EP0708017A1 - Semi-submersible propeller unit for a vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

The propulsion unit consists of a shaft set at an angle to the lengthwise vertical plane of the craft, and a series of semi-submersible blades (1) mounted on the shaft. When the blades are immersed in the water, the pressure side is situated perpendicular to the craft's lengthwise vertical plane. The blades are mounted on the shaft so their position can be varied relative to the lengthwise vertical plane and/or main plane of the craft, e.g. by an angle of up to +/- 30 degrees. The propeller blade angle can be varied, for example, by a mechanism (9) connected to the propeller unit housing (6), which can turn about a pivot (8).

Description

The present invention relates in general to partially submerged thrusters and in particular to thrusters mounted on the hull of vessels and movable relative to this hull.

There exists in the prior art a partially submerged propellant (SU AN ° 535186) constituted by spiral blades supported by the vessel and comprising parts in the form of a helical crown mounted on a shaft placed at approximately 45 ° relative to the longitudinal axis of the vessel in the horizontal plane.

However, this propellant does not make it possible to reach very high propulsion speeds, its efficiency is not very high and its maneuverability is not of the best.

There also exists in the prior art a partially submerged propellant (UA A 1831) comprising a propeller shaft placed in angular relation relative to the longitudinal central plane of the vessel and propeller blades mounted on this propeller shaft.

In order to be able to increase the pulling force on the trailer cable, the prior art thruster comprises at least two propeller propellers mounted on propeller shafts forming an angle of 45 ° <α <70 ° relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel, which propellers have propeller blades whose configuration allows them during their rotation around the trees to place their attack face normally with respect to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel as the attack faces longitudinal center of the vessel as the attack faces are submerged. In other words, the attack face of each blade is driven in an axial movement relative to the water and is supported by a reaction thrust.

However, this propellant system is not very economical and its propulsion characteristics are limited.

The present invention aims to overcome the difficulty presented by partially submerged propellants of the prior art and improves the characteristics of these propellants by modifying the mechanical propulsion links between the propellant and the hull of the vessel.

The present invention has solved this problem by proposing a partially submerged propeller constituted by a propulsion shaft placed in an angular position relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel and by partially submerged propeller blades mounted on the propeller shaft and studied so that when immersed in water their attack faces occupy an essentially normal position relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel in which the propeller blades of the propellant according to the present invention are mounted to make vary their position relative to the central longitudinal plane and / or the plane of the median section of the vessel.

This connection between the propeller blades and the propeller shaft improves the characteristics of the propellant, namely: increased speed of advance, better maneuverability and increased safety in the event of an emergency and economic improvements .

In the propellant proposed by the present invention, the propeller blades can be placed in any position. This is due to the fact that the propeller shaft can take a combination of positions at various angles to the central longitudinal plane and to the plane of the molded base of the vessel and to the fact that the propeller blades can be placed in various positions simultaneously with respect to these planes.

It is possible to mount the propeller blades on the propeller shaft so that they can be adjusted by ± 30 ° on each side of the normal to the axis of the propeller shaft and also ± 30 ° on either side of the normal with respect to the axis of each propeller blade in its initial position.

It is sometimes necessary to change the position of the propeller blades by modifying the position of the propeller shaft relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel by an angle of 0 to 90 °.

It is possible to modify the space between the propeller blades by mounting them on the propeller shaft so that they can move from an angle of 0 ° to 30 ° relative to the plane of the molded base.

One of the embodiments of the present invention may advantageously include propeller blades mounted on a propeller shaft which rotates about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the molded base.

Thanks to the three positioning latitudes, the propeller shaft of the new propeller and the propeller blades mounted on this propeller shaft can be positioned (on the bow hull and / or the stern hull of the vessel for all draft , any speed of movement, for various maneuvers, etc.) and, in an emergency, we can make the most of the repelling force of the water to move the vessel forward, laterally or backward without changing the direction and speed of rotation of the propeller shaft.

In comparison with the propellant of the prior art, the propellant according to the present invention improves the efficiency, the speed, the maneuverability and the safety of ships and other types of vessels, self-propelled landing strips, offshore platforms, etc. It is on air-supported vessels of the propeller shaft type at the front or rear and occupying a position within a range of 0 ° to 90 ° relative to at the longitudinal center plane of the vessel that the effect of these characteristics is most marked.

• la figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un propulseur partiellement immergé à quatre pales d'hélice à position variable,
• la figure 2 est une vue de devant du propulseur partiellement immergé de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue de côté d'un propulseur partiellement immergé à quatre pales d'hélice à deux positions,
• la figure 4 est une vue de devant du propulseur partiellement immergé à quatre pales d'hélice à deux positions,
• la figure 5 est une vue de côté d'un propulseur partiellement immergé à deux pales d'hélice à position variable de type en forme de lame,
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus d'un propulseur à deux pales en forme de lame,
• la figure 7 est vue de dessous d'un aménagement à propulseurs à quatre pales d'hélice en forme de lame placés aux coins d'une plate-forme de haute mer auto-propulsée,
• la figure 8 est une vue de côté de la plate-forme de la figure 7,
• la figure 9 est une vue de côté de l'avant et de l'arrière d'un vaisseau de déplacement équipé de quatre propulseurs à deux pales à position variable comportant des pales rotatives et inclinables,
• la figure 10 est une vue de dessous du vaisseau de déplacement de la figure 9,
• la figure 11 est une vue de dessous d'un aménagement à deux propulseurs à deux pales d'hélice acinaciformes (en forme de cimeterre) à position variable à l'arrière d'un vaisseau hydroptère,
• la figure 12 est une vue de l'arrière du vaisseau hydroptère de la figure 11,
• la figure 13 est une vue de devant de la portion droite et de la portion gauche d'un convertiplane (avion à géométrie fixe/variable) quadrimoteur ou bimoteur respectivement comportant deux propulseurs à géométrie variable, à quatre pales d'hélice à position variable,
• la figure 14, est une vue de dessous des converti-planes représentés à la figure 13 et représentant divers aménagements de ces propulseurs,
• la figure 15 est la projection d'une section horizontale d'une pale conventionnelle immergée dans l'eau sur un plan horizontal,
• la figure 16 est une vue schématique de deux ailettes d'hélice formant un angle entre elles,
• la figure 17 est une vue schématique à titre d'exemple de pales de l'hélice selon la présente invention se déplaçant dans l'eau parallèles entre elles et formant un angle compris entre 0° et 90° par rapport au plan de la section médiane du vaisseau,
• la figure 18 est une vue schématique de la capacité de traction de l'hélice de propulsion selon la présente invention exprimée en pourcentage par rapport à la direction de déplacement de la pale et par rapport au plan de la section médiane du vaisseau,
• la figure 19 est une vue schématique à titre d'exemple de positions dans l'eau des pales d'hélice du propulseur selon la présente invention dans divers mouvements du vaisseau,
• la figure 20 est une vue schématique représentant un exemple de pales en rotation pendant le déplacement côté gauche de l'arrière et/ou de l'avant d'un vaisseau.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which will follow made with reference to the attached drawings given by way of nonlimiting example, where:

• FIG. 1 is a side view of a partially submerged thruster with four variable position propeller blades,
• FIG. 2 is a front view of the partially submerged propellant of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a side view of a partially submerged thruster with four two-position propeller blades,
• FIG. 4 is a front view of the partially submerged thruster with four two-position propeller blades,
• FIG. 5 is a side view of a partially submerged thruster with two propeller blades of variable position of the blade-shaped type,
• FIG. 6 is a top view of a propeller with two blades in the form of a blade,
• FIG. 7 is a view from below of a thruster arrangement with four blade-shaped propeller blades placed at the corners of a self-propelled ocean platform,
• FIG. 8 is a side view of the platform of FIG. 7,
• FIG. 9 is a side view of the front and the rear of a displacement vessel equipped with four propellers with two blades with variable position comprising rotating and tilting blades,
• FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the displacement vessel of FIG. 9,
• FIG. 11 is a bottom view of an arrangement with two thrusters with two acinaciform propeller blades (in the shape of a scimitar) with variable position at the rear of a hydrofoil vessel,
• FIG. 12 is a view of the rear of the hydrofoil vessel of FIG. 11,
• FIG. 13 is a front view of the right portion and the left portion of a convertiplane (plane with fixed / variable geometry) four-engine or twin-engine aircraft respectively comprising two propellers of variable geometry, with four propeller blades of variable position,
• FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the convertible planes represented in FIG. 13 and representing various arrangements of these thrusters,
• Figure 15 is the projection of a horizontal section of a blade conventional submerged in water on a horizontal plane,
• FIG. 16 is a schematic view of two propeller fins forming an angle between them,
• Figure 17 is a schematic view by way of example of propeller blades according to the present invention moving in water parallel to each other and forming an angle between 0 ° and 90 ° relative to the plane of the middle section of the ship,
• FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the traction capacity of the propeller according to the present invention expressed as a percentage relative to the direction of movement of the blade and relative to the plane of the median section of the vessel,
• FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view, by way of example, of the positions in the water of the propeller blades of the thruster according to the present invention in various movements of the vessel,
• FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing an example of blades in rotation during the left-hand movement of the rear and / or the front of a vessel.

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a propeller with four propeller blades with variable position according to the present invention usable on the vessels studied to be supported by the dynamic action of water or by air is constituted by blades d '' rotary propeller 1 mounted on the aerodynamic part of the hub 2 of a fitted propeller shaft, as well as a unit of reduction gears and a mechanism allowing the rotary adjustment of the propeller blades in a casing 3 The upper part of the casing 3 and the hollow telescopic support 4 are connected by a rotary articulation to allow the casing 3 to rotate in both directions along the line 5 within a range of 0 ° to 90 ° . The hollow telescopic support 4 is arranged in a housing 6 which, at its upper part, pivots in the hull of the ship 7 using lugs 8 while its middle part pivots around a mechanism 9 which makes it possible to tilt this accommodation 6. It is possible to equip vessels with various types of propeller blades of various shape and constitution.

The propeller blades can be either hydrofoil type blades such as the blade 10 shown in Figure 2 or conventional propeller blades like the blade 11 (shown in dotted lines in Figure 2).

According to FIGS. 3 and 4, vehicles with a large air cushion can use two-position or multiple-position thrusters comprising two sets of propeller blades 12 or more spaced apart on the propeller shaft. Using a mechanism like the telescopic support 13, the propeller blades 12 can be immersed in water at any depth and can be adjusted by rotation along line 14.

According to FIGS. 5 and 6, a thruster with two or more blades with variable position can have blades of the shape of the blade 15, and thus forming a configuration with several blades interconnected side by side and spaced apart on the shaft d propeller 16 by spacer rods 17.

According to FIGS. 7 and 8, the thrusters with variable position can be mounted on the high seas platforms 18.

They can be used on self-propelled airstrips, pontoon works, overpowered tugs, floating power plants, etc.

According to Figures 9 and 10 we can see the front 19 and rear 20 of a displacement vessel 21 equipped with four propellers 2 with two blades in a single position with propeller blades 22 which can rotate and be adjusted using conventional mechanisms 23 for rotation and adjustment of these propeller blades.

It is possible to use such a thruster arrangement on supertankers, trawlers, etc.

According to FIGS. 11 and 12, on vessels having a narrow hull, such as hydrofoil boats for example, two thrusters can be used coaxial rotating simultaneously in opposite directions and equipped with acinaciform propeller blades 24, mechanism 25 for rotating and adjusting the propeller blades 24, mechanism 26 for raising and lowering the propellants and making it possible to reach the optimal position of the propeller blades 24 in the water when the boat is lifted out of the water by the hydrofoils 27. A plate serving as a safety apron 28 is placed above the propellers.

According to Figures 13 and 14, the propellants according to the present invention can be of the hydrofoil type.

Such propellers can be used on convertible planes such as twin-engine structures 29, four-engine structures 30 and multi-engine structures, all of these structures being fitted with conventional wings 31 and retractable wings 32.

In these propellers, the propeller blades 33 are mounted on rotary hubs 34 of the propeller shaft. These hubs can be adjusted using the mechanism 35 to raise or lower the hubs to the position which is suitable for starting, sliding, displacement and air support of the convert-plane, or else for taking it off.

The pulling force on the towing cable exerted by a propeller blade that moves in water depends on the angle of inclination of the direction of movement of this propeller blade relative to the plane of the median section of the ship.

According to FIG. 15, each propeller blade 41 considered separately during its movement in the direction of the dotted arrow 42 accelerates the bodies of water in this direction with the force represented by arrow 43.

According to FIG. 16, the propellant rotating on its axis, the action of the two propeller blades 44 and 45 which diverge from a common point 46 when they are in the water is represented by the arrows in solid line 47 and 48 which indicate the direction and the acceleration force of the water (to give the traction force made up of the propeller), arrows 49 and 50 showing the direction and the force, except for the acceleration of the water, the mixing and the rejection of the water around the edge, ie the force represented by the arrows 49 and 50 which represents the losses due to the rejection and mixing of the water, which are substantial in conventional propeller thrusters and practically non-existent in thrusters according to the present invention.

According to FIG. 17, when the direction of movement of the propeller blades according to the present invention in the water changes within the range of 0 ° to 90 ° relative to the plane of the median section of the vessel the force of traction also changes. When the propeller blade moves from position 51 to position 52 (in the plane of the median section of the ship) the traction force is nonexistent and this force does not develop until the propeller blade is passed from position 51 to one of angular positions 53 to 58. In one embodiment of the present invention the tensile force was 37%, 68%, 91%, 99%, 81% and 55% of the maximum force bollard pull at angular positions of 15 °, 30 °, 45 °, 60 °, 75 ° and 90 ° respectively.

As shown in FIG. 18, the above data are the results of the experiment represented on the curve of the percentages of bollard traction force / direction of movement of the propeller blade relative to the plane of the median section of the vessel.

One of the characteristics of the propeller according to the present invention is that it can be used as an "active rudder" when the propeller blades rotate around their own axes.

As shown in FIG. 19, the lateral components of the propulsion forces and the displacement forces of the rear and / or the front of the vessel undergo variations at each different position of the propeller blade. But this is only the case when the propeller blades turn anticlockwise and when the blades of the right propeller in the front and the left propeller in the rear cause the displacement along the dotted lines from position "I" to position "V" of the upper quadrant from left to bottom right quadrant.

When the propeller blades rotate anti-clockwise within the range of 0 ° to 90 ° as can be seen in the drawing, the rear and / or the front of the vessel moves from right to left.

As shown in Figure 20, when the propeller blades turn clockwise, the propulsion force decreases at the start (position "II") and then disappears (position "III") although in some cases propeller blade positions (position "IV") braking action and opposite side components occur.

During operation, the propeller shaft occupies a position which forms an appropriate opening angle relative to the central longitudinal plane of the vessel, for example 45 °, while the propeller blades are immersed at 2/3 of their height and are placed in position 51 (figure 17) in preparation for start-up.

When the propeller shaft begins to rotate to position 55, it develops a propelling force as the water accelerates in the direction of the arrow in solid lines. The propeller blade undergoes a reaction force during its movement in the water and slides along the pressure front.

The propeller, during its revolution on the propeller shaft, moves in the manner described only when it is submerged in water but while it enters water and leaves water it is inclined, therefore, practically in all cases the propeller blade partially pumps down the water of a revolution during the first phase and raises it during the second phase. But as at any moment another blade moves in the water this water does not rise any more. In addition, the blade escapes by sliding.

Since during the rotation of the propeller blade, the propeller shaft occupies a position forming an angle to the horizontal of + 30 ° or -30 ° (Figure 1) forces are induced downward or up, and the adjustment of the blades on either side with respect to the plane of the median section of the vessel from position "I" to position "V" (figure 19) generates a propelling force which makes the vessel rotate (front or rear) in either direction.

All other elements remaining identical, the larger the number of propeller blades mounted on a propeller shaft (Figures 3 and 4) or the longer the blade-shaped propeller (Figures 5 and 6) propulsion is high.

The propellers according to the present invention operate in the same way on the convertible planes (Figures 13 and 14).

During acceleration in slip mode and cruise mode with air cushions, the propeller shafts form an angle with the plane of symmetry of the convert-plane and the propeller blades describe viewed from the front or seen from the front. 'rear of the ellipses shown in dotted lines in Figure 13.

After acceleration and before takeoff, the propeller shafts of the twin-engine structure are almost parallel to the plane of symmetry and the propeller blades are close to the transverse vertical plane. It is only when the propeller shaft takes a position parallel to the plane of symmetry and the speed of rotation of the motor increases suddenly (to reduce the tendency to accelerate as the advance decreases) the convert - twin-engine plane takes off.

A four-engine convertible plane can also take off while its two interior thrusters operate in water (Figure 13), its two other thrusters already operating out of the water to rely on the air reaction thrust.

The blade-shaped thrusters operate in a manner identical to that which has been described above for propeller blades. The blade-shaped propellers are different in that they have no gaps between the blades and while the propeller shaft rotates in the direction from the dotted arrow in FIG. 5, the water accelerates in the direction of the arrow in solid lines and therefore causes the displacement of the vessel in the opposite direction.

The band-shaped thrusters used on offshore platforms (Figures 7 and 8) allow these platforms to perform any maneuver (forward, aft, rotating and lateral on either side) .

The thrusters of the present invention can be used on offshore platforms, floating power plants as well as sea and river boats moving at high speed (200 to 400 km / h). It is also possible to use them on outboard motors, on vehicles with air cushions and on convertible planes.

Claims (6)

Partially submerged propellant comprising a propeller shaft forming an angle with the longitudinal central plane of the vessel and comprising partially submerged propeller blades mounted on this propeller shaft, constructed so that when immersed in it water, the leading face of these propeller blades is perpendicular to the longitudinal central plane of the vessel, characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft so that they can take a variable position relative to the longitudinal central plane and / or relative to the plane of the median section of the vessel. Thruster according to Claim 1, characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft so that they are adjustable within a range of ± 30 ° relative to the perpendicular to the axis of the propeller shaft. Propellant according to Claim 1, characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft so that they rotate around the axis of the propeller shaft and so that they can be positioned at the within a range of ± 30 ° from the perpendicular to the axis of the propeller shaft. Propellant according to claim 1 characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft so that they move at an angle of 0 ° to 90 ° relative to the longitudinal central plane of the vessel. Propellant according to claim 1 characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft so that they move at an angle of 0 ° to 90 ° relative to the median section plane of the vessel. Propellant according to claim 1 characterized in that the propeller blades are mounted on the propeller shaft to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the median section of the vessel.

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