Water lubricated stern tube bearings with polymer or rubber bush are often used on modern ships. This environmentally friendly bearing is much cheaper than the popular oil lubricated one. Rubber bearings are a good choice in water lubricated bearings systems. Their property of washing abrasives such as sand into grooves and flush them away is very important in simple open systems without any seals because impurities frequently cause of rapid wear process. This problem often occurs on inland ships working in swallow waters or in many kinds of water pumps, as such as in the mine industry. Another advantage, good vibration damping is very important because of some problems with propellers on vessels powered by medium and high speed diesel engines. In all kind of water lubricated bearings the same problem occurs rapid wear process during a work at very low rotation speed. For instance on war ships which detect submarines because of noise reduction necessity shaft rotation speed is about four revolutions per minute. On these specific ships other types of bearings have to be used. Bearing geometry is very important and has strong influence on bearing work witch fluid film lubrication or not. Grooves in the lower half of the bearings are very popular in full molded bearings but it is not the optimal solution. Conducted experimental work shows a weak point of the test stand possibility of shaft misalignment as an effect of asymmetric pressure field in bearing interspace. The same rubber bearing will be tested on a different stand - for testing two bearings with propeller shaft similar to real ship. Experimental tests conducted by well known rubber bearings manufactures prove that hydrodynamic lubrication in this kind of bearing is possible. Measured coefficient of friction was about 0,001.
Experimental tests of water lubricated marine rubber bearing
Experimentelle Untersuchung wassergeschmierter Gummilager für Schiffe
2008
5 Seiten, 17 Bilder, 6 Quellen
Conference paper
Storage medium
English
Wireless Measurement for Film Pressure of Multi-Groove Water-Lubricated Rubber Bearing
British Library Online Contents | 2013
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