Abstract:
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering system (30) of an azimuthing propulsion system (1), the steering system (30) comprising at least one hydraulic motor (2) configured to operate an azimuthing system of a propulsion unit (3), the propulsion unit (3) being arranged outside a vessel, a fluid cycle (4) from the at least one hydraulic motor (2) via a separate hydraulic overload protection unit and back to the motor (2), the overload protection unit comprises a pressure relief unit and a heat management unit, and wherein the pressure relief unit comprises a pressure relief valve (5), andthe heat management unit comprises a heat storage, a heat exchanger, or a combination of both, and wherein the fluid cycle (4) comprising the overload protection unit (32) is configured to at least partially absorb heat generated during turning of the propulsion unit (3).
Abstract:
The arrangement comprises at least one steering electric motor (60) rotating the propulsion unit (20) via a force transmission arrangement (50). The force transmission arrangement (50) comprises a differential (100) comprising a first shaft (111) connected to the steering electric motor (60), a second shaft (131) connected to the propulsion unit (20), and a third shaft (141) connected to a brake device (200). The third shaft (141) is locked from rotation when a torque produced by an external force on the propulsion unit (20) is below a threshold value, whereby power is distributed only from the steering electric motor (60) to the propulsion unit (20) or vice a versa. The third shaft (141) is allowed to start rotating when the torque produced by the external force on the propulsion unit (20) exceeds the threshold value, whereby power is distributed from the steering electric motor (60) to the rotation of the propulsion unit (20) and to the brake device (200) or from the rotation of the propulsion unit (20) to the steering electric motor (60) and to the brake device (200).