JPH05330484A - Underwater propulsion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To perform high thrust, light weight, low noise, easy maintenance and high reliability by forming of at least two motors for driving a propeller means, and a bearing assembly having at least one bearing surface between a hub and a shaft of the means. CONSTITUTION: A bearing assembly 17 can easily access to primary and secondary thrust bearings 41, 75 and also a radial bearing cartridge 30 from a front surface. Blade hubs 95 connected to inner ends of blades 11 are provided at downstream end of the shaft 9. A mounting bolt 97 connected the hub 95 to the downstream end of a non-rotary shaft 9. The hub 95 has a plurality of water flow ports 99 which are covered with a filter material 102 to prevent a foreign matter together with sea water therearound from flowing into a hollow part 104 of the hub 95. The part 104 of the but 95 communicates with a central hole 106 of the shaft 9. The sea water circulates in the assembly 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

This application is US patent application Ser. No. 07/5 dated August 23, 1990.
No. 71,970 is a partial continuation application.

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to underwater propulsion devices, and in particular to an integrated motor for a ship improved to achieve high thrust, light weight, low noise, easy maintenance and extremely high reliability. Related to die propulsion device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Motor-type propulsion devices for ships are well known in the art. Such propulsion devices can also be used on marine vessels or ships, but are not
It is particularly useful as an auxiliary drive device for submarines where controllability and low noise are important. Known motor-type propulsion devices generally consist of "canned" or wet-wiring type motors in which the output shaft is connected to a propeller. The motor is located just in front of or behind the propeller. However, since the "can-packed" motor is arranged immediately in front of or behind the water flow generated by the propeller, it becomes an obstacle to the water flow and tends to reduce the effective thrust that should be obtained by the propulsion device. Higher speed, smaller diameter motors were used to mitigate thrust losses due to these obstacles. However, if the shaft speed is high, the cavitation of the propeller is also high, which causes a high level of noise.

To overcome these shortcomings, the Applicant has developed an integral motor propulsion device as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,831,297. This particular propulsion device is similar in structure to a jet engine, with a major component being a cylindrical shroud with inlet and outlet ports, a shaft concentrically mounted within the shroud by multiple support vanes. It consists of a propeller having a rotatably mounted hub, and an electric motor for driving the propeller including an annular rotor provided around the propeller blades and a stator integrally provided in the shroud. The novel design of this known propulsion device significantly increases the thrust output of the propulsion device for a given weight and size, while at the same time hydrodynamically forming the shroud allows the propeller to generate a very free water stream. Therefore, the amount of generated noise is reduced. The low noise level of the propulsion device is further enhanced by the sound insulation characteristics of the shroud.

Although the above-mentioned integrated motor type propulsion device is a remarkable advance in technology, the Applicant has realized that there is plenty of room for improvement in the design of this device. For example, water-lubricated thrust and radial bearings need to be replaced on a regular basis, which requires the device to be dry docked. Moreover, when the bearing parts need to be inspected or replaced, the propulsion device must be disassembled almost completely because the bearing is located in place. The Applicant has found that the supporting vanes located upstream of the propeller cause cavitation in the water around the propeller during operation of the propulsion device, which not only causes noise but also reduces the efficiency of the device. .. Applicant also
In the induction motor configuration adopted in this known propulsion device, an attempt to effectively realize electromagnetic coupling between the rotor and the stator results in an extremely large gap between the outer diameter of the rotor and the inner diameter of the stator. I also noticed that it will become narrower. Such a narrow gap not only creates drag due to the thin water film that exists between the stator and rotor, but also flows through the rotor (always present to some extent due to the imbalance of the magnetic field generated by the stator). Increasing the harmonic current increases noise and vibrates the rotor. If the gap between the inner diameter of the stator and the outer diameter of the rotor must be narrowed, a high level of mechanical shock may be applied to the propulsion device, and foreign matter in seawater may become clogged between the stator and the rotor. If this happens, important parts of the propulsion device will be damaged.

Furthermore, unlike conventional ships driven by conventional motor / screw configurations, much of the motor maintenance of monolithic propulsion systems must be done in the dry dock. This is especially the case when using the integrated propulsion device as the primary drive for a submarine, for example. Therefore, if such an improvement in reliability can be realized with a relatively lightweight design, it is desired to realize an integrated motor type propulsion device with further improved reliability.

There is a need for an improved integrated motor propulsion device for submarines and the like, which has a bearing assembly that does not require dry dock entry and can be relatively easily and easily serviced and maintained. That is clear. Ideally, such a propulsion device is less noisy than known devices and the rotor-stator spacing is such that the rotor and stator are less likely to be damaged by mechanical shock or foreign material in seawater. A design that does not need to be narrowed will be adopted. Further, it is desired to realize an integrated motor type propulsion device with improved generality and reliability so that the ship does not have to be put in a dry dock for repair.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an integrated motor type propulsion device which overcomes or at least alleviates the above-mentioned drawbacks of conventional devices and which achieves this object. Includes a shroud having a water intake port and a drain port as main parts, a propeller having a hub rotatably attached to a shaft in the shroud, a rotor provided around the propeller, and a stator provided on the inner circumference of the shroud. , A motor for driving the propeller, and a bearing assembly interposed between a hub and a shaft of the propeller and surrounded by water to be lubricated and cooled by surrounding water. The bearing assembly may include a thrust mechanism to circulate a flow of lubricating / cooling water between the bearing surfaces. In addition, the shaft may be provided with one or more inlets located downstream of the propeller to provide a constant flow of lubrication / cooling water to the bearing assembly, and these inlets may be covered by a filter. May be. By providing these water intake ports on the downstream side, it is possible to further reliably prevent foreign matter contained in the surrounding water from entering the bearing assembly.

The bearing assembly reduces friction between these two device parts by including both a thrust bearing interposed between the propeller and the shaft upstream end and a radial bearing cartridge located on the inner circumference of the propeller hub. be able to. The device of the present invention may also include a cover removably attached to the thrust bearing to facilitate access to the thrust bearing and radial bearing cartridge during maintenance operations. The detachable cover is connected to the propeller hub and configured to rotate integrally with the propeller as the device operates, or it is detachably fixed to the shaft inlet end and remains stationary with respect to the rotating propeller. Can be configured as a separate component. A removable cover configured to remain stationary has the advantage of reducing noise generated during operation of the propulsion device. If desired, the shock resistance of the device can be increased by supplementing the post between the stationary removable cover and the shroud.

A plurality of vane members connect the shaft of the device to the inner surface of the shroud. To further reduce the amount of noise generated by the flow of water through the shroud, one embodiment connects all of these vane members to the portion of the shaft located between the propeller hub and the shroud outlet end. The vane members not only support the shaft within the shroud and concentric therewith, but also cooperate with the propeller vanes to increase thrust by the propulsion device.

The rotor of the AC motor used to drive the propeller of the device utilizes permanent magnets instead of induction windings to generate the required magnetic field within the rotor. Not only does the use of permanent magnets increase the overall efficiency of the motor (because impedance losses due to induction windings are avoided), but it is also more convenient for the gap between the rotor outer diameter and the stator inner diameter. Can be widened without impairing the magnetic coupling between the two. If the gap is widened, the fluid drag acting on the rotor is reduced, and the strength of the harmful harmonic current generated in the rotor is weakened due to the imbalance of the magnetic field generated by the rotor and stator, and the vibration of the rotor is reduced. Therefore, a smooth and quiet operation can be obtained. The wider gap reduces the possibility of foreign matter in seawater clogging here and damaging the device.

The rotor may also include a plurality of conductive damper bars around the outer circumference of the permanent magnets to form a cage structure that facilitates the rotor synchronizing with the varying magnetic fields generated by the stator. These damper bars also serve to insulate the magnets from demagnetizing currents such as the above frequency currents or currents caused by short circuits within the device. In order to house the conductive damper bar and isolate it from the magnet, individual permanent magnets may be covered with pole caps. In order to enhance the current carrying capacity of the car structure, a conductive wedge may be interposed between the permanent magnets in the rotor. The stator slot is preferably an oblique slot in order to further suppress noise.

Due to the structural requirements described above, a propulsion device which is lighter in weight, higher in output and lower in noise than the known device can be obtained.

The present invention provides a highly reliable underwater propulsion system with a relatively simple, low cost, lightweight construction. This propulsion device has a shroud having a water intake port and a drain port,
Includes propeller means having an integral hub / vane assembly mounted to the shaft within the shroud. At least two electric motors are provided for driving the propeller means. Each electric motor includes a rotor provided around the propeller means and a stator which is spaced from and magnetically coupled to the rotor. Further, a bearing assembly having at least one bearing surface is provided between the hub of the propeller means and the shaft. Providing a single propeller driven by multiple motors to the propulsion device gives redundancy to the entire propulsion device,
High reliability can be obtained without increasing the cost, complicating the structure, and increasing the weight as in the case of being configured as the multiple propeller propulsion device.

Preferably, two motors, which are exactly the same as each other, are juxtaposed at a distance from each other to drive the propeller means, and each motor is provided with a power source connecting means which operates independently, so that one motor is stopped. Even if it malfunctions, the function of the other motor should not be significantly affected.

In this embodiment of the invention, two sets of vane members are provided to support the shaft, one set disposed between the hub and shroud inlet ends and the other set disposed between the hub and shroud outlet ends. It is desirable to place it between the two. This enhances the structural stability of the propulsion system, which is longer (than a single motor propulsion system) to allow for additional motors.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments detailed below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is apparent from FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, in which the same components are provided with the same reference numbers, the propulsion device 1 of the invention has an inlet 5 and an outlet 7 A shroud assembly 3 having the shape of a Kort nozzle is included as a main part. Shroud assembly 3 by a plurality of blade members 11
A fixed shaft 9 is attached along the axis of rotation inside. The blade member 11 uses the shaft 9 for the shroud assembly 3
The propeller 13 is not only supported inside, but is also arranged in a tilted direction (in particular as is clear from FIG. 4).
It also functions to increase the thrust generated by. The propeller 13 is arranged inside the shroud assembly 3.
The propeller 13 includes at its center a hub 15 rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 9 by a bearing assembly 17. The propeller 13 also includes a plurality of slanted blades 19 whose inner ends are equidistantly mounted around the hub 15 and whose outer ends are connected to the rotor 23 of the electric motor 24 integral with the center of the shroud assembly 3. .. The electric motor 24 also includes a stator 25 that is closely spaced around the rotor 23. A stator terminal post assembly 27 is provided at the upper end of the propulsion device 1 in order to connect the stator 25 of the propulsion device 1 to a power supply 28, which in the preferred embodiment comprises a variable frequency cycloconverter.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the bearing assembly 17 of the propulsion device 1 has a radial bearing cartridge 30 and a thrust in order to minimize friction between the propeller 13 and the shaft 9 both circumferentially and axially. A bearing assembly 45 is included. As is particularly apparent from FIG. 5, the radial bearing cartridge 30 includes a tubular bushing 32, preferably formed of Monel metal, which bushing is preferably formed of Monel metal and includes a pair of bolt lugs 34 each including a threaded hole 35. It is fixed around the inner diameter of the hub 15 through. The screw hole 35 is screwed with a bolt 37 present in the flared upstream portion 36 of the hub 15. Bolt 37
It is needless to say that the tubular bushing 32 rotates together with the hub 15 with respect to the fixed shaft 9 when it is fixed in the position shown in FIG. A pair of rubber bearing sleeves 38a, 38b are also provided around the inner diameter of the tubular bushing 32.
These sleeves are located in an annular recess 40 formed along the inner surface of the tubular bushing 32 to prevent axial movement between the bearing sleeves 38a, 38b and the tubular bushing 32. The rubber bearing sleeves 38a, 38b include a plurality of helical grooves 42 in their inner diameters which prevent the bearing sleeves 38a, 38b from expelling foreign matter in seawater that constantly flows between the sleeves 38a, 38b and the shaft 9. help.

The thrust bearing assembly 45 includes a primary thrust bearing 47 configured to receive the axial load produced by the propeller 13 during operation of the system 1 and a "windmilling" when the motor 24 is not operating. "Propeller 1
3 includes a secondary thrust bearing 75 configured to receive a much smaller load.

The primary thrust bearing 47 includes an annular runner 51 formed from an inclined annular pad 51 which supports an annular rubber ring 53. The inclined annular pad 51 is preferably made of monel metal. The slanted annular pad 51 and the rubber ring 53 are the screw holes 55 of the pad 51 and the hub 15.
It is fixed to the portion 36 of the hub 15 by means of bolts 57 provided on the flared upstream portion 36. The primary thrust bearing 47 is fixed to the non-rotating shaft 9 and also includes a bearing ring 60 that slidably meshes with the annular rubber ring 53 of the runner 49 during operation of the device 1. A plurality of radial grooves 61 are formed around the bearing ring 60 to generate a lubricating film of seawater between the rubber ring 53 and the ring 60 of the runner 49.
To provide. The groove 61 constantly circulates the seawater between the runner 49 and the ring 60 to dissipate the frictional heat and thereby reduce wear. The bearing ring 60 has a plurality of link pin supports 6 fixed to a support pad 64.
It is connected to 2a and 62b. The support pad 64 is a key 66 that prevents the pad 64 from rotating relative to the shaft 9.
It is fixed to the non-rotating shaft 9 via. The holding stud 6 is provided on the side of the support pad 64 opposite the bearing ring 60.
Attach the bumper plate 67 by 9. The bumper plate 67 includes the plate 67 and the support pad 64.
Pad 6 to allow the plate to slightly "wobble" with respect to pad 64 in response to a slight misalignment between
4 has a concave surface that occludes the convex surface. The bumper plate 67, although mechanically integrated with the structure of the primary thrust bearing 47, forms part of the secondary thrust bearing 75. The lock nut 72 is the lock nut washer 7.
The support pad 64 is axially fixed to the non-rotating shaft 9 in cooperation with the shaft 4.

The secondary thrust bearing 75 is located upstream of the primary thrust bearing 47 and includes a runner 77 formed in an annular rubber ring 79. Similar to the bearing ring 60 described above, the annular rubber ring 79 also includes a groove 80 between the ring 79 and an opposing annular support pad 81 for producing a seawater film. Preferably annular support pad 81
Also formed from monel metal. The annular support pad 81 includes a plurality of radial thrust holes 83 to facilitate the circulation of seawater through the entire bearing assembly 17. The inner end of the injection hole 83 is the pad 81
Of the central opening 84. During operation of the device 1, the pad 81 acts as a thrusting means for forcibly circulating seawater on the various bearing surfaces within the bearing assembly 17.

A detachable round cover 85 is provided at the upstream end of the shaft 9 to prevent unfiltered seawater from flowing into the bearing assembly 17. In this embodiment of the present invention, the removable cover is attached to the runner 77 of the secondary thrust bearing 75.
Since it is attached to the annular support pad 81, the cover rotates with respect to the non-rotating shaft 9 when the electric motor 24 operates. For this reason, the cover 85 includes a plurality of recessed holes 87 for receiving the mounting bolts 89 screwed into the screw holes provided on the upstream side peripheral edge of the annular support pad 81. Detachable cover 85
Around the front surface of the bearing assembly 17, there are provided a plurality of water passage holes 91 for allowing sufficient seawater to flow into the cover 85 to prevent a pressure difference from interfering with the seawater flow in the bearing assembly 17. Preferably, each water passage hole 91 is equipped with a filter 92 for preventing foreign matter from flowing into the inside of the cover 85 together with seawater.

A cover 8 in which the entire bearing assembly 17 is removable.
5, lock nuts and lock nut washers 72,
74, the key 66, and the mounting bolts 57, 37, the primary and secondary thrust bearings 47,
Both 75 and the radial bearing cartridge 30 are easily accessible from the front. In this way, since it is easily accessible from the front, maintenance work such as repair or replacement of parts can be performed without removing the entire propulsion device 1 from the mounted ship or putting the ship in the dry dock. .. This is an important advantage, because no matter how well designed the individual parts of the bearing assembly 17 are likely to be subject to repair or replacement during the service life of the propulsion device 1.

At the downstream end of the shaft 9, the above-mentioned blade 11 is provided.
Vane hubs 95 are provided that connect to the respective inner ends of the. Mounting bolts 97 connect vane hub 95 to the downstream end of non-rotating shaft 9. The vane hub 95 includes a plurality of water passages 99, which are also covered with a filter material 102 to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the hollow interior 104 of the vane hub 95 along with the surrounding seawater. As is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 5, the hollow interior 104 of the vane hub 95 communicates with the central bore 106 of the non-rotating shaft 9.

The manner in which seawater circulates within the bearing assembly 17 will be best understood with particular reference to FIG. As shown by the arrow, the surrounding seawater passes through the filter material 102 from the downstream water passage port 99, and further the hollow interior 1 of the blade hub 95.
04, and passes through the central hole 106 of the shaft 9.
The central hole passes through the central opening 84 of the pad 81, and then through the plurality of thrust holes 83. The pressurized water flow generated under the centrifugal force acting on the seawater passing through the thrust hole 83 flows backward from the outer end of the thrust hole 83 again along the outer periphery of the support pad 64 of the primary thrust bearing 47, and the bearing ring 60 Of the primary thrust bearing 47 into the central opening of the runner 49 of the primary thrust bearing 47, and from here to the radial opening 10 passing between the rubber bearing sleeves 38a, 38b and the outer surface of the non-rotating shaft 9.
Emitted from 7. Although a certain amount of seawater flow occurs in the water passage hole 91 of the removable cover 85 described above, the water passage hole 91 has a cross-sectional area much smaller than the water passage hole 99 of the blade hub 95. With such a size setting, most of the seawater used for lubricating and cooling the various bearing surfaces of the bearing assembly 17 is sucked into the device 1 from the downstream end, and the filter material 102 is provided in the water passage hole 99. Because it exists
It is possible to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the central hole 106 of the shaft 9 together with seawater.

7 and 8 show details of the electric motor 24 which drives the propeller 13 of the device 1. As already mentioned, the electric motor 24 comprises a rotor 23 provided around the vanes 19 of the propeller 13 so as to be closely spaced by a "can-packed" stator 25 in the shroud assembly 3. Is an AC motor. In the preferred embodiment, AC motor 24 is preferably of the permanent magnet type. Inductive type AC motors can also be used, but permanent magnet type AC motors are preferred for two reasons. First, the efficiency of permanent magnet motors is about 10% higher than induction type motors. Second, this high efficiency can be achieved with a rather wide gap between the outer peripheral edge of the rotor 23 and the inner peripheral edge of the stator 25. With the propulsion system 1 operating, this wide gap is standard 0.635c.
Wider to 1.31 cm (0.50 inch) for a gap of m (0.25 inch) or less. Adopting a wide gap (as opposed to a narrow gap) not only reduces the friction loss caused by the seawater turbulence film between the rotor 25 and the stator 25, but also occurs at this particular point in the propulsion system. It is also possible to reduce the amount of noise generated. Another advantage is that the amount of harmonic current (caused by the undesired imbalance of the magnetic field generated by the stator windings) is relatively small and therefore the oscillations caused by the interaction with the harmonic current in the rotor 23 are also small. .. Vibrations due to misalignment "sway" of the rotor 23 due to rotation in the stator 25 are also reduced. Due to the wide gap made possible by the use of permanent magnets in the motor 24, foreign matter invades this gap to allow the rotor 23 in the stator 25 to
It is less likely that the rotation of the device will be blocked or stopped, and the overall resistance of the device 1 to external impacts is increased. That is, the rotor 23 is less likely to be damaged by an impact that causes the stator 25 to be misaligned with respect to the stator 25. All of these are important advantages, especially when applied to submarines.

As is clear from FIG. 8 in particular, the stator 25
Includes a plurality of equally spaced stator core windings 110. Each stator core winding 110 is connected to the lead wire 111 of the terminal post assembly 27. Each stator core winding 110 is made of laminated magnetic steel that conducts a magnetic field generated by the winding 110 (not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 but shown in FIGS. 2 and 5) is housed in a slot of a stator core 112. To be done.
A plurality of holding bars 114 are welded around the outer diameter of the iron core 112 to integrally hold the laminated rings forming the iron core 112. All parts of the stator 25 are inner wall 118 and outer wall 12
It is housed in a watertight stator housing 116 defined by 0.

The rotor 23 of the electric motor 24 is formed by a plurality of trapezoidal magnets 125 provided in a magnet housing ring 127 made of carbon steel. Each magnet 125 is preferably made of NbBfe alloy which is excellent in magnetic field capacity and B-H curve characteristics. Each magnet 125 is retained within the magnet housing ring 127 by a zirconium-copper rotor wedge 128 secured to the ring 127 via bolts 129. In the preferred embodiment, about twenty trapezoidal magnets 125 are incorporated in the rotor 23. Each magnet 12
4 dampers consisting of solid copper rods on top of 5
A bar 130 is provided. The damper bar 130 is a magnetic pole cap member 13 fixed to the upper end of each magnet 125.
3 is disposed in the recess. The purpose of the damper bar 130 and the rotor wedge 129 is to reduce the rotor 23 as a result of undesired imbalance of the magnetic field generated by the stator windings 110.
It is to protect the magnet 125 from the harmonic current generated on the top surface of the magnet. Specifically, if a harmonic current is generated, the damper bar 130 and the rotor wedge 1 which have high conductivity are provided.
Focus on 28 and dissipate safely. If the damper bar 130 and rotor wedge 128 were not present on the rotor 23, the harmonic current would flow directly through the magnet 125, ultimately demagnetizing the magnet. Also, damper bar 1
The combination of 30 and rotor wedge 128 is rotor 23
Form a kind of cage structure that facilitates the activation of.

As is apparent from FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, the rotor 23, like the stator 25, is also “canned” in a watertight housing 134. The rotor housing 134 includes an inner wall 136, an outer side 138, a front wall 140, and a rear wall 142 (all shown in FIG. 5). As is particularly apparent from FIG. 6, the rear wall 142 of the rotor housing 134.
A rotor inlet ring 144 is connected to the rotor inlet ring 144, and the ring 144 has a serrated rear wall 146 having a shape complementary to the serrated front wall 148 of the stator inlet ring 150 facing the rotor inlet ring 144.
including. The complementary saw tooth shapes of the rear wall 146 and the front wall 148 of the rotor and stator inlet rings 144 and 150, respectively, surround the surrounding seawater, and the foreign particles contained therein surround the outer peripheral edge of the rotor 23 and the stator 25. Defining a tortuous path through which the flow passes while preventing entry into the gap between the inner peripheral edges of the. The outer peripheral edge of the rotor 23 has a plurality of spiral grooves 151 which allow foreign matter to circulate in the gap between the rotor 23 and the stator 25 so as to be easily removed.
including. The flow path formed by the spiral groove 151 is shown by an arrow at the top in FIG.

2 and 5, shroud assembly 3
Explain the details of. This assembly 3 has a mounting bolt 15
6 includes a funnel-shaped inlet current plate 154 fixed to the upstream side of the stator housing 116 by 6. Stator housing 1
A blade mounting ring 158 is fixed to the downstream side of 16 via a mounting bolt 160. An outlet ring 162 is fixed to the downstream edge of the blade mounting ring 158 via a bolt 164. In addition, the inlet straightening plate 15
The funnel shape of No. 4 and the truncated cone shape of the blade mounting ring 158 work together with the stator housing 116 to provide a Kort nozzle profile that maximizes the thrust of the propeller 13 mounted inside the shroud assembly 3. Form.

9 and 10 show another embodiment of the propulsion device 1 of the present invention. Unlike the previously described embodiment, in this embodiment the removable cover 167 includes a hub 15 for the propeller 13.
On the other hand, it does not rotate, which not only reduces the efficiency of the propulsion device 1 that occurs when the cover rotates, but also undesirably disturbs the surrounding seawater which causes noise. The removable cover 167 of this embodiment includes a threaded recess 169 in the center of the inside thereof, and the non-rotating shaft 9
The threaded recess can be screwed into the threaded stud 171 fixed to the upstream end of the. This embodiment also includes a plurality of fixed and detachable stiffening columns 174. The reinforcing pillars 173 enhance the impact resistance of the device 1,
This is an important consideration when applying the present invention to a submarine. Except for the fixed removable cover 167, the threaded studs 171 provided on the shaft 9 and the reinforcing columns 173, this embodiment is the same as the previously described first embodiment for all materials.

The reliability improved by the integrated motor propulsion system of the present invention is of particular importance. That is, it is impossible to inspect and repair the motor incorporated in this type of propulsion device at sea regardless of whether it is used as a secondary drive device or a primary drive device. This is because it will not be easy if it becomes possible only after the dry dock is put in. In a conventional ship or a nuclear submarine, only the propeller is located outside the ship, and the motor is located inside the ship, so inspection and repair are easy. FIG. 11 shows still another embodiment of the propulsion device 1 of the present invention, and this embodiment has the required high reliability. In this embodiment, two identical motor assemblies 180 are provided to drive a single propeller and hub assembly 182 synchronously. 2 within shroud assembly 186 spaced from each other
Two identical stator core windings 184 are lost and housed. Similar to the two previously described embodiments, shroud assembly 186 is made of composite material and is formed into a hydrodynamic shape suitable for propulsion devices. Shroud assembly 18
6 also acts as a sound deadening means for ensuring quiet operation. An occlusal flange member 188 is provided for accommodating the stator 184 and fixing each of them together. Similarly,
The two identical rotors 190 are also fixed around the outer periphery of the propeller 192 by flange members 194 in parallel and spaced relationship. The configuration of each motor assembly 180 is substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment. However, the output of each motor may be 1/2 as compared with the embodiment using a single motor, and the total output of both motors is the same as that of the single motor type,
The weight is only slightly higher.

The structure of the propeller 192 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and in order to equalize the torques acting on the propeller 192 when the motors are simultaneously operated, the motor assembly 192 is arranged along the axial direction of the propulsion device 1. Its center is located in between. The stator core winding 184 is connected to a power source (not shown) via a lead wire (not shown) that penetrates one or two sets of blade members 202 and 203 independently of each other. The use of a common power supply for both motors does not pose a reliability problem because it is typically located in an accessible area of the ship and is inherently redundant. It goes without saying that a separate power supply may be used to drive each motor, but in this case the power supply must be fully operational to operate the synchronous motor assembly correctly without any loss of efficiency, noise or vibration. It will be necessary to cross-connect the power supplies to be synchronized.

In the event of a malfunction, one motor is physically isolated from the other within shroud assembly 186 to minimize the possibility of one motor damaging the other. The flange members 188 form part of respective housings that watertightly separate the stators 184 from each other. Therefore, even if a leak occurs and seawater short-circuits one of the stators, the remaining stators do not touch the seawater and continue to operate. That is, if an abnormality occurs in one of the motors, even if this motor is stopped, the propeller is driven by the remaining motors although the output is 1/2. Also in this respect, the reliability is higher than that of the single motor method. In addition, this embodiment has a simpler mechanism, lower cost and lower weight as compared with a fully redundant propulsion device or a multi-propeller propulsion device. In addition, in a multi-propeller propulsion system, the non-operating propeller hydraulically rotates under the influence of the water flow generated by the operating propeller, and in an extreme case, it forms a fixed barrier against the water flow due to clogging, which causes serious problems. A strong drag is generated.

By configuring the motor assembly 180 as a permanent magnet type AC motor as in the previously described embodiments, the advantages as described in connection with the previous embodiments are obtained. When one of the motors having such a configuration malfunctions or stops, the electromagnetic drag force generated by this motor is relatively small, and the output reduction of the propulsion device (driven by the remaining motors) is only about 1-2%. Absent. Induction type (eg brushless exciter type) AC
If a motor configuration is adopted, such electromagnetic resistance will not occur if the voltage to the motor is cut off.

Unlike the previous two embodiments, which are illustrated in a particularly suitable form for a secondary drive, the dual motor embodiment of FIG. 11 is particularly suitable for a primary drive of a submarine. That is, the propulsion device 1 of FIG. 11 is configured to be attached to the stern portion 196 of the submarine. The propulsion device 1 is fixed to the reinforcement 197 of the stern portion 196 of the submarine by known means such as a plurality of bolts inserted into holes provided in the occlusal end flange 198 of the propulsion device 1.

The monolithic propulsion device used as the primary drive is much more powerful and sized than just a secondary propulsion device. The maximum outer diameter of the propulsion device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 is 45 inches, which is suitable for a small submarine.
The maximum outer diameter of the propulsion device shown in FIG. 1 is 113 inches. The output of the primary propulsion device shown in FIG. 11 as an example is 600 h.
p (300 hp / motor). On the other hand, the output of the secondary propulsion device of FIGS. 1-10 is only 325 hp.

A dual motor propulsion device must accommodate two motors and requires sufficient spacing to be isolated from each other along the axial direction of the propulsion device, thus making it more than a single motor propulsion device. Tends to be long. Since the non-rotating shaft 200 also becomes longer, it was provided not only between the shroud 186 and the set of vane members 202 that span the inlet 5 to the propeller hub 204 of the shaft, but also between the outlet 7 and the hub 204. The shaft 200 must be additionally supported by the pair of blade members 203. The blade members 202 and 203 may be formed in the same manner as the blade member 11 in the above-described embodiment, except for the points particularly pointed out.

The details of the propeller hub 204, the non-rotating shaft 200, and the bearing assembly that rotatably connects these elements will now be described. Shaft 200 comprises a rigid hollow cylinder that tapers inwardly from the attachment point to submarine 196 (occlusal end flange 198) in a discontinuous manner. As already mentioned, a plurality of bolts or other known attachment means connect the propulsion device 1 to the submarine aft portion 196. End flange 1 using the same bolt
An annular bearing cartridge 206 having a primary thrust bearing surface 208 at 98, and an annular vane hub 210 including an inwardly projecting flange 212 having a secondary thrust bearing surface 214 facing and spaced from the primary bearing surface 208. To connect.

The non-rotating shaft 200 is provided with two radial bearing surfaces 216 and 218. This bearing surface is parallel to the axis of rotation of the propeller and hub assembly 182, and
The inward taper of the shaft 200 is interrupted here. In this embodiment, bearing surface 216 is located radially inward of thrust bearing surfaces 208, 214. Bearing surface 218 is located near opposite end 220 of shaft 200.

The conical end cap assembly 222 including the hub of the blade 203 is fixed to the shaft 200 by screwing a plurality of bolts 224 into the screw holes provided in the end 220, and is not rotated together with the shaft 200.

The hub 204 integral with the propeller 192 includes a frustoconical ring member 226 that is fitted between the vane hub 210 and the end cap assembly 222 so as to be flush with them. Lugs 228, 230 extend circumferentially as a means of attaching the thrust / radial composite bearing cartridge and radial bearing cartridge 234 via bolts or other known means. The radial bearing cartridge 234 has a bearing surface formed of rubber or the like that slidably meshes with the bearing surface 218 of the shaft 200.
The thrust / radial composite bearing cartridge 232 has thrust bearing surfaces 208, 2 associated with the non-rotating shaft 200.
14 and 216, each having three bearing surfaces formed of rubber or the like that slidably engages with each other. Bearing cartridge 2
A single thrust spanning between 08 and flange 212
Cartridge 2 so that it is located on both sides of runner 236
32 is provided with two thrust bearing surfaces. Thrust runner 236 is secured via known means to the portion of cartridge 232 just above the radial bearing surface that is aligned with radial bearing surface 216. Although not specifically shown, each of the four pairs of corresponding bearing surfaces must be provided with suitable means for circulating a lubricating fluid such as ambient seawater.

The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but also includes a propulsion device including the constituent elements described in connection with the three embodiments in various forms.
For example, two motors as in the third embodiment can be adopted in the first and second embodiments. As another example, the bearing assembly in the first and second embodiments may be incorporated in the third embodiment. It will be well understood by those skilled in the art that various other modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a propulsion device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the propulsion device shown in FIG. 1 along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the propulsion device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the propulsion device shown in FIG.

5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the propulsion device shown in FIG. 1, showing the parts of the bearing that are arranged between the shaft of the propulsion device and the hub of the propeller.

FIG. 6 illustrates how the serrated surfaces of the rotor inlet ring and stator inlet ring define a tortuous flow path between the stator and rotor that helps prevent foreign material from entering this space. 5 is an enlarged view of a part surrounded by a circle 142 in FIG.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of the propulsion device shown in FIG.

8 is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a circle 7 in FIG. 7, showing structural details of a stator and a rotor.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a propulsion device embodiment of the present invention having a non-rotatable, removable front cover, rather than a front cover that rotates with the propeller hub.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of the propulsion device shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a propulsion device embodiment of the present invention that includes two motor assemblies that drive a single propeller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Underwater Propulsion Device 5 Water Intake Port 7 Drain Port 85 Cover 125 Permanent Magnet 128 Wedge 130 Damper Bar 180 Electric Motor or Motor Assembly 182 Hub 184 Stator 186 Shroud 190 Rotor 192 Propeller 200 Shaft 202 Blade Assembly 216 Bearing Surface

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Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A shroud having a water inlet and a drain, a propeller means having an integral hub / vane assembly rotatably mounted on a shaft within the shroud, each mounted on a peripheral edge of the propeller means. At least two electric motors for driving the propeller means, the rotor including a fixed rotor and a stator mounted in the shroud at a distance from the rotor and magnetically coupled to the rotor, and a hub of the propeller means. A submersible propulsion device comprising a bearing assembly having at least one bearing surface between the shafts. 2. A plurality of vane members coupled between the shroud and the shaft for supporting the shaft along an axis of rotation of the propeller means, at least one set of the vane members being provided on the shaft. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the underwater propulsion device is connected to a portion located between the hub and the outlet end of the shroud. 3. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 2, wherein the bearing assembly includes a thrust bearing and a radial bearing arranged between the shaft and the hub of the propeller means. .. 4. A permanent magnet for reducing drag loss and noise generated by the propeller means by increasing the minimum distance required for the rotor of each motor to increase the magnetic coupling effect between the rotor and the stator. The underwater propulsion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a magnet. 5. The shaft has one end that opposes the inlet end of the shroud, and connects the hub of the propeller means to the thrust bearing that transfers to the shaft end almost all of the thrust generated by the propeller means. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 3, characterized in that 6. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 4, wherein the rotor includes damper bar means for protecting the magnet from spurious currents. 7. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein each rotor is fixed to the other rotor while keeping a space along the periphery of the propeller means. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each motor includes a power source connecting means that operates independently, and the function of the other motor is not affected even if one motor stops or malfunctions. Underwater propulsion device. 9. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two motors are exactly the same as each other. 10. The underwater propulsion unit according to claim 2, wherein another set of blade members is connected to a portion of the shaft located between the hub and the inlet end of the shroud. apparatus. 11. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the propeller means is centered between the at least two motors in the axial direction of the propulsion device. 12. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two motors are physically separated from each other. 13. The underwater propulsion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two motors include two motors. 14. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, further comprising attachment means for attaching the propulsion device to a ship as a primary drive device. 15. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 14, wherein the propulsion device is configured to form a tail portion of a submarine. 16. The underwater propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the hub and the shaft are tapered inwardly from the water intake port toward the drainage port.