Abstract
Podded propulsors are widely used in warships and cruise ships, which have a higher requirement of vibrational and acoustic design. Therefore, studying vibration characteristics and the transmission mechanism of podded propulsor shafting is significant for reducing vibration and ensuring the safe operation of ships. This paper establishes a model of podded propulsor shafting by analytical method. The shafting is simplified to a heterogeneous variable cross-section beam, while bearings are seen as springs. The podded propulsor shafting has one radial-thrust hybrid bearing and one radial bearing. The excitations from the propeller and cabin are considered. The influences of bearing stiffness, bearing location, and excitation on vibration characteristics of shafting are analyzed. The main conclusions are as follows: Based on the analysis of the area that resonance frequency is sensitive to the change of bearing stiffness, the resonance frequencies of the shafting can be adjusted to the proper range. The large span between hybrid bearing and radial bearing leads to low stiffness of shafting and low resonances frequencies. Under radial excitations, the low vibration always occurs at the hybrid bearing, motor shafting, or propeller end of shafting. This research provides theoretical support for the design and optimization of vibration reduction of podded propulsor shafting.
Highlights
This paper proposes an analytical algorithm for the vibration of the podded propulsor shafting system
Conclusions homogeneous variable-section beam is proposed in this paper
An analytical algorithm for treating the podded propulsor shaftingare system established between the segments of the shafting system
Summary
Connecting the propeller directly to the motor, the propulsion system is made into a cabin that is integrally suspended at the stern of the ship, which can rotate 360 degrees to generate thrust in any direction [1]. Ships equipped with podded propulsors have better maneuverability. The vibration and noise levels of ships propelled by pods have been reduced. This is mainly due to the following reasons: The podded propulsor is arranged underwater as a whole so that the inflow is more even. The motor is directly connected to the propeller, so there is no need to install the reduction gear [2]
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