Dual Propeller Assembly Coaxial Alignment Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dual propeller systems for watercraft face issues with rapid wear and misalignment due to welding, leading to diminished hole shot performance, especially in shallow water, and are impractical for small, inexpensive boats as they require dual engines.
Innovation Solution
A dual propeller assembly that aligns two propellers without welding, using a barrel with grooves and ancillary parts to secure them coaxially, allowing for easy assembly and minimizing wear, while maintaining top speed and enhancing thrust force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If dual propeller systems are welded together, then alignment and structural strength are improved, but wear increases rapidly and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dual propeller system is divided into two separate propeller assemblies that are not permanently joined. Each propeller maintains its own hub and mounting structure, allowing them to operate independently while functioning together as a dual-propeller system. This segmentation prevents the wear and alignment issues caused by welding while maintaining structural integrity through separate mounting points.
2Ease of manufacture
If dual propeller systems use welding for assembly, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A intermediary mounting structure or alignment mechanism is introduced between the two propellers and the drive shaft. This intermediary component facilitates precise alignment during assembly without requiring welding, allowing for accurate positioning while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized mounting interfaces.
3Force
If dual engines are used to power dual propellers, then thrust force is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Two propellers are combined and mounted on a single engine's drive shaft, allowing one engine to power both propellers. This merging approach achieves the thrust benefits of dual propellers while avoiding the complexity and cost of dual engines, as the single engine's power is distributed to both propellers through the unified mounting system.
4Speed
If propeller RPMs are increased to achieve hole shot in shallow water, then acceleration is improved, but wear increases and top speed is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The dual propeller configuration provides excessive thrust capability that allows the system to achieve hole shot at lower RPMs than a single propeller would require. By having two propellers working together, each propeller operates at more moderate speeds while collectively providing sufficient acceleration force, thereby reducing wear and preserving propeller lifespan.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an inventive dual propeller assembly that can be manually or automatively assembled and includes a leading propeller, and a trailing propeller which are coaxially aligned and secured with a propeller shaft and a locking nut. Various embodiments are disclosed with and without interior grooves for alignment. In all embodiments, the two propellers are secured and aligned with a propeller shaft and locking nut assembly.