Thrust-metering & resonance-changing equipment

Part of the Rolls-Royce Group, Michell Bearings is a premier designer and manufacturer of whitemetal (or babbitt) and PTFE faced hydrodynamic bearings for a wide variety of marine and industrial applications.

Hydraulic thrust metering equipment can be incorporated in Michell thrust bearings to provide a simple way of measuring propeller thrust. The system can be further modified to allow the stiffness & damping characteristics of the shaftline to be controlled.

By using an arrangement of hydraulic cylinders behind the thrust face, the pistons can be energised and the main thrust face will move away from the casing and be supported solely by oil pressure. By knowing the oil pressure and area of the pistons, the thrust load can be calculated (Pressure = Force / Area).

Features

• Potential to retrofit equipment in to in-service vessels
• Can be used continuously to ensure operation at extremes of dynamic misalignment
• Equipment can be modified to include resonance changing capability

The resonance changer is an adaptation of the thrust metering equipment, which uses the high-pressure oil in the hydraulic system to vary the stiffness of the shaft line as a whole. Altering the stiffness enables any harmful resonant frequencies to be eliminated from the operating speed range.

A complete service is offered covering initial assessment, conceptual through to detailed design, manufacture, and integrated logistics and through-life support. Michell Bearings are installed on vessels covering more than 35 navies worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.michellbearings.com/