ELECTROHYDRAULIC STEERING GEAR

The direction of a ship moving through the water is controlled by changing the angle of its rudder(s), located in the stern of the ship. As the gross tonnage of ship increases, more and more force is required to move the rudder(s) through the required angle. On a large ship, the power required to position the rudder is provided by one or more electrohydraulic steering engines which respond to rudder orders transmitted electrically from the helm (steering wheel) in the pilot house to the steering gear, located directly above the rudder(s) in the stern. The steering engine or gear transmits power from the steering engine to the rudder stock. The term steering gear normally includes the driving engine and the transmitting mech-anism. Although several different designs of steering engines are in common use, their operating principles are similar. One example of an electrohydraulic steering engine for a ship with two rudders is shown in figure 18-2. It consists essentially of (1) a ram unit and (2) a power unit.

Figure 18-2.-Electrohydraulic steering engine.

Ram Unit
Refer to section 1 in figure 18-2. The ram unit is mounted athwartship (from side to side) and consists of a single ram (piston) between opposed cylinders. The ram is connected by links to the tillers of the twin rudders. When oil pressure is applied to one end of the operating cylinder, the ram will move, causing each rudder to move along with it. Oil forced out of the cylinder at the other end of the ram returns through ports in the transfer valve to the suction side of the main hydraulic pump of the power unit that is on line. (Oil supply and return piping is shown by wider black lines in fig. 18-2.)

Power Unit
Refer to section 2 of figure 18-2. The power unit consists of two independent pumping systems. Two systems are used for reliability. One pump can be operated while the other is on standby. Each pumping unit consists of a variable-delivery, axial-piston main pump and a vane-type auxiliary pump. Both are driven by a single electric motor through a flexible coupling. Each system also includes a transfer valve with operating gear, relief valves, a differential control box, and trick wheels. The whole unit is mounted on a bedplate, which serves as the top of an oil reservoir. Steering power is taken from either of the two independent pumping units. The pumps of the power unit are connected to the ram cylinders by high-pressure piping. The two transfer valves are placed in the piping system to allow for the lineup of one pump to the ram cylinders with the other pump isolated. A hand lever and mechanical linkage (not shown) are connected to the two transfer valves in such a way that both valves are operated together. This allows for rapid shifting from the on-service pumping unit to the standby unit; it also prevents both pumps from being lined up to the ram at the same time. The hand lever is usually located between the trick wheels. It has three positions marked P, N, and S. P denotes the port pump connected to the ram; N denotes neutral (neither pump connected to the ram); and S denotes the starboard pump connected to the ram. Also, the hand lever is usually connected to motor switches. This permits the operator to connect the selected pump to the ram and start the pump drive motor in one quick operation. In most modern ships this valve is electrically controlled by the motor controller and by pressure switches.

Principles of Operation
The on-service hydraulic pump is running at all times and is a constant-speed pump. Unless steering is actually taking place, the tilt box of the main hydraulic pump is at

zero stroke, and no oil is being moved within the main system. The auxiliary pump provides control oil and super-charge flows for the system. Assume that a steering order signal comes into the differential control box. It may come from either the remote steering system in the ships wheelhouse or the trick wheel. The control box mechanically positions the tilt box of the main hydraulic pump to the required angle and position. Remember that direction of fluid and flow may be in either direction in a hydraulic speed gear. It depends on which way the tilt box is angled. For this reason, a constant speed, unidirectional motor can be used to drive the main hydraulic pump. The pump will still have the capability to drive the ram in either direction. With the main hydraulic pump now pumping fluid into one of the cylinders, the ram will move, moving the rudders. A rack and pinion gear assembly is attached to the rudder yoke between the rudder links. As the ram and the rudder move, the rack gear moves, driving the follow-up pinion gear. Each pinion drives a follow-up shaft which is mechanically coupled to the differential control box. This feedback (servo) system tells the directional control box when the steering operation has been completed and that the rudder angle is at the position ordered by the helm. As the ordered rudder angle is approached, the differential control box will begin to reduce the angle of the tilt box of the main hydraulic pump. By the time the desired rudder angle is reached, the tilt box should be at zero stroke. When this happens, the ordered signal (from the pilot house or trick wheel) and the actual signal (from the follow-up shafts) are the same. (NOTE: The ram is held in positon between the two cylinders by hydraulic lock due to the incompressible oil, which is prevented by the transfer valve from flowing into or out of the supply and return piping.) If either of these changes, the differential control box will react accordingly to cause the main hydraulic unit to pump oil to one end or the other of the ram. The trick wheels provide local-hydraulic control of the steering system in case of failure of the remote steering system. A hand pump and associated service lines are also provided for local-manual operation of the ram in case of failure of both hydraulic pump units.

Steering Engine Room Watch

The diagrams describe the various methods of operating the steering gear under normal and emergency conditions and show the relative positions of the valves concerned for each method of operation. During your watch in the steering engine room, you should take the following actions: 1. Make sure the standby equipment is ready for instant use in an emergency. 2. Inspect the steering gear thoroughly. Check the unit by feeling the various parts. Report any part that feels HOT to the bare hand to the officer of the deck on the bridge and to the engineering officer of the watch (EOOW) in the main engine room. 3. Investigate for binding, overloading, and lack of lubrication. 4. Listen for new or unusual noises, which may indicate loose parts or wear. 5. Bleed all air out of the system. 6. Check for leaks in the line and fittings. Piping leaks usually occur following unusual strain (as from rough seas). Most leaks can be corrected by tightening the flange bolts. Small leaks at ram packing glands are not objectionable since the small flow of hydraulic fluid provides lubrication. Always maintain sufficient liquid level in the storage, operating, and replenishing tanks. 7. Check and ensure all grease fittings and surfaces requiring lubrication are lubricated according to the instructions on the lubrication chart. 8. Observe all applicable safety precautions. Keep oil off the deck. Exercise extreme caution when working in confined spaces around the ram and actuating gear. All clothing should be free of loose ends that might catch in the machinery. The Planned Maintenance System (PMS) lists the individual requirements for the equipment. The electricians maintain the electrical portion of the steering system, including the control system. The reciprocal of any bearing is its opposite, meaning that the point or degree is on the opposite side of the compass card from the bearing. For example, the reciprocal of 180 is 000, and vice versa. When you obtain a bearing on some object, the bearing from the object to you is the reciprocal of the bearing from you to it. To find the reciprocal of any bearing expressed in degrees, simply add 180 to the bearing. If the bearing is 050, for

instance, its reciprocal is 050 plus 180, or 230. If your bearing is greater than 180, subtract 180 to find the reciprocal.
SHIP'S STEERING AND SPEED CONTROL EQUIPMENT

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify and explain the operation and usage of the ship's steering and control equipment. The ship's steering and speed control equipment includes many parts and types of equipment. The parts and types of equipment may change from one ship class to another, so in the following pages we will discuss the ones most commonly used in the Navy today. STEERING ENGINES When ships began using steam as a means of propulsion, many problems were created. Foremost was inadequate hand-powered steering gear. The rapid increase in the size and speed of steamships resulted in a correspondingly greater turning effort required at rudder stocks. Consequently, a natural sequence of events led to the introduction of steam-powered steering gear. Today, there are two types of steering engines. They are electromechanical and electrohydraulic. Electromechanical steering gear is found on some small ships. Most vessels of recent design are equipped with the electrohydraulic mechanism. A brief discussion of the types of steering gear follows. Electromechanical steering gear applies power to the rudder by means of electromotive machinery. Because electromechanical gear requires large motors and considerable maintenance, it has been replaced, to a great extent, by electrohydraulic gear. Naval vessels are equipped with electrohydraulic steering gear. Most destroyers use the single-ram steering gear, shown in figure 2-6. Aircraft carriers and some other large ships use a double-ram system.

Figure 2-6 Single-ram electrohydraulic steering gear system. 2-5