WO2006135332A1

WO2006135332A1 - Positioning arrangement for ships

Info

Publication number: WO2006135332A1
Application number: PCT/SE2006/050193
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonas Johansson
Original assignee: Rolls-Royce Aktiebolag
Priority date: 2005-06-13
Filing date: 2006-06-12
Publication date: 2006-12-21
Also published as: SE0501344L; EP1890933A4; EP1890933A1; SE528767C2; WO2006135332A9

Abstract

The present invention relates to a positioning arrangement for ships, said arrangement comprising a turning device (4) which is pivotal about an axis (Cl) fixed in relation to a base part (20), at least one powering device (2, 3) for pivoting said turning device (4), which powering device is directly or indirectly connected to said base part (20) at one end (2b, 3b) and to said turning device (4) at the other end (2a, 3a) and a sensor device (5) arranged to sense the angular position of said turning device (4), wherein said sensor device (5) is mounted substantially coaxially with said axis (Cl).

Description

POSITIONING ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIPS

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steering arrangement for ships propelled by water jet according to the pre-characterising portion of claim 1.

STATE OF THE ART AND PROBLEM

Larger water jet units are today used more and more for driving bigger ships. Steering a ship with water jet is achieved according to well-known principles by means of a box- shaped, pivoting steering device controlled by powerful hydraulic cylinder units, and a reversing device, controlled by its own hydraulic cylinder and suspended in the steering device. Such a known steering arrangement is disclosed in WO03/093104. For monitoring the turning of the ship known steering arrangements have a metal wire which is connected to the pivoting vertical axis and extends to a sensor device placed within the ship. However, existing sensor solutions are relatively costly depending on the fact that most ship designs are more or less individualised leading to the need of individual solutions for each design, which is relatively costly, e.g. in relation to construction and maintenance. Moreover known sensor devices are mostly provided remote from the turning arrangement of the boat requiring an intermediate transfer device which has to be reliable and which may also add to inconveniency in relation to maintenance of the sensor device. A similar arrangement is also used for controlling the position of the reversing bucket.

Moreover, e.g. in relation to water jet units, it is known to use linear feed-back together with hydraulic pistons to measure the position/angle at a pivoting arrangement. However, classification requirement define that two independent sensor signals must be available for the steering unit and this mostly leads to expensive solutions when using linear feed-back sensors, e.g. two parallel linear sensors. Moreover, the linear sensor device is problematic in connection with maintenance and has shown to have reliability problems. Known rotation sensors are less sensitive (especially with regard to vibrations) than linear sensors, but as mentioned above, do provide other problems.

EP-A-I 119 486 discloses a device for positioning of a pod unit. The pod unit is provided with a steering arrangement getting input from the steering bridge, and a positioning sensor situated at the pod unit. The sensor can be chosen among many known types of sensors. Also in this arrangement the sensor device often present at least one of the above disadvantages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a positioning arrangement, e.g. for a steering arrangement for ships propelled by water jet, in which arrangement the sensor device is optimised in relation to at least one of the above mentioned problems, e.g. providing a less expensive solution and preferably also a more reliable and less complicated construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above object is achieved by a steering arrangement for ships propelled by water jet according to the characterising portion of claim 1.

The solution according to the invention provides a sensor device that provides significant costs advantages, due to the fact the one and the same type of sensor can be used on different positions (e.g. steering shaft and reversing shaft, respectively) and/or different types of ships/dimensions owing to the interface/adapter solution. The sensor device consequently becomes independent of the size, i.e. can be used for many different types of applications, e.g. positioning/controlling device for the steering of a water jet unit and/or its reversing device and/or the steering of a POD-unit.

According to preferred aspects of the invention, the sensor device arrangement according to the invention provides a cost effective design and may allow a certain angular deflection or play without causing any counteracting forces.

According to further preferred aspects of the invention the sensor is positioned coaxially with the axis, providing the advantages that it may give an extra service friendly construction which is easier to maintain/reach to exchange, thanks to the situation as such as well as to the fact that no connected force transmitting element (wires etc.) need to be disconnected. Intermediate force transmitting means, which can be influenced and in that connection give wrong sensor information, are accordingly eliminated. It is evident that such advantages are obtained irrespective of the actual application,

The sub claims defines further preferred embodiments of the invention.

A preferred adapter device of the sensor device of the steering arrangement according to the invention comprises a type of adapter shaft or a key shaft, which, by making it variable in length, can be adapted to different types of turning devices. Other parts are in principle the same and because the end of the key shaft is provided with a type of radially protruding carrier pin which is adapted for a corresponding key hole or groove, results in a very precise transmission of turning movements, but with possibility to a certain angular deflection, cross position, without any disturbing movements being transmitted to the sensor unit itself.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The steering arrangement according to the invention will know be explained more in detail with reference to the attached drawings showing preferred embodiments in connection with the steering of a water jet unit, wherein

Fig. 1 shows a plain view of a first embodiment of a steering arrangement according to the invention with a sensor device, Fig. 2 shows a partial sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 3 shows a partial view from above, showing the sensor device,

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of a part surrounded by a circle of a broken line in

Fig. 2, Fig. 5 shows a sectional view along the line B-B in Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view from above of the sensor device, Fig. 7 shows a partial sectional view through the vertical axis of a second embodiment of a steering arrangement according to the invention with a sensor device,

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view from above of the sensor device of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In Fig. 1 to 3 there is shown a steering arrangement, exemplified in connection with, a ship propelled by water jet, according to the invention. The water jet arrangement 1 comprises a steering device 6 pivotal about a vertical turning device 4 pivotally connected to a fixed part 20 (e.g. guide vane chamber) of the water jet, said fixed part 20 being in its turn attached to the ships transom. Furthermore, this construction consists of a beam arrangement fixed at each side of the steering device 6 in which there is arranged a hinge 12 for suspension of a lever arm 17 of a reversing device 7 activated by means of a hydraulic cylinder 9 connected at one end at the reversing device 7. The hydraulic cylinder 9 is at its other end connected to the turning device 4.

Hydraulic cylinders 2 and 3 on each side of the turning device 4 have one end 2B and 3B, respectively, connected to the body of the ship at the fixed part 20 and the other end 2A and 3A, respectively, connected to the turning device 4 at a distance from a vertical turning axis Cl. A sensor device 5 is mounted coaxially with the vertical axis Cl.

In Figs. 4 and 5 it is shown sectional views through a first embodiment of the steering arrangement. The sensor device comprises two portions, a first sensor portion 50 and a second sensor portion 51 being rotatably arranged in relation to each other. The first sensor portion 50 is fixed to and is arranged to follow the movement of the turning device 4 and the second sensor portion 51 is fixed in relation to the fixed part 20. Preferably, the first sensor portion 50 as well as the second sensor portion 51 are arranged with interfaces which are standardized to enable fitting irrespective of the size of the steering device. The first sensor portion 50 comprises a mounting flange 500, a sealing ring 501 and a first cylindrical portion 502. The second sensor portion 51 comprises a measuring shaft 510, a flexible force transmitting device 511, an adapter means or key shaft 512 and a radially protruding carrier pin 513.

The measuring shaft 510 is received in the body of the first sensor portion 50 which is a known measurement device adapted to measure a turning angle and in this case measures the turning angle of the turning device 4 in relation to the fixed part 20. At 506 is shown an adapter for a cable which leads to a monitoring device in the ship.

The end of the key shaft 512 is tapered and preferably the carrier pin 513 is also arranged with tapered end portions 513A (see Fig. 6) to allow a certain angular deflection of the key shaft 512 and the carrier pin 513 without causing any contracting forces or without influencing the measurement process performed by the sensor device 5. The carrier pin 513 protrudes radially in relation to the vertical axis Cl and is firmly attached to the key shaft 512 in a radially extending hole 514 near its end, said key shaft 512 being substantially coaxially arranged in relation to said vertical axis Cl. The cylindrical portion 502 of the first portion 50 of the sensor device 5 is fitted into a cylindrical hole in a central portion 400 of the turning device 4 and is sealed by means of a sealing ring 501. The central portion 400 of the turning device 4 is fixed by screws (not shown) at 401 (see Fig. 3) to a hub portion 400A of the turning device 4. In this preferred embodiment a cylindrical body 212 is fixed within a cavity of the fixed part 20 by means of bolts 211 which are screwed into threaded holes 210 in the fixed part 20. A tapered cylindrical portion 213 (a wear part) is introduced within the cavity of the fixed part 20 to wedge up the cylindrical body 212 in the fixed part 20. Between the turning device 4 and the fixed part 20 there is an axial bearing 214 to admit the turning device 4 to be rotatable in relation to the fixed part 20. Further between the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 214 (above the wedge 213) there is provided an annularly formed cylindrical bearing 405 which is in contact with the inner surface 406 of the turning device. Hence the cylindrical body 214 will be fixed in relation to the fixed part 20 and rotating movement will occur between its upper outer cylindrical surface and the inner surface of the cylindrical bearing 405, leading to wear of the bearing 405, which is an advantage since when maintenance is due an exchange of the wear parts 213, 405 and 214 is sufficient, i.e. without any need of machining on any of the larger surrounding fixing portions (e.g. the cavity of the fixed part or the hole 406 of the turning device 4). Accordingly this preferred attachment device presents considerable cost advantages compared to most known solutions and is especially useful when compactness is an advantage, e.g. in connection with a water jet unit. It is evident for the skilled person that this attachment arrangement may also provide advantages in it self, i.e. also in a sensor arrangement without any adapter function and might therefore be the subject of an independent patent application.

A groove 203 in the cylindrical body 212 is provided to receive the carrier pin 513, such that the pin 513, key shaft 512, the flexible force transmitting device 511 and measuring shaft 510 will remain fixed when the turning device rotates.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view illustrating the interaction between the sensor device 5 and the fixed part 20. Threaded holes 210A are distributed in the cylindrical portion 212 with the same mutual interval between each other in a circle around the key shaft 512. The bolts 211 fixing the cylindrical portion 212 to the fixed part 20, are inserted from above into the holes 210A. The carrier pin 513 of the key shaft 512 is placed in the grove 203 in the cylindrical portion 212, the centre of said groove 203 extending across the vertical axis Cl. The circular cylindrical wedge portion 213 is situated between the fixed part 20 and the cylindrical portion 212. The carrier pin 513 is fixed in the hole 514 of the shaft 512. The carrier pin 513 is tapered at its ends 513A (see Fig. 6) to admit a deflection of the shaft 512 without causing any contracting forces. The arrangement of the carrier pin 513 is best shown in Fig. 6 wherein the sensor device is shown in a perspective view detached from the turning device 4 and the impeller housing 20. A second and a third cylindrical portion 503 and 504, respectively, are connected to the first cylindrical portion 502 and together they form the body of the first sensor portion 50 of the sensor device. The diameter of the cylindrical portion 502 of the sensor device 5 is arranged in such a way that it is standardized to exist in a limited predetermined number of alternative sizes for different applications.

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view through a second embodiment of a steering arrangement according to the invention. As in the first embodiment the first sensor portion 50 comprises a mounting flange 500, a sealing ring 501 and a first cylindrical portion 502, and the second sensor portion 51 comprises a measuring shaft 510, a flexible force transmitting device 511, an adapter means or key shaft 512 and a radially protruding carrier pin 513. The sensor device, as shown separately in Fig. 8, has a longer key shaft 512 to fit in another type of steering arrangement.

Similarly as shown in figs. 4-6 the sensor device 5 is fixed by means of a mounting flange 500 in a recess in the central portion 400 and is sealed by means of a sealing ring 501.

In contrast to what is shown in figs. 4-6 the sensor arrangement in fig 7 is arranged within a through hole 406 of the fixed part 20 and therefore requires a lid portion 200. A separate central portion 400 is fixed to the turning device 4, by welds at 401 to an outer portion 400A of the turning device 4. At the bottom of central portion 400 there is fixed an annular disc 403 by means of bolts 404. A sealing ring 405 seals between the central portion 400 and the disc 403. By means of bolts 201 the lid 200 is fastened to the fixed part 20 and is sealed against the disc 403 by means of a sealing ring 202. The carrier pin 513 (see Fig. 8), fixed in a hole 514 at the outer end of the key shaft 512, is placed in a groove 204 in the lid 200, the centre of said groove 204 extending across the vertical axis Cl.

Between the turning device 4 and the fixed part 20 there is a bearing 402 to admit the turning device 4 to be rotatable in relation to it. The bearing 214 is in the form of an annularly formed cylindrical bearing having an annular, radially outwards extending flange 402 A at the upper edge. The arrangement of the carrier pin 513 is best shown in Fig. 8 wherein the sensor device is shown in a perspective view detached from the turning device 4 and the fixed part 20. A second and a third cylindrical portion 503 and 504, respectively, are connected to the first cylindrical portion 502. Also here the diameter D of the cylindrical portion 502 of the sensor device 5 is arranged in such a way that it is standardized to exist in a limited predetermined number of alternative sizes for different applications. Preferably two different sizes are provided to cover all different of types of steering arrangements. At yet another arrangement one size of diameter D cover all types of applications. At 506 is shown an adapter for a cable which leads to a monitoring device in the ship.

The first and second sensor portions 50 and 51 of the sensor device 5 are accordingly arranged with interfaces to enable fitting irrespective of the size or type of the steering device. For example the key shaft 512 can be interchangeable in different lengths (marked with L in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6 and marked with L' in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 8) or it can consist of a telescopically extendable and retractable shaft (not shown).

As is understood by the above the invention facilitates extremely easy maintenance. For instance, if the sensor housing 50 needs to be exchanged, it is merely needed to detach the screws 500A that keeps the flange 500 fixed (possibly also the cable at 506).

Thereafter the whole housing 50 may easily be removed by pulling it out of the hole in central portion 400, whereby the lower portion 51 of the sensor 5 will also follow. Then the housing may easily be exchanged by detaching the flexible member 511 from the stub end 510 and a new housing can be fitted. Hence, a process that takes some minutes, which shall be compared with conventional arrangements where exchange of a sensor housing may take many hours.

Although two embodiments of a steering arrangement for ships propelled by water jet according to the invention are described above and shown in the drawings, several other alternative designs can be achieved by combining features in the accompanying claims.

Further the skilled person knows that many variations of different details are possible without departing from the scope of the claims, e.g. the use of shafts having another cross sectional form (e.g. square), the use of an integrated radial piece 513, the use of different sealings, etc. Moreover it is evident that the "fixed part 20" can be chosen in a large variety depending on the needs of the actual arrangement. For instance, for an arrangement according to the invention used to control the position of the reversing bucket of a water jet, the "fixed part" will actually not be fixed in relation to the ship but merely in relation to the steering device 6, i.e. the sensor 5 will be positioned coaxially with the horizontal shaft about which the bucket pivots, which horizontal axis follows the movement of steering device. Hence, this example clarifies that the term "fixed part" has to be construed in a broad manner, i.e. any part that can be seen as fixed in relation to a turning device and also that the term "turning device" also must be construed in a broad manner, i.e. any part that pivots about an axis, e.g. the reversing bucket of a water jet and/or the housing of a POD-unit, a propeller blade of a propeller having variable pitch, etc., that may need control of its angular position. Finally, it is evident that the solution according to the invention may also provide considerable advantages even if it, contrary to what is shown in the preferred embodiment, is positioned non coaxially, i.e. using some kind of transmission, e.g. dented wheels, to transfer movement to the sensor.

Claims

1. A positioning arrangement for ships, said arrangement comprising a turning device (4) belonging to a propulsion unit (1) of a ship, which turning device (4) is pivotal about an axis (Cl) fixed in relation to a base part (20), at least one powering device (2, 3) for pivoting said turning device (4), which powering device is directly or indirectly connected to said base part (20) at one end (2b, 3b) and to said turning device (4) at the other end (2a, 3a) and a sensor device (5) arranged to sense the angular position of said turning device (4), wherein said sensor device (5) comprises a first sensor portion (50) and a second sensor portion (51) being rotatably arranged in relation to each other, wherein one of said portions is arranged to follow the movement of the turning device (4) and the other to be fixed in relation to the base part (20) characterised in that at least one of said sensor portions (50, 51) is arranged with an interface device (500, 501, 502; 512, 513), comprising an adapter device (512), arranged to enable fitting irrespective of the size of the turning device (4).

2. Positioning arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that said adapter device (512) is in the form of a rigid force transmitting device, the length (L, L') of which is adaptable to fit differently sized turning devices (4).

3. Positioning arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that said rigid force transmitting device (512) comprises an interchangeable shaft of adaptable length.

4. Positioning arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that said rigid force transmitting device (512) consists of a telescopically extendable and retractable shaft which can be fixed at predetermined lengths.

5. Positioning arrangement according to any above claim, characterised in that a first portion of said interface devices (500, 501, 502) includes a cylindrical surface (502) having a diameter (D, D') and including a sealing device (501), wherein preferably said diameter (D, D') is standardised to exist in a limited number of alternatives, preferably a maximum of two different sizes and more preferred merely one size.

6. Positioning arrangement according to any above claim, characterised in that a second portion of said interface devices (512, 513) comprises a force transmitting element (513), such as a carrier pin, which radially protrudes in relation to said axis (Cl).

7. Positioning arrangement according to claim 6, characterised in that said force transmitting element (513) is attached to a shaft (512) that is substantially coaxially arranged in relation to said axis (Cl).

8. Positioning arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that the form of said second portion of interface devices (512, 513) is arranged to allow a certain angular deflection without causing any counteracting forces.

9. Positioning arrangement according to claims 8, characterised in that the end portion (515) of said shaft (512) is tapered, and preferably that said radially protruding device (513) also is arranged with tapered end portions (513a).

10. Positioning arrangement according to any of the above claims, characteris e d in that said sensor device (5) includes a flexible force transmitting device (511) arranged to allow certain deflection between force transmitting parts (512,

510) of the sensor device (5).

11. Positioning arrangement according to any above claim, characterised in that said turning device (4) belongs to a water jet unit (1).

12. Positioning arrangement according to any above claim, characterised in that said sensor device (5) is mounted substantially coaxially with said axis (Cl).

13. Positioning arrangement according to any above claim, characterised in that said powering device (2, 3) includes at least one hydraulic cylinder.