Stern tube seals operation: A practical approach

Stern tube seals are a key component of the propulsion system of a ship. The purpose of these sealing rings is to ensure a reliable sealing condition, preventing the spillage of lubricant to the environment. The research on these large rotary seals is limited due to their complex accessibility: ster...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advances in mechanical engineering 2021-02, Vol.13 (2)
Main Authors: Borras, F Xavier, van den Nieuwendijk, Roy, Ramesh, Vikram, de Rooij, Matthijn B, Schipper, Dik J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Flow velocity
Operating temperature
Propulsion systems
Sealing
Seawater
Sterntubes
Thickness
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Summary:Stern tube seals are a key component of the propulsion system of a ship. The purpose of these sealing rings is to ensure a reliable sealing condition, preventing the spillage of lubricant to the environment. The research on these large rotary seals is limited due to their complex accessibility: stern tube seals are located below the seawater level on a moving ship. A dynamic setup replicating the operating conditions of a stern tube seal is presented together with a novel arrangement for monitoring the flow rate across the seal. The frictional torque, the operating temperature, and the lubricant migration across the seal are measured under various shaft velocities and pressure differences. The existing theory for rotary lip seals is reviewed for the stern tube seal application. From the results it is deduced that the stern tube seals tested operate within the elastohydrodynamic regime with film thicknesses in the sub-micrometer range.
ISSN:1687-8132
1687-8140
DOI:10.1177/1687814021994404