Method of arranging the lubrication of a steerable thruster of a marine vessel and a lubrication arrangement therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630693-B2
Application number	US-201114359239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2011
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

The lubrication of a steerable thruster of a marine vessel is based on splash-type lubrication at the pod and full bath lubrication in the stembox and in the shank. The lubrication oil enters the pod both from the stembox and the shank via a constriction and directly from the oil tank. The oil is further circulated from the pod to the oil tank by means of pumps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of arranging the lubrication of a steerable thruster of a marine vessel,
the lubrication arrangement having an oil tank and circulation means for circulating oil between the oil tank and the thruster,
the thruster comprising
i. drive means,
ii. steering means provided within a stembox,
1. the stembox being arranged in connection with hull structures of the marine vessel,

iii. a lower gearbox, and
iv. a vertical shaft between the drive means and the lower gearbox,

the vertical shaft being surrounded by a vertical shaft housing,
i. the vertical shaft housing comprising an upper vertical shaft housing and a lower vertical shaft housing,
ii. the upper vertical shaft housing being supported rotatably to the hull structures of the marine vessel by being fastened at an upper end thereof to the steering means,
iii. the upper vertical shaft housing being fastened at a lower end thereof to the lower vertical shaft housing forming a shank,
iv. the lower gearbox being fastened to a lower end of the lower vertical shaft housing,

the lower gearbox including a shaft for running a propeller,
a gearwheel mounted on the propeller shaft and rotated by means of a pinion wheel having a substantially vertical pinion wheel shaft,
the pinion wheel shaft being arranged within the shank and forming at least a part of the vertical shaft,
the pinion wheel shaft being supported rotatably to the lower vertical shaft housing by means of bearings,

the method comprising:
arranging full bath lubrication in both the stembox and the shank,
providing at least two oil paths for introducing oil from the oil tank to the thruster, a first path leading from the oil tank to the lower gearbox via the shank and a second path leading directly from the tank to the lower gearbox,
arranging a splash-type lubrication in the lower gearbox by regulating the amount of oil introduced into the lower gearbox for maintaining a desired oil level O L in the lower gearbox by:
providing the lower gearbox with a controlled amount of lubrication oil from the oil tank,
limiting oil flow from the shank to the lower gearbox through a constriction therebetween and
circulating a limited amount of oil from the shank to the lower gearbox.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising maintaining oil level in the oil tank substantially constant for maintaining a desired oil level O L in the lower gearbox.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising performing the regulation by arranging an overflow in the oil tank and connecting the second oil path to the overflow.

4. A marine vessel comprising:
a steerable thruster having a lubrication arrangement, the lubrication arrangement having an oil tank and circulation means for circulating oil between the oil tank and the thruster,
the thruster comprising drive means, steering means, a lower gearbox, and a vertical shaft between the drive means and the lower gearbox,
the steering means being provided within a stembox, the stembox being arranged in connection with hull structures of the marine vessel,
the vertical shaft being surrounded by a vertical shaft housing,
the vertical shaft housing comprising an upper vertical shaft housing and a lower vertical shaft housing,
the upper vertical shaft housing being supported rotatably to the hull structures of the marine vessel by being fastened at an upper end thereof to the steering means,
the upper vertical shaft housing being fastened at a lower end thereof to the lower vertical shaft housing forming a shank,
the lower gearbox being fastened to the lower end of the lower vertical shaft housing,

the lower gearbox including a shaft for running a propeller, a gearwheel mounted on the propeller shaft and rotated by means of a pinion wheel having a substantially vertical pinion wheel shaft,
the pinion wheel shaft being arranged within the shank and forming at least a part of the vertical shaft, the pinion wheel shaft being supported rotatably to the lower vertical shaft housing by means of bearings,
means for providing splash-type lubrication in the lower gearbox and full bath lubrication in the shank, the means comprising at least two oil paths for introducing oil from the oil tank to the thruster, a first oil path leading from the oil tank to the lower gearbox via the shank, the first oil path having a constriction between the shank and the lower gearbox for limiting oil flow from the shank to the lower gearbox, and a second oil path leading directly from the tank to the lower gearbox.

5. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the oil tank has an overflow arranged at an upper end of the second oil path.

6. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the constriction is arranged in connection with the bearings of the pinion wheel shaft.

7. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the constriction is arranged in the parts joining the lower vertical shaft housing to the lower gearbox.

8. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second oil path is a bore along the vertical shaft.

9. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second oil path is a channel arranged separately from the oil tank via hull structures and vertical shaft housing to the lower gearbox.

10. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the lower gearbox is provided with ventilation means.

11. The marine vessel as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second oil path is utilized as the ventilation means.

12. The marine vessel as recited in claim 4 , wherein the drive means is an upper gearbox, an electric drive or a hydraulic drive.

13. A method of arranging the lubrication of a steerable thruster of a marine vessel,
the lubrication arrangement having an oil tank and circulation means for circulating oil between the oil tank and the thruster,
the thruster comprising drive means, steering means, a lower gearbox, and a vertical shaft between the drive means and the lower gearbox,
the vertical shaft being surrounded by a vertical shaft housing,
i. the vertical shaft housing comprising an upper vertical shaft housing and a lower vertical shaft housing,
ii. the upper vertical shaft housing being supported rotatably to the hull structures of the marine vessel by being fastened at an upper end thereof to the steering means, a stembox surrounding the upper vertical shaft housing,
iii. the upper vertical shaft housing being fastened at a lower end thereof to the lower vertical shaft housing forming a shank,
iv. the lower gearbox being fastened to the lower end of the lower vertical shaft housing,

the method comprising:
arranging full bath lubrication in both the stembox and the shank,
providing at least two oil paths for introducing oil from the oil tank to the thruster, a first path leading from the oil tank to the lower gearbox via the shank and a second path leading directly from the tank to the lower gearbox,
arranging a splash-type lubrication in the lower gearbox by regulating the amount of oil introduced into the lower gearbox for maintaining a desired oil level O L in the lower gearbox
providing the lower gearbox with a controlled amount of lubrication oil from the oil tank,
limiting oil flow from the shank to the lower gearbox through a constriction therebetween and
circulating a limited amount of oil from the shank to the lower gearbox.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising maintaining oil level in the oil tank substantially constant for maintaining a desired oil level O L in the lower gearbox.

15. The method as re

Assignees

• De Kruijf Arnoud
• Roemen Rik
• Van Der Kam Aad
• Van Der Ven Bart
• Waertsilae Finland Oy

Inventors

• De Kruijf Arnoud
• Roemen Rik
• Van Der Kam Aad
• Van Der Ven Bart

Classifications

• B63H20/002 Primary

  for handling lubrication liquids (in engines, e.g. outboard marine engines, F01M) · CPC title

• B63H2005/1256

  with mechanical power transmission to propellers · CPC title

• B63H21/386

  for handling lubrication liquids (in machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• B63H5/125 Primary

  movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction {, e.g. podded azimuthing thrusters}({outboard units or Z-drives B63H20/00; } movably mounted for steering purposes only, {rudders carrying propellers} B63H25/42) · CPC title