Hydraulic thrust metering equipment can be incorporated
to Michell® thrust bearings to provide an relatively
simple way of measuring propeller thrust. The system
can be further modified to allow the stiffness and 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 and benefits
- In some cases, this equipment can be retrofitted
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.
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