Engine device

Abstract

To provide an engine device capable of evading stopping of a vessel when an engine device failure occurs.SOLUTION: An engine device includes a front engine 2 and a rear engine 3, the front engine 2 has three cylinders arranged serially along a crank shaft 13, the rear engine 3 has three cylinders arranged serially along the crank shaft 13, each crank pin of each engine is provided to have phase difference of crank angles between adjacent crank pins be at equal intervals, a crank angle of the crank pin closest to one end of the crank shaft 13 of the engine 2 is equivalent to the crank angle of the crank pin closest to the other end of the crank shaft 13 in the rear engine 3, and the crank angle of the crank pin second closest to one end of the crank shaft 13 of the front engine 2 is configured to be equivalent to the crank angle of the crank pin which is second closest to the other end of the crank shaft 13 of the rear engine 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an engine device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a single-shaft vessel that is equipped with one propeller and drives the propeller with one engine. The main engine rotates a drive shaft connected to the propeller. A diesel engine is generally used as the engine.

[0003] When a malfunction occurs in one cylinder of a marine propulsion engine, the fuel supply to the malfunctioning cylinder is stopped and the ship is operated on reduced cylinders to avoid stopping, but reduced cylinder operation significantly reduces engine performance, and requires personnel licensed to maintain and operate propulsion equipment to be stationed near the engine at all times to operate it. The reduced engine performance is caused by the fact that equipment such as the turbocharger, air cooler, and speed governor cannot perform adequately due to the reduced power output caused by reduced cylinder operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-148265 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, autonomous ships are being made more efficient with the aim of improving the working environment for ship crew members and boosting competitiveness. However, autonomous ships do not have personnel on board to maintain and operate the propulsion equipment, which means that there is a problem that it is not possible to avoid the ship stopping by running with reduced cylinders as in the past.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an engine device that can avoid stopping a ship when a malfunction of the engine device occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an engine device according to the present invention includes a crankshaft, a first engine that drives the crankshaft, and a second engine that is provided in series with the first engine along the crankshaft and drives the crankshaft, the first engine has three or four cylinders that are provided in series along the crankshaft, the second engine has the same number of cylinders as the cylinders of the first engine that are provided in series along the crankshaft, and the crankshaft has crank pins that correspond to the cylinders of the first engine and crank pins that correspond to the cylinders of the second engine. the crank pins of the first engine are arranged so that the phase difference in crank angle between adjacent crank pins is equal to the phase difference in crank angle between adjacent crank pins of the second engine, the crank angle of the crank pin of the first engine that is closest to one end of the crankshaft is equal to the crank angle of the crank pin of the second engine that is closest to the other end of the crankshaft, and the crank angle of the crank pin of the first engine that is second closest to one end of the crankshaft is equal to the crank angle of the crank pin of the second engine that is second closest to the other end of the crankshaft.

[0008] The engine may further include a first fuel supply valve that adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the first engine, a second fuel supply valve that adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the second engine, and an abnormality monitoring device that monitors abnormalities in the first and second engines and controls the first fuel supply valve and the second fuel supply valve, wherein the abnormality monitoring device closes the first fuel supply valve when it detects an abnormality in the first engine during operation of the first and second engines, and closes the second fuel supply valve when it detects an abnormality in the second engine. Additionally, the first engine and the second engine may each have a supercharger, an air cooler, and a governor. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The engine device according to the present invention includes a first engine and a second engine, and the crankshaft has crankpins provided corresponding to the cylinders of the first engine and crankpins provided corresponding to the cylinders of the second engine, each crankpin of the first engine is arranged so that the phase difference in crank angle between adjacent crankpins is equal to the crank angle of the crankpin of the second engine, the crank angle of the crankpin closest to one end of the crankshaft of the first engine is equal to the crank angle of the crankpin closest to the other end of the crankshaft of the second engine, and the crank angle of the crankpin second closest to one end of the crankshaft of the first engine is equal to the crank angle of the crankpin second closest to the other end of the crankshaft of the second engine, thereby making it possible to avoid stopping the ship in the event of a malfunction of the engine device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a vessel equipped with a vessel propulsion engine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the marine propulsion engine shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control system for the marine propulsion engine shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing devices of the marine propulsion engine shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a crank angle of the marine propulsion engine shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram showing a crank angle of a marine propulsion engine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, an engine device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a ship equipped with a ship propulsion engine according to the first embodiment. The ship 1 is a single-shaft ship equipped with one propeller and driven by one ship propulsion engine. The ship 1 is also an automatically operated ship equipped with an automatic operation control device (not shown) and in which operation control such as output operation and steering of the ship propulsion engine is automatically performed. The ship 1 is equipped with a ship propulsion engine 20 having a front engine 2 provided close to the bow 1a and a rear engine 3 provided close to the stern 1b. The ship propulsion engine 20 constitutes an engine device. The front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 are diesel engines that use heavy oil as fuel and are connected in series. The rear engine 3 is connected to a propeller 5 via a propeller shaft 4. The front engine 2 constitutes a first engine, and the rear engine 3 constitutes a second engine.

[0012] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the ship propulsion engine 20 shown in Fig. 1. The front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 share a crankshaft 13. The crankshaft 13 has a crank journal 16. The front engine 2 has three cylinders (not shown) arranged in series along the crankshaft 13. The crankshaft 13 in the front engine 2 has, in order from the bow side of the ship 1 shown in Fig. 1, a first crankpin 14a, a second crankpin 14b, and a third crankpin 14c. The first crank pin 14a, the second crank pin 14b, and the third crank pin 14c are each connected to a connecting rod of each piston (not shown) provided in the three cylinders of the front engine 2. The crankshaft 13 has a first crank arm 15a connecting the first crank pin 14a to the crank journal 16, a second crank arm 15b connecting the second crank pin 14b to the crank journal 16, and a third crank arm 15c connecting the third crank pin 14c to the crank journal 16.

[0013] The rear engine 3 has three cylinders (not shown) arranged in series along the crankshaft 13. The crankshaft 13 in the rear engine 3 has a fourth crank pin 14d, a fifth crank pin 14e, and a sixth crank pin 14f, in this order from the bow side of the boat 1 shown in FIG. 1. The fourth crank pin 14d, the fifth crank pin 14e, and the sixth crank pin 14f are connected to connecting rods (not shown) of pistons provided in the three cylinders of the rear engine 3, respectively. The crankshaft 13 also has a fourth crank arm 15d connecting the fourth crank pin 14d and the crank journal 16, a fifth crank arm 15e connecting the fifth crank pin 14e and the crank journal 16, and a sixth crank arm 15f connecting the sixth crank pin 14f and the crank journal 16.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a control system of the marine propulsion engine 20 shown in FIG. 1. A fuel inlet pipe 6 for supplying fuel FO is connected to the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3. A solenoid valve 7 is provided in the fuel inlet pipe 6 connected to the front engine 2, and a solenoid valve 8 is provided in the fuel inlet pipe 6 connected to the rear engine 3. The marine vessel 1 also has an abnormality monitoring device 9 for monitoring an abnormality of the marine propulsion engine 20. By closing the solenoid valve 7 or the solenoid valve 8 in response to a command from the abnormality monitoring device 9, the fuel FO can be shut off and ignition of either the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 can be selectively stopped. In the first embodiment, the abnormality monitoring device 9 is mounted on the marine vessel 1, but the abnormality monitoring device 9 may be installed on land to remotely monitor an abnormality of the marine propulsion engine 20.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the devices of the marine propulsion engine 20 shown in Fig. 1. In the marine propulsion engine 20, a turbocharger 10, an air cooler 11, and a governor 12 are provided in each of the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3.

[0016] In a conventional marine propulsion engine, only one turbocharger, air cooler, and governor are provided for the entire marine propulsion engine, and therefore, in reduced-cylinder operation, the capacities of the turbocharger, air cooler, and governor deviate from the appropriate range for engine operation. In contrast, in the marine propulsion engine 20 of the present embodiment, the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 are provided with a turbocharger 10, an air cooler 11, and a governor 12, respectively, so that even when the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is operating with reduced cylinders, the capacities of the turbocharger, air cooler, and governor are within the appropriate range for each engine, and the engines can be operated independently. Furthermore, even when only one of the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is operating, the capacities of the turbocharger, air cooler, and governor are within the appropriate range for each engine, and the operating engine can maintain its performance as planned.

[0017] In the marine propulsion engine 20 of this embodiment, even when only one of the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is operating, lubricating oil and cooling water continue to be supplied to the engine whose ignition is stopped. The equipment related to the supply of lubricating oil and cooling water may be provided for both engines, or may be provided independently for each of the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3.

[0018] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the crank angle of the marine propulsion engine shown in Fig. 1. The front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 share a crankshaft 13. The first crankpin 14a and the second crankpin 14b of the front engine 2 are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 120° apart, and the second crankpin 14b and the third crankpin 14c are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 120° apart. The fourth crankpin 14d and the fifth crankpin 14e of the rear engine 3 are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 120° apart, and the fifth crankpin 14e and the sixth crankpin 14f are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 120° apart. In other words, the crank pins of the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 are arranged at equal intervals of 120°, and the first crank pin 14a of the front engine 2 and the sixth crank pin 14f of the rear engine 3, the second crank pin 14b of the front engine 2 and the fifth crank pin 14e of the rear engine 3, and the third crank pin 14c of the front engine 2 and the fourth crank pin 14d of the rear engine 3 are each arranged at the same crank angle.

[0019] As described above, the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 of the ship 1, which is an automatically operated ship, share the crankshaft 13, and the first crank pin 14a, the second crank pin 14b, and the third crank pin 14c are arranged so that the crank angle phase difference is 120° apart, and the fourth crank pin 14d, the fifth crank pin 14e, and the sixth crank pin 14f are arranged so that the crank angle phase difference is 120° apart, and further, the first crank pin 14a and the sixth crank pin 14f, the second crank pin 14b and the fifth crank pin 14e, and the third crank pin 14c and the fourth crank pin 14d are arranged at the same crank angle. Therefore, even if either the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is not ignited, the inertial force by the piston does not change, and as a result, the primary and secondary vibrations of the ship propulsion engine 20 are canceled out, and do not cause any operational problems. In other words, even if either the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 stops due to a malfunction, the boat 1 can be prevented from stopping.

[0020] Thus, the engine device according to the first embodiment includes a crankshaft 13, a front engine 2 that drives the crankshaft 13, and a rear engine 3 that is provided in series with the front engine 2 along the crankshaft 13 and drives the crankshaft 13. The front engine 2 has three cylinders that are arranged in series along the crankshaft 13, and the rear engine 3 has three cylinders that are the same number as the three cylinders of the front engine 2, that are arranged in series along the crankshaft 13. The crankshaft 13 has a first crankpin 14a, a second crankpin 14b, and a third crankpin 14c that are respectively provided corresponding to the cylinders of the front engine 2, and a fourth crankpin 14d, a fifth crankpin 14e, and a sixth crankpin 14f that are respectively provided corresponding to the cylinders of the rear engine 3. The crank pin 14b and the third crank pin 14c are arranged so that the phase difference in crank angle between adjacent crank pins is equal to the crank angle of the fourth crank pin 14d, the fifth crank pin 14e, and the sixth crank pin 14f of the rear engine 3 are arranged so that the phase difference in crank angle between adjacent crank pins is equal to the crank angle of the sixth crank pin 14f of the rear engine 3 which is closest to one end of the crankshaft 13, and the crank angle of the second crank pin 14b of the front engine 2 which is second closest to one end of the crankshaft 13 is equal to the crank angle of the fifth crank pin 14e of the rear engine 3 which is second closest to the other end of the crankshaft 13, so that the ship 1 can be avoided from stopping when a malfunction of the propulsion engine occurs.

[0021] The ship further includes a solenoid valve 7 which adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the front engine 2, a solenoid valve 8 which adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the rear engine 3, and an abnormality monitoring device 9 which monitors the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 for abnormalities and controls the solenoid valve 7 and the solenoid valve 8. The abnormality monitoring device 9 closes the solenoid valve 7 when it detects an abnormality in the front engine 2 while the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 are in operation, and closes the solenoid valve 8 when it detects an abnormality in the rear engine 3.This means that the ignition of an engine that has a malfunction in the ship 1 can be selectively stopped, and operation can continue with the other engines, avoiding the ship 1 from stopping.

[0022] In addition, since the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 each have a turbocharger 10, an air cooler 11 and a governor 12, even if only one of the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is operating, the capacities of the turbocharger, air cooler and governor are within an appropriate range for the operation of each engine, and the operating engine can maintain its performance as planned.

[0023] Embodiment 2 Next, an engine device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the same reference characters as those in Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 of the first embodiment denote the same or similar components, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the engine device according to the second embodiment, the front engine and the rear engine each have four cylinders, unlike the first embodiment. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the crank angle of a ship propulsion engine equipped with a front engine and a rear engine each having four cylinders. The front engine 2 has four cylinders arranged in series along the crankshaft, and has a first crankpin 14g, a second crankpin 14h, a third crankpin 14i, and a fourth crankpin 14j corresponding to each cylinder, in that order from the bow side. The first crankpin 14g and the second crankpin 14h are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart, the second crankpin 14h and the third crankpin 14i are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart, and the third crankpin 14i and the fourth crankpin 14j are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart.

[0024] The rear engine 3 has four cylinders arranged in series along the crankshaft, and from the bow side, a fifth crankpin 14k, a sixth crankpin 14l, a seventh crankpin 14m, and an eighth crankpin 14n corresponding to each cylinder. The fifth crankpin 14k and the sixth crankpin 14l are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart, the sixth crankpin 14l and the seventh crankpin 14m are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart, and the seventh crankpin 14m and the eighth crankpin 14n are arranged so that the phase difference of the crank angles is 90° apart.

[0025] The first crankpin 14g of the front engine 2 and the eighth crankpin 14n of the rear engine 3, the second crankpin 14h of the front engine 2 and the seventh crankpin 14m of the rear engine 3, the third crankpin 14i of the front engine 2 and the sixth crankpin 14l of the rear engine 3, and the fourth crankpin 14j of the front engine 2 and the fifth crankpin 14k of the rear engine 3 are each arranged at the same crank angle.

[0026] Therefore, even if either the front engine 2 or the rear engine 3 is not fired, the inertial force due to the pistons does not change, and as a result, the primary and secondary vibrations of the ship propulsion engine 20 are cancelled out and do not pose an operational problem. In this way, in a ship equipped with the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3, each having four cylinders, according to the second embodiment, even if one of the engines stops due to a malfunction, the ship can be prevented from stopping, just as in the ship equipped with the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3, each having three cylinders, according to the first embodiment.

[0027] In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 share the crankshaft 13. However, it is also possible to provide separate crankshafts for the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3, and connect the end of the crankshaft of the front engine 2 and the end of the crankshaft of the rear engine 3 with a flange.

[0028] In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the ship 1 is an automatically operated ship, but it may be a ship (a manned ship) that is not an automatically operated ship. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the ship 1 is a single-shaft ship, but it may be a ship having two or more propeller shafts 4, and equipped with a ship propulsion engine having two or more engines connected in series for each propeller shaft.

[0029] Further, the front engine 2 and the rear engine 3 in the first and second embodiments of the present invention use heavy oil as fuel, but this is not limited to this and any other type of fuel such as gasoline, diesel, or natural gas may be used.

[0030] Furthermore, although the marine propulsion engines according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention are provided on a marine vessel, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on various types of moving bodies other than marine vessels, such as automobiles, or on various types of facilities installed on land. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 2 front engine (first engine), 3 rear engine (second engine), 7 solenoid valve (first fuel supply valve), 8 solenoid valve (second fuel supply valve), 9 abnormality monitoring device, 10 turbocharger, 11 air cooler, 12 governor, 13 crankshaft, 14a first crankpin, 14b second crankpin, 14c third crankpin, 14d fourth crankpin, 14e fifth crankpin, 14f sixth crankpin, 14g first crankpin, 14h second crankpin, 14i third crankpin, 14j fourth crankpin, 14k fifth crankpin, 14l sixth crankpin, 14m seventh crankpin, 14n eighth crankpin.

Claims

1. A crankshaft, a first engine that drives the crankshaft; a second engine provided in series with the first engine along the crankshaft and configured to drive the crankshaft; Equipped with the first engine has three or four cylinders arranged in series along the crankshaft; the second engine has a number of cylinders arranged in series along the crankshaft equal to the number of cylinders of the first engine; the crankshaft has crank pins provided corresponding to the cylinders of the first engine, and crank pins provided corresponding to the cylinders of the second engine, the crank pins of the first engine are provided such that the phase difference of the crank angles between adjacent crank pins is equal to the phase difference between adjacent crank pins, the crank pins of the second engine are provided such that the phase difference of the crank angles between adjacent crank pins is equal to each other, a crank angle of the crank pin of the first engine that is closest to one end of the crankshaft is equal to a crank angle of the crank pin of the second engine that is closest to the other end of the crankshaft, An engine system, wherein a crank angle of the crank pin of the first engine that is second closest to one end of the crankshaft is equal to a crank angle of the crank pin of the second engine that is second closest to the other end of the crankshaft.

2. a first fuel supply valve that adjusts an amount of fuel supplied to the first engine; a second fuel supply valve that adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the second engine; an abnormality monitoring device that monitors abnormalities of the first engine and the second engine and controls the first fuel supply valve and the second fuel supply valve; Further equipped with 2. The engine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality monitoring device closes the first fuel supply valve when it detects an abnormality in the first engine during operation of the first engine and the second engine, and closes the second fuel supply valve when it detects an abnormality in the second engine.

3. 3. The engine system according to claim 1, wherein the first engine and the second engine each include a supercharger, an air cooler, and a governor.

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