U.S. patent application number 15/556099 was filed with the patent office on 2018-01-25 for engine room arrangement for a marine vessel.
This patent application is currently assigned to Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB. The applicant listed for this patent is Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB. Invention is credited to Mattias Hansson, Bjorn Moving.
Application Number | 20180022419 15/556099 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52648951 |
Filed Date | 2018-01-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180022419 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hansson; Mattias ; et
al. |
January 25, 2018 |
ENGINE ROOM ARRANGEMENT FOR A MARINE VESSEL
Abstract
An engine room arrangement for a marine vessel comprises a fin
formed at a rear portion of a hull of the vessel. The fin projects
downward from the hull and protects a propeller of the vessel. A
gear box is arranged at least in part in the fin and transmits a
rotation of a propulsion shaft coupled to a main engine to a
propeller shaft drivably coupled to the propeller. The fin provides
extra buoyancy for the vessel. The propeller shaft is formed as a
relatively short shaft, while the propulsion shaft is formed as a
high speed/low torque shaft having a smaller diameter.
Inventors: |
Hansson; Mattias; (Askim,
SE) ; Moving; Bjorn; (Niva, DK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB |
Ockero |
|
SE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Caterpillar Propulsion Production
AB
Ockero
SE
|
Family ID: |
52648951 |
Appl. No.: |
15/556099 |
Filed: |
March 11, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
March 11, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2016/000449 |
371 Date: |
September 6, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
114/269 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02T 70/128 20130101;
B63B 3/38 20130101; Y02T 70/10 20130101; B63H 23/30 20130101; B63B
1/08 20130101; B63H 21/20 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B63B 1/08 20060101
B63B001/08; B63H 21/20 20060101 B63H021/20; B63H 23/30 20060101
B63H023/30; B63B 3/38 20060101 B63B003/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 13, 2015 |
EP |
15159056.9 |
Claims
1. An engine room arrangement for a marine vessel, comprising: a
fin formed on a rear portion of a hull of the vessel, the fin
projecting downward from the hull; a gear box arranged at least in
part inside the fin; a propulsion shaft drivably coupled to the
gear box, the propulsion shaft extending from the gear box to a
front of the vessel and inside the vessel and being configured to
be connected to a main engine or main motor of the vessel; and a
propeller shaft drivably coupled to the gear box, the propeller
shaft extending rearward from the gear box to a propeller of the
vessel.
2. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fin is open
to an inside of the hull.
3. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the gear box
comprises a first portion connected to the propeller shaft, the
first portion being arranged inside the fin, and a second portion
connected to the propulsion shaft, the second portion being
arranged at least in part inside the hull.
4. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, further comprising an
electric motor drivably coupled to the gear box to provide
auxiliary power to the propeller and, optionally, to take out power
for one or more electrical loads.
5. The engine room arrangement of claim 4, wherein the electric
motor is arranged at least in part inside the fin.
6. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the propeller is
a controllable pitch propeller, a plurality of hydraulic passages
being formed in the propeller shaft for supplying hydraulic fluid
to control a pitch of the propeller.
7. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the propulsion
shaft has a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the
propeller shaft (22).
8. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the propulsion
shaft is a high speed/low torque shaft configured to rotate at
between around 500 rpm and around 2200 rpm and has a length of
between around 0 m and around 50 m and a diameter of between around
100 mm and around 300 mm.
9. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the propeller
shaft has a length of less than 10 m, for example, between around 2
m and around 10 m.
10. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the propeller
has a diameter of more than 2 m, for example, between around 2 m
and around 10 m.
11. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fin and the
hull are integrally formed.
12. The engine room arrangement of claim 1, comprising: a plurality
of fins having the same configuration and being spaced apart in a
transverse direction of the vessel, a gear box being arranged at
least in part in each fin and being drivably connected to
corresponding ones of a plurality of propulsion shafts and a
plurality of propeller shafts.
13. A marine vessel, comprising: a main engine or main motor; and
an engine room arrangement for a marine vessel including: a fin
formed on a rear portion of a hull of the vessel, the fin
projecting downward from the hull; a gear box arranged at least in
part inside the fin; a propulsion shaft drivably coupled to the
gear box, the propulsion shaft extending from the gear box to a
front of the vessel and inside the vessel and being configured to
be connected to the main engine or main motor of the vessel; and a
propeller shaft drivably coupled to the gear box, the propeller
shaft extending rearward from the gear box to a propeller of the
vessel.
14. The marine vessel of claim 13, wherein the engine room
arrangement includes a pair of fins spaced apart in the lateral
direction of the vessel, each fin having a gear box arranged at
least in part inside the fin, each gear box being connected to a
corresponding one of a pair of main engines via a corresponding
propulsion shaft.
15. The marine vessel of claim 13, wherein the marine vessel is an
arctic vessel, for example, an arctic supply vessel or an anchor
handling tug supply vessel.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to marine vessels, in
particular, to an engine room arrangement for a marine vessel.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A marine vessel such as, for example, an offshore support
vessel includes one or more combustion engines driving one or more
main propellers for propulsion of the vessel. The one or more main
propellers are mechanically coupled to the one or more engines, for
example, via one or more drive shafts. The one or more engines
rotate at a given speed, resulting in a corresponding rotation of
the one or more main propellers. For example, the vessel may
include a pair of diesel engines drivably coupled to a pair of main
propellers. The diesel engines and the main propellers are
generally operating at constant speed.
[0003] For transmitting a power output of the engines to the main
propellers, a gear box may be arranged between a propulsion shaft
coupled to the engine and a propeller shaft coupled to an
associated propeller. The gear box is configured as a speed change
mechanism that changes the speed of the propulsion shaft to a speed
of the propeller shaft that is suitable for rotating the
propeller.
[0004] WO 2014/118595 A1 discloses a propulsion system for a vessel
having a hull with a midship portion and a stern portion. The
propulsion system comprises two propulsion units fixedly mounted to
the hull on opposite sides of a centre line of the hull. Each of
the propulsion units comprises a housing carrying a propeller. Each
housing further defines an interior volume in which a drive
machinery is provided for driving a propeller via a propeller
shaft. The interior volume is opened to the interior of the
hull.
[0005] US 2012/0129411 A1 discloses a marine propulsion device
including a clutch, a horizontal input/output shaft connected to
the clutch, a vertical shaft connected to the input/output shaft, a
horizontal propeller shaft connected to a lower end of the vertical
shaft through a lower bevel gear, and a propeller at the other end
side of the propeller shaft. A motor generator is mounted on a
floor and connected directly to the other end side of the
input/output shaft.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,004 discloses a controllable pitch
marine propeller having blades carried by a hub and a hydraulic
actuator housed in the hub and coupled to the blades for altering
the pitch angle of the same.
[0007] The present disclosure is directed, at least in part, to
improving or overcoming one or more aspects of prior systems.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an engine room
arrangement for a marine vessel comprises a fin formed on a rear
portion of a hull of the vessel. The fin projects downward from the
hull, and a gear box is arranged at least in part inside the fin. A
propulsion shaft is drivably coupled to the gear box and extends
from the gear box to a front of the vessel and inside the hull. The
propulsion shaft is configured to be connected to a main engine of
the vessel. A propeller shaft is drivably coupled to the gear box
and extends rearward from the gear box to a propeller of the
vessel.
[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a marine vessel
comprises a main engine and the engine room arrangement of the
above aspect, wherein the propulsion shaft of the engine room
arrangement is connected to the main engine to be rotated by the
same.
[0010] Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be
apparent from the following description and the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary
embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the
drawings:
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a partial side sectional view of a marine
vessel including an engine room arrangement in accordance with the
present disclosure; and
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the engine room
arrangement of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The following is a detailed description of exemplary
embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments
described therein and illustrated in the drawings are intended to
teach the principles of the present disclosure, enabling those of
ordinary skill in the art to implement and use the present
disclosure in many different environments and for many different
applications. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments are not intended
to be, and should not be considered as, a limiting description of
the scope of patent protection. Rather, the scope of patent
protection shall be defined by the appended claims.
[0015] The present disclosure may be based in part of the
realization that it may be advantageous to provide a gear box
coupling a propulsion shaft extending from a main engine of a
marine vessel to a propeller shaft coupled to a propeller of the
marine vessel close to the propeller. This reduces a length of
hydraulic conduits formed in the propeller shaft, such that the
propeller shaft is easier to manufacture, because the conduits to
be drilled through the propeller shaft have a shorter length.
[0016] Further, the present disclosure may be based at least in
part on the realization that it is advantageous to arrange the gear
box in a fin that is provided on a hull of the vessel in a rear
portion of the same. In this manner, the fin can protect the
propeller while at the same time providing extra buoyancy.
[0017] In addition, the present disclosure may be based on the
realization that one or more of the above advantages allows for
providing a larger propeller to be used for the marine vessel.
Additionally, the above arrangement may allow for providing a
propulsion shaft between the engine and the gear box that is
relatively long but has a smaller diameter, i.e., that is
configured as a high speed/low torque shaft. The engine room
arrangement of the present disclosure may be particularly well
suited for an arctic vessel, for example, an arctic supply vessel
or the like.
[0018] In the following, an exemplary engine room arrangement for a
marine vessel is described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1
shows a partial side sectional view of a marine vessel 100 having
an engine room arrangement 10, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan
view of the engine room arrangement of FIG. 1.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, marine vessel 100, which may be an
arctic vessel, for example, an arctic supply vessel or an anchor
handling tug supply vessel, comprises a hull 14.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, a power system 50 of marine vessel 100
includes a pair of main engines 20. Each of main engines 20 may be
an internal combustion engine configured to burn a supply of
gaseous and/or liquid fuel to produce a mechanical output. For
example, each main engine 20 may be a diesel engine, a gaseous fuel
engine or a dual fuel engine configured to burn both gaseous fuel
and liquid fuel, for example, diesel oil. Alternatively, each main
engine 20 may be configured as an electric motor powered by a
generator. Each main engine 20 may be a variable speed engine that
is configured to operate at varying speeds, or may be a constant
speed engine configured to operate at a constant speed.
[0021] As also shown in FIG. 2, power system 50 of marine vessel
100 further includes a pair of propellers 24 mechanically connected
to the pair of engines 20 via corresponding propulsion shafts 18
and propeller shafts 22. Propulsion shafts 18 and propeller shafts
22 are drivably coupled to each other via respective gear boxes 16.
Propulsion shafts 18 may be coupled to gear boxes 16 via clutches
(not shown).
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, each gear box 16 is arranged at least in
part inside a fin 12 formed in a rear portion of hull 14 of vessel
100 and projecting downward from the same. In the example shown in
FIG. 1, each gear box 16 includes a first portion 16a disposed
within fin 12 and drivably coupled to propeller shaft 22, and a
second portion 16b disposed above first portion 16a and drivably
coupled to propulsion shaft 18. In the example shown in FIG. 1, fin
12 is open to an inside of hull 14. It will be appreciated,
however, that in other embodiments an inside of fin 12 may be
separated from an inside of hull 14 by a partition wall or the
like. Further, in some embodiments, first portion 16a may be
disposed inside fin 12, while second portion 16b may be disposed
outside/above fin 12.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, an auxiliary motor such as an electric
motor 26 is drivably coupled to gear box 16 to provide auxiliary
power to propeller 24. In the example shown in FIG. 1, electric
motor 26 is drivably coupled to second portion 16b of gear box 16
and includes an output shaft (not shown) that extends parallel to
propulsion shaft 18. Electric motor 26 is configured to provide a
boost mode and/or a boost limp home mode for vessel 100. It should
be appreciated that, in other embodiments, electric motor 26 may be
omitted, or may be arranged at a different position, for example,
not forward, but rearward of gear box 16. In some embodimens,
electric motor 26 may be configured to also take out power for
other electrical loads on vessel 100.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, each fin 12 is formed in a rear portion
of hull 14 and projects downward from hull 14. In some embodiments,
each fin 12 may be formed integrally with hull 14. In other
embodiments, each fin 12 may be a separate member fastened to hull
14 by appropriate fastening means, for example, by being bolted or
welded to hull 14. At least fin 12, gear box 16, propulsion shaft
18 and propeller shaft 22 may form the engine room arrangement of
the present disclosure.
[0025] Each propeller 24 can be a fixed pitch propeller, or may,
for example, be configured as a controllable pitch propeller. The
pitch angle of the blades of each propeller 24 may be adjusted, for
example, using a hydraulic system including a pitch control valve
(not shown). A plurality of hydraulic passages may be formed in
propeller shaft 22 for supplying hydraulic fluid to control a pitch
of propeller 24. Propeller shafts 22 transmit the rotation of main
engines 20 to propellers 24 via gear boxes 16 such that propellers
24 rotate at a speed that is proportional or equal to the speed of
main engines 20. The thrust provided by propellers 24 may be
adjusted by adjusting the pitch angle of the blades of propellers
24.
[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, power system 50 of marine vessel
100 may further comprise a pair of secondary engines 30, which may
each be of the type described above with respect to main engines
20. A pair of alternators (i.e. generators) 32 may be mechanically
connected to the pair of secondary engines 30. For example, an
input of each alternator 32 may be mechanically connected to a
flywheel (not shown) of one of secondary engines 30. Each
alternator 32 may be configured to receive a mechanical output from
the associated secondary engine 30 and convert the same to
electrical power. The electrical power generated by each alternator
32 may be proved to, for example, electric motor 26, and/or an
electric motor (not shown) associated with one of front tunnel
thrusters 34 provided at a bow of vessel 100, which may generate a
water jet resulting in a steering force which facilitates
maneuvering of vessel 100. Likewise, the electric power generated
by alternators 32 may be provided to an electric motor (not shown)
associated with one of rear tunnel thrusters 36. In addition,
electric power output by alternators 32 may be supplied to one or
more electrical loads (not shown) of vessel 100. For example, the
electrical loads may be heating systems, pumps, navigation and
bridge systems or other auxiliary systems onboard vessel 100.
[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each propeller shaft 22 is formed
with a length that is significantly smaller than a length of the
corresponding propulsion shaft 18. In addition, each propulsion
shaft 18 has a diameter that is smaller than or equal to a diameter
of the corresponding propeller shaft 22. For example, each
propulsion shaft 18 may be a high speed/low torque shaft configured
to rotate at between around 500 rpm and around 2200 rpm, and may
have a length of between around 0 m and around 50 m and a diameter
of between around 100 mm and around 300 mm. Each propeller shaft 22
may have a length of less than 10 m, for example, between around 2
m and around 10 m.
[0028] The arrangement of each gear box 16 relatively close to the
associated propeller 24 allows for providing a large propeller
having a diameter of more than 2 m, for example, between around 2 m
and around 10 m. In addition, fins 12 projecting from hull 14 may
provide protection for propellers 24. In addition, fins 12 may
provide extra buoyancy for vessel 100.
[0029] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, engine room
arrangement 10 includes a pair of fins 12 spaced apart in the
lateral direction of vessel 100, each fin 12 having one of gear
boxes 16 arranged at least in part inside the same. It will be
readily appreciated, however, that in other embodiments only a
single fin 12 and, correspondingly, a single gear box 16 and a
single main engine 20 may be provided. Likewise, in other
embodiments, more than two fins 12, gear boxes 16 and main engines
20 may be provided.
[0030] Further, while power system 50 of marine vessel 100 shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 is a hybrid power system including internal
combustion main engines 20 and electric motors 26, in other
embodiments, electric motors 26 may be omitted. Further, while in
the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 secondary engines 30 are
provided to power, for example, tunnel thrusters 34 and 36, in
other embodiments, tunnel thrusters 34, 36 and, optionally, other
electrical loads may be powered by main engines 20, each of which
may then include alternator 32.
[0031] It will be readily appreciated that each fin 12 may have any
appropriate shape that provides an inner space formed inside each
fin 12 that can accommodate at least in part gear box 16 while
providing extra buoyancy for vessel 100. Therefore, the present
disclosure is not limited to the shape of fins 12 shown in FIGS. 1
and 2.
[0032] Although marine vessel 100 has been described above as an
arctic vessel, it will be readily appreciated that the engine room
arrangement disclosed herein may be used in any other type of
marine vessel.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0033] The engine room arrangement for a marine vessel disclosed
herein is applicable to marine vessels in general for improving the
efficiency of the power system of the same. In particular, the
engine room arrangement disclosed herein may allow for use of a
larger propeller and a shorter propeller shaft connecting the
propeller to the gear box disposed at least in part inside the fin
formed on the hull of the vessel.
[0034] An exemplary operation of marine vessel 100 having engine
room arrangement 10 will be described in the following with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0035] Main engines 20 may combust a fuel such as liquid fuel
and/or gaseous fuel to provide output power. The output power
provided by main engines 20 rotates the pair of propulsion shafts
18 drivably coupled to main engines 20, for example, at a constant
speed that is a relatively high speed.
[0036] The pair of propulsion shafts 18 rotating at the relatively
high speed is drivably coupled to the pair of gear boxes 16
disposed in the pair of fins 12 formed on hull 14 of vessel 100.
Due to the arrangement of fins 12 in a rear portion of hull 14 in
close proximity to main propellers 24, propulsion shafts 18 may be
formed as relatively long shafts having a relatively small
diameter.
[0037] Gear boxes 16 change the rotation speed of propulsion shafts
18 to a different rotation speed, for example, a lower rotation
speed that may be between 1/4 and 1/10 of the rotation speed of
propulsion shafts 18, and transmit the same to propeller shafts 22
connected to propeller 24. For example, each gear box 16 may be
configured to change the relatively high constant speed of the
associated propulsion shaft 18 to a relatively low constant speed
of the associated propeller shaft 22. In some embodiments, each
gear box 16 may not be configured as a speed change mechanism that
changes the rotation speed of the propulsion shaft 18, but may act
as a propeller step in order to arrange part of the propulsion line
inside fin 12.
[0038] A blade angle of propellers 24 may be a fixed pitch, or may
be controlled by supplying hydraulic fluid through hydraulic
conduits formed in propeller shafts 22 (not shown). Accordingly, a
desired thrust provided by propellers 24 can be set, for example,
in accordance with an operator command.
[0039] Although the preferred embodiments of this invention have
been described herein, improvements and modifications may be
incorporated without departing from the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *