 20, in such a way that the stator 22 runs over a ring segment arranged concentrically to the rotor, which is delimited by an angle α of approximately 120°. Since the rotor 20 rotating below the stator 22 has a plurality of permanent magnets 200 arranged at equal intervals, the rotor 20, together with the propeller blades 21 attached to it, is set in rotation by the stator 22, which is arranged only in a ring segment, and driven with the necessary drive torque, in the manner of a linear drive arranged in a ring shape.

[0043] The electric drive is primarily cooled by the surrounding water. If necessary, the stator 22 can be additionally cooled by water or air cooling. Compared to cooling by the surrounding water, this offers the advantage that no growth of vegetation can occur, which would progressively impair cooling performance. Furthermore, with this type of forced cooling, the cooling performance is easily adjustable, and the system can be maintained at an optimal operating temperature.

[0044] In contrast, the representations according to Figures 4 and 5 a modified embodiment of the invention in which the same parts have been given the same reference numerals and, to avoid repetition, are not explained again unless this is necessary for understanding the invention.

[0045] In contrast to the design according to Figures 1 to 3The tunnel-shaped housing 1 is not inserted as a separate component into a well 4 of the ship (not shown), but the tunnel 30 of the ship simultaneously assumes the function of the housing 1 of the ship's propulsion system and accommodates the rotating rotor 20. In this embodiment, the stator 22 with its stator housing 220 is inserted directly into the well 4 formed above the tunnel 30 and is thus also accessible via the hull 3 of the ship in this embodiment.

[0046] It is understood that instead of arranging a plurality of magnets 200 on the rotor 20, the design of a rotor 20 as a squirrel-cage rotor may also be considered.

[0047] With the ship propulsion system described above, a significantly reduced flow resistance is achieved through considerably smaller surfaces that are perpendicular to the flow.

[0048] Furthermore, the maintenance and handling of the electric drive of the propeller 2 is significantly simplified by the separation of the stator 22 from the rotor 20 provided according to the invention, which is further promoted by the fact that the entire drive can be carried out without docking the ship via the well 4 accessible from the hull 3 of the ship.

[0049] The Figure 7 shows a ship propulsion system modified from the previously explained embodiments, in which the same parts have been given the same reference numerals as in the previous example and are not explained again separately to avoid repetition.

[0050] The Figure 7The illustrated marine propulsion system, with its tunnel- or tubular-shaped housing 1, is not inserted into a tunnel 30 formed in the ship's hull 3, but is intended for external attachment to a ship's hull (not shown) below the waterline to serve as a propulsion system. Here, too, the stator 22 is inserted from the interior of the ship's hull 3 via a suitably provided shaft 10 and a communicating opening in the ship's hull 3, without requiring docking.

[0051] To increase the efficiency of this drive, slim nozzle profiles are provided at both ends of the tunnel-shaped housing, which also serve as water outlets for the water masses accelerated by the propeller 2. These nozzle profiles are each formed by correspondingly shaped rings 100 attached to the ends of the housing 1. The rings 100 also serve to support the struts 210 for holding the hub 23. Due to the bilateral arrangement of the rings 100, a nozzle profile can be used in both thrust directions.

[0052] In addition, the ship’s propulsion system can be Figure 7 can also be attached to the ship's hull 3 so that it can rotate about a vertical axis V and can be pivoted about the axis V by means of a control drive (not shown) in order to be able to rotate the thrust jet as desired about the axis V and to steer the ship accordingly.

[0053] Furthermore, a retractable and extendable support for the ship’s propulsion system can be provided according to Figure 7be provided on the ship's hull 3.

[0054] In the Figures 8a to 8c In the further embodiment of a marine propulsion system shown, an axle 5 extending along the rotational axis of the rotor 20 is provided within the hub 23, on which axle 5 the hub 23 is rigidly mounted or rotatably mounted. The axle 5 protrudes axially at one end of the tunnel-shaped housing 1, while a ring 100 with a nozzle profile is arranged at the opposite end. In this respect, it is an asymmetrical nozzle with a preferred direction opposite to the projecting axle 5.

[0055] Such a ship propulsion system can be used as the main propulsion system in the Figure 8c be attached, for example, to the stern of the ship's hull 3 in a schematically illustrated manner, so that the stator 22 can be inserted from the ship's hull 3 via the shaft 10.

[0056] The axle 5, which projects rearward, i.e., opposite to the preferred thrust direction, is guided into the ship's hull 3 and supported there. If the hub 23 is rigidly mounted, it may be rotatably mounted, as is known from conventional shaft drives. The propeller thrust can then be introduced into the ship's hull 30 via the axle 5, while the additionally generated jet thrust is transmitted to the ship's hull via the housing 1 and the shaft 10.

[0057] Such a ship propulsion system according to Figures 8a to 8c can therefore be used both for new installations and as a replacement for conventional shaft propulsion on existing ships. List of reference symbols:

[0058] 1: Housing 2: Propeller 3: Fuselage 4: Well 5: Axle 10: Shaft 20: Rotor 21: Propeller blades 22: Stator 23: Hub 30: Tunnel 40: Well shaft 100: Ring 200: Permanent magnet 210: Struts 220: Stator housing 221: Connections and windings α:angle V:vertical axis

Claims

1. Ship propulsion system, comprising a tunnel-like housing (1) and an electrically driven propeller (2) with an annular rotor (20) arranged in the housing (1), which on its radially inner side supports a plurality of propeller blades (21) and on its radially outer side has a stator (22) for driving the rotor (20) which extends only over a partial circumferential region of the rotor (20), characterized in that the housing (1) has a shaft (10) in the region of its upper side into which the stator (22) can be inserted.

2. Ship propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that the stator (22) is arranged in the upper region of the propeller (2).

3. Ship propulsion system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stator (22) extends over an annular segment arranged concentrically to the rotor (20), which annular segment is limited by an angle (α) of between 90 and 150°.

4. Ship propulsion system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the propeller blades (21) and the rotor (20) are mounted rotatably on a centrally arranged hub (23) and the hub is supported on the housing (1).

5. Ship propulsion system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the propeller blades (21) and the rotor (20) are mounted rotatably on a centrally arranged axle (5).

6. Ship propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that the stator (22) is arranged in a watertight stator housing (220) which can be inserted into the shaft (10).

7. Ship propulsion system according to claim 6, characterized in that the stator housing (220) is arranged in the shaft (10) so as to adjustable in height.

8. Ship propulsion system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the rotor (20) is provided with a plurality of permanent magnets (200) around its circumference or is in the form of a squirrel-cage rotor.

9. Ship comprising a hull (3) and a tunnel (30) running through the hull (3) and a well (4) opening into the tunnel (30) from above, into which a ship propulsion system according to any one of the preceding claims is inserted, wherein the housing (1) of the ship propulsion system forms a portion of the tunnel (30) in the region of the well (4) and the stator (22) in the ship's hull (3) is accessible from the top of the well (4).

10. Ship comprising a hull (3) and a ship propulsion system arranged on the hull (3) below a waterline according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. Ship according to claim 10, characterized in that the tunnel-like housing (1) is formed at one or both ends by a ring (100) that has a nozzle profile.

12. Ship according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the ship propulsion system is secured to the hull (3) so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis (V) and / or is arranged on the hull (3) so as be retractable and extendable.