Propulsion unit for an aquatic vehicle having a mobile casing and a hydraulic fluid conditioning module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179636-B2
Application number	US-201715497037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	Apr 25, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

This propulsion unit for an aquatic vehicle consists of a mobile casing equipped with an azimuth bearing due to its mounting in a pivot connection in relation to a hull element of the aquatic vehicle, the azimuth bearing having a closed volume provided to contain a hydraulic fluid, the propulsion unit having a drive shaft of a propeller, said shaft being mounted rotatably within the mobile casing by means of at least one bearing having a closed space adapted to contain a hydraulic fluid, an electrical machine being adapted to drive the rotary drive shaft in relation to the mobile casing, the propulsion unit having a supply circuit adapted to supply the closed space of the shaft bearing with hydraulic fluid.
The supply circuit has a supply duct connecting the closed space of the shaft bearing and the closed volume of the azimuth bearing.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A propulsion unit for an aquatic vehicle comprising:
a mobile casing provided with an azimuth bearing comprising a closed volume containing a hydraulic fluid, a drive shaft mounted rotatably on the interior of the mobile casing by at least one shaft bearing having a closed space for containing a hydraulic fluid;
an electrical machine to drive the drive shaft in rotation in relation to the mobile casing, the propulsion unit further having a supply circuit adapted to supply the closed space of the shaft bearing with hydraulic fluid; and
wherein the supply circuit has a supply duct connecting the closed space of the shaft bearing and the closed volume of the azimuth bearing.

2. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising a discharge circuit adapted to draw hydraulic fluid from the closed space of the shaft bearing, the discharge circuit having a duct connecting the closed space of the shaft bearing and the closed volume of the azimuth bearing.

3. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising a hydraulic fluid conditioning module located in the aquatic vehicle and outside the mobile casing, and having a cooler and a circulation pump capable of generating a flow of hydraulic fluid from the closed volume through the cooler and then toward the closed volume.

4. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the closed volume of the azimuth bearing has a rolling space extending radially between an inner ring integral with the mobile casing and an outer ring integral with the hull element of the aquatic vehicle and having a number of rolling elements.

5. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising a hydraulic pump mounted on the supply duct.

6. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge circuit consists of a discharge duct connecting the closed space of the shaft bearing and the closed volume of the azimuth bearing, a hydraulic pump being mounted on the discharge duct.

7. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the closed space of the shaft bearing is at least partially delimited by a thermally conductive wall of the mobile casing, said thermally conductive wall having a surface in contact with the outside of the mobile casing.

8. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the supply duct and/or discharge duct connecting the closed space of the shaft bearing and the closed volume of the azimuth bearing is at least partially delimited by a thermally conductive wall having a surface in contact with the outside of the mobile casing.

9. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the closed volume of the azimuth bearing is at least partially delimited by a thermally conductive wall having a surface in contact with the outside of the mobile casing.

10. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive wall is made of a metal material and has an average thickness of between 20 mm and 300 mm.

11. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising means for injecting pressurized air inside the mobile casing.

12. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising means for injecting pressurized air inside the closed volume.

13. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , comprising two shaft bearings mounted on the drive shaft on either side of the electrical machine, each shaft bearing having a closed space, the supply circuit having a first supply duct connecting the closed space of one of the shaft bearings to the closed volume of the azimuth bearing, a second supply duct connecting the closed space of the other shaft bearing to the closed volume of the azimuth bearing, the first supply duct and the second supply duct having a common portion, a hydraulic pump being mounted on the common portion.

14. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein the common portion extends between the closed volume of the azimuth bearing and a bifurcation point, the first supply duct forming a portion between the bifurcation point and the separate closed space of the second supply circuit.

15. A propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein one end of the drive shaft is intended to be equipped with a propulsion element, the closed space of the shaft bearing located between the electrical machine and the opposite end being delimited at least partially by a thermally conductive front wall of the mobile casing, said thermally conductive front wall having a surface in contact with the outside of the mobile casing.

Assignees

• Ge Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Julliand Lionel
• Vincent Loïc

Classifications

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title

• F16C2360/00

  Engines or pumps · CPC title

• B63H2005/1258

  with electric power transmission to propellers, i.e. with integrated electric propeller motors · CPC title

• F16C19/26

  with a single row of rollers · CPC title

• B63H25/42

  Steering or dynamic anchoring by propulsive elements (by jets B63H25/46); Steering or dynamic anchoring by propellers used therefor only; Steering or dynamic anchoring by rudders carrying propellers · CPC title