Integrated Propeller Thrust Bearing for Wear-Resistant Shaft Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional propellers in recreational sport boats experience wear and loosening due to high cycle loads, leading to inefficiencies and damage from contact with the strut, particularly when used for water sports that involve frequent stopping and starting.
Innovation Solution
A propeller assembly with a thrust bearing made of a harder material than the propeller, which is integrated with the propeller to form a unified assembly, reducing wear and preventing loosening by distributing the axial force through the thrust bearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional propeller is used in recreational sport boats, then the boat can be propelled through water, but the propeller experiences wear and loosening due to high cycle loads from frequent stopping and starting
Solution Approach 1:
A thrust bearing is introduced as an intermediary component between the propeller and drive shaft. The thrust bearing absorbs axial loads and thrust forces, preventing direct contact and wear between the propeller and drive shaft. This mediator protects the propeller connection from high cycle loads during frequent stopping and starting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The material hardness parameter is changed by using a harder material for the thrust bearing than for the propeller. This parameter change allows the thrust bearing to withstand wear from axial loads while protecting the propeller, resolving the contradiction between connection stability and service life under high cycle loads.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the propeller is positioned forward of the transom beneath the hull bottom, then safety is improved for water sports, but the propeller is subject to high cycle loads from water sports operations
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust bearing serves as a mediator that protects the propeller connection from the harsh operating conditions inherent in water sports. By absorbing axial loads and thrust forces, the thrust bearing maintains connection stability while allowing the propeller to remain in the safer forward position beneath the hull bottom.
Solution Approach 2:
The propeller assembly uses composite construction with the propeller and thrust bearing made of different materials optimized for their specific functions. The thrust bearing is made of a harder material to withstand wear, while the propeller can be made of materials optimized for propulsion efficiency, creating a composite assembly that addresses both safety and reliability requirements.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If a thrust bearing made of harder material than the propeller is used, then wear is reduced and loosening is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the propeller for propulsion and the thrust bearing for load management. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the thrust bearing made of harder material to withstand wear, while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that integrates these components.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust bearing performs multiple functions within the propeller assembly: it absorbs axial loads, reduces wear between the propeller and drive shaft, and prevents loosening during high cycle loads. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the design extends service life without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A boat and a propeller assembly for a boat. The propeller assembly includes a propeller and a thrust bearing, and the thrust bearing is made of a harder material than the propeller. The boat may also include a hull, a drive shaft, and a motor. The motor may be positioned within the hull and configured to rotate the drive shaft. The drive shaft may extend through a hull bottom of the hull and the propeller assembly may be positioned forward of a transom of the hull and beneath the hull bottom. The propeller may include a central hub having a hole capable of having the drive shaft inserted therethrough. The thrust bearing may be located in the hole of the central hub and secured to the propeller such that the thrust bearing and the propeller form a unified assembly.