Theoretical Study on the Dynamic Characteristics of Marine Stern Bearing Considering Cavitation and Bending Deformation Effects of the Shaft

When the ship runs, owing to the superposition of the gravity of the shaft and resistance of water, with the increment in rotational speeds, the shaft will produce different degrees of bending deformation, which immensely reduces the power transmission efficiency. Based on the aforementioned problem, the present study focuses on the influences of bending deformation of the shaft with a cavitation effect on the dynamic characteristics of the stern bearing. The mixed lubrication model with bending deformation and cavitation effect is established. At present, the deflection curve equation is employed, the finite perturbation method is applied to calculate the dynamic coefficient, and the cavitation pressure is determined by the numerical method. According to the analysis, the variation laws of equivalent stiffness and natural frequency are exhibited. It is shown that the equivalent stiffness is more affected by the speeds, especially at low speeds; There is a critical speed between 130 rpm and 150 rpm, which makes the natural frequency strike the maximum value. Finally, the research results provide a theoretical basis for the ships to avoid large vibration during navigation.