AU2013346967B2

AU2013346967B2 - Submarine

Info

Publication number: AU2013346967B2
Application number: AU2013346967A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Christian Bruhn
Original assignee: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
Current assignee: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
Priority date: 2012-11-15
Filing date: 2013-11-11
Publication date: 2017-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-11
Also published as: KR20150085021A; AU2013346967A1; DE102012220918B3; EP2920063A1; TR201816337T4; ES2688524T3; WO2014076025A1; EP2920063B1; KR101954488B1

Abstract

A submarine has a pressure hull, a rudder situated outside the pressure hull and an electric servomotor (2) situated in the pressure hull, said servomotor being motion-coupled to the rudder. An auxiliary drive (34) is provided on the servomotor (2).

Description

-1 - 2013346967 12 May 2017

SUBMARINE

DESCRIPTION

[0001] The invention relates to a submarine having the features indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

[0003] Hitherto, submarines have generally been fitted with hydraulic rudder engines. These rudder engines are supplied with hydraulic fluid by a hydraulic system arranged centrally in the submarine. For safety reasons, the hydraulic system is generally designed with multiple redundancy. If there is nevertheless a failure of the hydraulic system which prevents the rudder engine from being supplied with hydraulic fluid, an air-operated hydraulic pump is generally available in addition, which then ensures that the rudder engine is supplied with the hydraulic fluid. Even if this air-operated hydraulic pump fails, the required hydraulic fluid can still be fed to the rudder engine by means of hand pumps.

[0004] An alternative to hydraulic rudder engines are rudder engines having an electric servomotor of the kind known from DE 10 2010 015 665 A1. In the case of this servomotor, the rudder thereof is motion-coupled to a spindle drive, wherein the part of the spindle drive which is capable of linear motion, which can be either the spindle or the spindle nut, acts via an articulated linkage on the rudder. However, problems arise if the servomotor fails since actuation of the rudder is then no longer possible.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

[0006] Given this background situation, the invention in at least one preferred form advantageously improves a submarine, the rudder system or rudder systems of which are fitted with an electric servomotor, in such a way that the rudder or rudders can be actuated even if the servomotor fails.

[0007] As set out in claim 1, there is provided a submarine having a pressure hull, having at least one rudder situated outside the pressure hull and having an electric servomotor, -2- 2013346967 12 May 2017 which is arranged in the pressure hull and is motion-coupled to the rudder, an auxiliary drive provided on the servomotor, and a transmission connecting the auxiliary drive to the rotor of the servomotor, wherein the servomotor has a releasable clutch, which is arranged between a transmission drive train connected to the auxiliary drive and a transmission drive train connected to the rotor. Advantageous developments of this submarine will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawing. Here, the features indicated in the dependent claims can each develop the solution according to the invention as claimed in claim 1 either per se or, alternatively, in suitable combination with one another.

[0008] As is usual, the submarine according to the invention has a pressure hull and at least one rudder system, which has at least one rudder arranged outside the pressure hull, which can be a vertical rudder or a horizontal rudder, and a drive motion-coupled to the rudder. This drive is an electric servomotor and is preferably a synchronous-torque motor, the rotor of which is connected to a part of a spindle drive capable of rotary motion. A part of the spindle drive capable of linear motion, which is preferably the spindle, is passed through a pressure-hull leadthrough to the outside of the pressure hull, where said part of the spindle drive is motion-coupled to the rudder stock of the rudder in a known manner by means of an articulated linkage.

[0009] In order to be able to actuate the rudder, even when there is a fault in the servomotor or when the power supply to the servomotor fails, an auxiliary drive is provided on the servomotor. The arrangement of the auxiliary drive on the servomotor is such that a torque produced by the auxiliary drive can be transmitted directly or indirectly to the rotor of the servomotor via a transmission, the rudder thus being adjusted by means of the auxiliary drive. As an advantageous option, this auxiliary drive can be an integral part of the servomotor, the servomotor and the auxiliary drive thus forming a common unit. As an alternative to this, the auxiliary drive can be a separate assembly from the servomotor, which is coupled to the servomotor only when required, i.e. if the servomotor fails, wherein, in the latter case, the servomotor has a coupling device suitable for this purpose.

[0010] In principle, any drive motor suitable for the purpose can be used as an auxiliary drive. Thus, for example, electrically or hydraulically actuated motors are connected or can be connected as auxiliary drives to the rotor. In addition, a manual drive in the form of a handwheel connected to the rotor or a crank is also conceivable as an auxiliary drive. However, a compressed air motor is preferably provided as an auxiliary drive. As an expedient possibility, this is connected to the compressed air system which is usually present in submarines. It is advantageous if a planetary transmission is connected to the output of -3- 2013346967 12 May 2017 the compressed air motor in order to reduce the comparatively high operating speeds of the compressed air motor. Such compressed air motors with a planetary transmission connected to the output are commercially available as compact units.

[0011] It is expedient if the connection between the auxiliary drive and the rotor of the servomotor is provided at an end of the rotor remote from the driving end of the rotor. Here, the driving end of the rotor should be taken to mean the end of the rotor at which the spindle drive is connected to the rotor. Accordingly, the auxiliary drive is preferably connected at an end of the rotor remote from the spindle drive, said end expediently projecting from the stator of the servomotor.

[0012] The auxiliary drive is preferably not connected or not capable of being connected directly to the rotor of the servomotor. Instead, a transmission is advantageously provided to connect the auxiliary drive to the rotor of the servomotor. By way of example, the transmission can be a reduction gear, by means of which the speed of the auxiliary drive is transformed to a lower rotor speed while simultaneously increasing the torque acting on the rotor.

[0013] In principle, any transmissions suitable for the purpose can be used for torque transmission from the auxiliary drive to the rotor. However, the transmission is preferably a gear mechanism. This is preferably designed as a spur gear mechanism, with the result that a drive shaft of the auxiliary drive is aligned parallel to the rotor of the servomotor.

[0014] Particularly in the case of an embodiment in which the auxiliary drive is an integral part of the servomotor, the servomotor expediently has a releasable clutch, which is arranged between a transmission input train connected to the auxiliary drive and a transmission output train connected to the rotor. This clutch is advantageously provided for the purpose of releasing the connection between the auxiliary drive and the rotor of the servomotor and for connecting the auxiliary drive to the rotor of the servomotor only if the servomotor fails.

[0015] In an advantageous development of this embodiment, a sleeve having a flange formed thereon, i.e. having a radially projecting collar extending over the entire circumference of the sleeve, is connected for conjoint rotation to the rotor. A gear ring can be connected positively to the sleeve on a flat side of the flange. In this case, the gear ring, which is preferably provided with external teeth, comes to rest by means of one of its faces on the flat side of the flange, wherein positive engagement elements on the gear ring and on -4- 2013346967 12 May 2017 the flat side of the flange create the positive connection between the gear ring and the flange. The gear ring is part of a gear mechanism by means of which the auxiliary drive can be connected or is connected to the rotor of the servomotor. Here, the gear ring and the flange of the sleeve form a releasable clutch, in which the gear ring is moved away from the flange formed on the sleeve in order to divide the connection between the auxiliary drive and the rotor. Conversely, the flange of the sleeve is brought into contact with the gear ring to form a positive connection between the gear ring and the extension in order to connect the auxiliary drive to the rotor of the servomotor.

[0016] To form a positive connection between the gear ring and the flange, the flange and the gear ring can advantageously form a claw clutch. Accordingly, claws projecting on the face and/or the flat side are provided on the gear ring and/or the flange, said claws engaging in recesses on the respective other part of the gear ring and the flange or engaging positively behind a projection formed there. By means of the claw clutch thus formed, torques can be transmitted in a particularly effective manner from the auxiliary drive to the sleeve and, as a consequence thereof, to the rotor of the servomotor.

[0017] Equally good torque transmission is also made possible by serrations. Thus, instead of forming a claw clutch, the flange and the gear ring can each also advantageously have serrations on a flat side. Consequently, respective serrations are formed on the faces of the gear ring and the flange, wherein the two sets of serrations are brought into engagement with one another for positive connection of the gear ring and the flange.

[0018] Provision is preferably made for the auxiliary drive not to be connected to the rotor of the servomotor when the latter is operating normally, the gear ring being separated from the flange, with the result that there is no positive engagement between the gear ring and the flange. For this purpose, the servomotor advantageously has a spring element, which is arranged in a preloaded manner in such a way that it divides the positive connection between the sleeve and the gear ring.

[0019] The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing: [0020] Figure 1 shows a servomotor of a rudder system of a submarine having an auxiliary drive arranged thereon, in a schematically simplified side view, [0021] Figure 2 shows a sectional view along section line II - II in figure 1, and -5- 2013346967 12 May 2017 [0022] Figure 3 shows a detail III from figure 1 on a greatly enlarged scale.

[0023] The electric servomotor 2 shown in figure 1 is part of a rudder system of a submarine, by means of which a rudder arranged outside the pressure hull of the submarine is positioned. The rudder can be a vertical rudder or a horizontal rudder of the submarine. Of the overall rudder system, only the electric servomotor is shown.

[0024] A motor housing of the servomotor 2 has a hollow-cylindrical main body 4. A stator 6 and a hollow rotor 8 of the servomotor 2 are arranged in the main body 4 of the servomotor 2, which is a synchronous-torque motor. A flanged part 10 adjoins the main body 4 on the left-hand side in figure 1. The servomotor 2 is secured pressure tightly on a pressure-hull leadthrough of the submarine by way of a flange 12 of the flanged part 10.

[0025] A spindle nut 14 of a planetary roller spindle drive, said spindle nut being firmly connected to the rotor 8 of the servomotor 2, projects from the flanged part 10 and from the motor housing on a side of the flange 12 facing away from the main body 4. A planetary roller spindle 16 of the planetary roller spindle drive leads into the interior of the spindle motor 2 through the spindle nut 14, which performs the rotary motion of the rotor 8 of the servomotor 2 when the rotor 8 is rotated. That part of the planetary roller spindle 16 which is situated outside the spindle motor 2 is passed to the outside of the pressure hull of the submarine through the pressure-hull leadthrough and is there connected to an articulated linkage which, in turn, is motion-coupled to the rudder which is to be positioned by the rudder system.

[0026] As illustrated in figure 3, an end of the rotor 8 remote from the planetary roller spindle drive projects from the stator 6. A sleeve 18 is mounted on this end of the rotor 8 and connected for conjoint rotation to the rotor 8. When the rotor 8 rotates, the sleeve 18 thus rotates with the rotor 8. At its end facing the stator 6, the sleeve 18 has a flange 20. The flange 20 is an annular collar, which extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve 18. Six holes 22 are formed on the flange 20 in a manner uniformly distributed around the circumference thereof. These holes 22 are provided to receive screws (not shown), by means of which a gear ring 24 is secured on the flange 20.

[0027] To secure it on the flange 20 of the sleeve 18, the gear ring 24 has a recess 26 on a face facing away from the planetary roller spindle drive. The cross section in the recess 26 corresponds to the outer contour of the flange 20. The depth of the recess 26 is dimensioned in such a way that a flat side of the flange 20 which faces away from the stator 6 is flush with the face of the gear ring 24. In a manner corresponding to the position of the holes 22 formed - 6- 2013346967 12 May 2017 in the flange 20, there are also six holes 28 formed in the gear ring 24 to enable the gear ring 24 to be screwed to the flange 20.

[0028] The gear ring 24 is provided on its outer circumference with teeth, which are meshed with a gearwheel 30. The gearwheel 30 is connected to a drive shaft 32 of an auxiliary drive 34 by means of a key-slot connection. The auxiliary drive 34 is a compressed air motor with a planetary transmission connected to the output.

[0029] The auxiliary drive 34 is not an integral part of the servomotor 2 and is coupled to the gearwheel 30 only if the servomotor 2 fails. In this case, a portion of a housing 36 of the auxiliary drive 34 which adjoins the drive shaft 32 reaches through an aperture 38 formed on a connection part 40, which is arranged axially to the outside of the gearwheel 30 on the end of the motor housing of the servomotor 2 remote from the planetary roller spindle drive. The auxiliary drive 34 is fixed on the connection part 40.

[0030] As an alternative to the embodiment shown in the drawing, the gear ring 24 is not firmly connected by means of a screwed joint to the flange 20 of the sleeve 18 secured on the rotor 8. Instead, the flange 20 and the gear ring 24 form a releasable clutch in a contact region 42 in the recess 26 formed in the gear ring 24. For this purpose, claw toothing can be formed on the bottom surface of the recess 26 and on that region of the flange 20 which makes contact with said bottom surface in order to form a claw clutch or serrations. In this case, the auxiliary drive can be an integral part of the servomotor 2, i.e. can be permanently fixed to the connection part 40, although, in normal operation of the servomotor 2, there should be no positive connection between the gear ring 24 and the flange 20 of the sleeve 18 or rotor 8. For this purpose, a spring element (not shown), which is supported in a preloaded manner between a covering housing 46, which radially surrounds the sleeve 18, and the gear ring 24 and pushes the gear ring 24 away from the flange 20, ensuring that there is no positive connection between the gear ring 24 and the flange 20, is arranged in a space 44, which is formed on the side of the flange 20 and of the gear ring 24 facing away from the planetary roller spindle drive and is delimited on the outside by the covering housing 46. If the servomotor 2 fails, compressed air is passed into a free space 48 formed on the side of the gearwheel 30 and of the gear ring 24 facing the planetary roller spindle drive, by means of the compressed air motor of the auxiliary drive 34, and the gear ring 24 is thereby pushed counter to the spring force of the spring element arranged in the space 44 in the direction of the flange 20, where the gear ring 24 connects positively to the flange 20, with the result that there is then motion coupling of the auxiliary drive 34 to the rotor 8 of the servomotor 2. - 7- 2013346967 12 May 2017 LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 2 - servomotor 4 - main body 6 - stator 8 - rotor 10 - flanged part 12 - flange 14 - spindle nut 16 - planetary roller spindle 18 - sleeve 20 - flange 22 - hole 24 - gear ring 26 - recess 28 - hole 30 - gearwheel 32 - drive shaft 34 - auxiliary drive 36 - housing 38 - aperture 40 - connection part 42 - contact region 44 - space 46 - covering housing 48 - space

Claims

1. A submarine having a pressure hull, having at least one rudder situated outside the pressure hull and having an electric servomotor, which is arranged in the pressure hull and is motion-coupled to the rudder, an auxiliary drive provided on the servomotor, and a transmission connecting the auxiliary drive to the rotor of the servomotor, wherein the servomotor has a releasable clutch, which is arranged between a transmission drive train connected to the auxiliary drive and a transmission drive train connected to the rotor.

2. The submarine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connection between the auxiliary drive and the rotor of the servomotor is provided at an end of the rotor remote from the driving end of the rotor.

3. The submarine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the transmission is a gear mechanism.

4. The submarine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the auxiliary drive is an integral part of the servomotor.

5. The submarine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the auxiliary drive has a compressed air motor.

6. The submarine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a sleeve, which has a flange, is connected for conjoint rotation to the rotor, wherein a gear ring is connectable positively by a clutch action to the sleeve on a flat side of the flange.

7. The submarine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the flange and the gear ring form a claw clutch.

8. The submarine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the flange and the gear ring each have serrations on a flat side.

9. The submarine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the servomotor has a spring element, which is arranged in a preloaded manner in such a way that it divides the positive connection between the sleeve and the gear ring.