The prospect in opening the arctic trade transportation route on a year-round basis offers vast opportunity of exploring untapped resources and shortened navigational routes. In addition, the environment's remoteness and lack of technical experiences remains a big challenge for the maritime industry. With this, engine designers and makers are continually investigating, specifically optimizing propulsion shafting system design, to meet the environmental and technical challenges of the region.The International Association of Classification Society, specifically machinery requirements for polar class ships(IACS UR13), embodies the propulsion shafting design requirements for ice class vessels.However, the necessity to upgrade the various features of the unified rules in meeting current polar requirements is acknowledged by IACS and other classification societies. For the polar class propulsion shafting system, it is perceived that the main source of excitation will be the propeller -ice load interaction. The milling -and the impact load, in addition to the load cases interpreted by IACS, contribute greatly to the overall characteristic of the system and due considerations are given during the propulsion design stage. This paper will expound on the excitation load estimation factors affecting the dynamic response of the different propulsion shafting system design. It is anticipated that detailed understanding of these factors will have a significant role during propulsion shafting design in the future.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to apply the new IACS(International Association of Classification Societies) standards for ice and polar-classed ships. For ice-class vessel propulsion system, the ice impact torque design criterion is defined as a periodic harmonic function in relation to the number of the propeller blades. However, irregular or transient ice impact torque is assumed to occur likely in actual circumstances rather than these periodic loadings. In this paper, the reliability and torsional vibration characteristics of a comparatively large six-cylinder marine diesel engine for propulsion shafting system was examined and reviewed in accordance with current regulations. In this particular, the transient ice impact torque and excessive vibratory torque originating from diesel engine were interpreted and the resonant points identified through theoretical analysis.Several floating ice impacts were carried out to evaluate torque responses using the calculation method of classification rule requirement. The Newmark method was used for the transient response analysis of the whole system.

A ship's propulsion shafting system is subjected to varying magnitudes of intermittent loadings that pose great risks such as failure. Consequently, the dynamic characteristic of a propulsion shafting system must be designed to withstand the resonance that occurs during operation. This resonance results from hydrodynamic interaction between the propeller and fluid. For ice-class vessels, this interaction takes place between the propeller and ice. Producing load-and resonance-induced stresses, the propeller-ice interaction is the primary source of excitation, making it a major focus in the design requirements of propulsion shafting systems. This paper examines the transient torsional vibration response of the propulsion shafting system of an ice-class research vessel. The propulsion train is composed of an electric motor, flexible coupling, spherical gears, and a propeller configuration. In this paper, the theoretical analysis of transient torsional vibration and propeller-ice interaction loading is first discussed, followed by an explanation of the actual transient torsional vibration measurements. Measurement data for the analysis were compared with an applied estimation factor for the propulsion shafting design torque limit, and they were evaluated using an existing international standard. Addressing the transient torsional vibration of a propulsion shafting system with an electric motor, this paper also illustrates the influence of flexible coupling stiffness design on resulting resonance. Lastly, the paper concludes with a proposal to further study the existence of negative torque on a gear train and its overall effect on propulsion shafting systems.

The shipbuilder's requirement for a higher power output rating has led to the development of a super large two stroke low speed diesel engines. Usually a large-sized bore engine ranging from 8~14 cylinders, this engine group is capable of delivering power output of more than 100,000 bhp at maximum continuous rating(mcr). Other positive aspects of this engine type include higher thermal efficiency, reliability, durability and mobility. This plays a vital role in meeting the propulsion requirement of vessels, specifically for large container ships, of which speed is a primary concern to become more competitive.Consequently, this also resulted in the modification of engine parameters and new component designs to meet the consequential higher mean effective pressure and higher maximum combustion pressure. Even though the fundamental excitation mechanisms unchanged, torsional vibration stresses in the propulsion shafting are subsequently perceived to be higher. As such, one important viewpoint in the initial engine design is the resulting vibration characteristic expected to prevail on the propulsion shafting system(PSS). This paper investigated the torsional vibration characteristics of these super large engines. For the two node torsional vibration with a nodal point on the crankshaft, a tuning damper is necessary to reduce the torsional stresses on the crankshaft. Hence, the tuning torsional vibration damper design and compatibility to the shafting system was similarly reviewed and analyzed.

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