Marin Engineering

Lec. 4
Dr. Arwa Hussein

Transmission Line

Thrust Block
The purpose of a thrust block on a large marine engine is to transmit the
torque produced by the rotating propeller through the housing hold-down
bolts into the ships structure.

 The structure under the thrust block is reinforced

with steel plates and I-beams above and inside the

double bottom tanks or cofferdams.

The thrust block itself consists of a housing which

contains a number of wedge-shaped white metaled

pads with generous helical oil grooves cut into
them.

The pads are arranged and fixed around a steel

support, holding them against a machined collar on

the drive shaft.

 The pads are prevented from overheating and

premature wear by a fluid film of oil between them

and the collar, with the oil supply being hydrodynamic
(self-pressurized) due to the rotation of the drive shaft.

There is an oil reservoir in the bottom of the housing

which may contain an oil-cooling coil through which
seawater is circulated.

Propeller Drive Shaft

The propeller shaft is bolted to the main engine flywheel, passing through
the thrust block then along the shaft tunnel. Here it is supported by the
shaft bearings before passing through the stern tube to drive the ship's
propeller.

 The shaft is manufactured from forged steel, complete with

coupling flanges. It is machined leaving a larger diameter at the
location of the shaft bearings; this section has to have a fine finish
to run within the white metal bearing.

The shaft coupling flange faces are accurately machined and the
bolt holes reamed to accept fitted bolts. They are bolted together
using high tension bolting, which is tightened using hydraulic
tensioning gear.

 The supporting bearings are cast in two halves and are

usually white metal lined. These have oil scrolls cut into
them to distribute the splash lubrication.

Nowadays ball bearing shaft supports are being used,

but they have been reported as being quite noisy with a
tendency to run hot

Stern Tube

 The stern tube, as the name suggests, is a hollow tube-like

structure at the stern or rear part of the ship. A ship needs a

propeller to drive it forward against the waves.

The propeller, located outside the ship, needs to be connected to

the engine inside the ships engine room.

A long shaft known as the propeller shaft is used for connecting

the ships engine and the propeller.

The stern tube is a narrow hole in the hull structure at the rear
end (aft peak) of the ship, through which the propeller shaft
passes and connects the engine and propeller.

 The stern tube is used to support and seal the propeller shaft as it passes
through the aft hull.

It consists of a cast iron tube welded into the stern frame. In the old days,

the shaft inside the tube was bronze coated and run against a longitudinal
bearing.

However nowadays, the propeller shaft has a CUNI (copper nickel alloy)

liner shrunk onto it. Babbitt metal is applied over this and then machined,
providing the bearing surface between the cast iron stern tube and the
propeller shaft.

 It is lubricated and cooled by lube oil supplied from a

gravity tank located under the aft peak. The propeller shaft
has mechanical and/or adjustable gland seals fore and aft to
prevent the ingress of oil to the sea and the aft bilge well.

Sealing arrangement of stern

tube
The lubrication system for ships with variable draught (due to

loading and unloading of cargo) consists of header tanks located at

around 2 to 3 meters above the water line so that the differential
pressure ensures no water ingress.

Different sealing arrangements are used to prevent water ingress and

oil leakage. They are as follows:
Stuffing boxes consisting of packing material.
Lip seals in contact with shaft to prevent passage of oil or water along
the shaft.
Radial face seals supported with springs fitted radially around the
shaft, aft bulkheads and after end of the stern tube.

Stuffing Box

Lip seals

Radial shaft seals, also known as lip

seals, are used to seal rotary elements,
such as a shaft or rotating bore.
Common examples include strut seals,
hydraulic pump seals, axle seals, power
steering seals, and valve stem seals.

Radial face seals

A face seal is a seal in which the
sealing surfaces are normal to the
axis of the seal.

Face seals are typically used in static

applications and are used to prevent
leakage in the radial direction with
respect to the axis of the seal.

Face seals are often located in a

groove or cavity on a flange.

End of Lecture