US3129682A - Propulsion arrangement for merchant ship - Google Patents

Description

April 21, 1964 w. PENNEY PROPULSION ARRANGEMENT FOR MERCHANT SHIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 13, 1961 am 3 we INVENTOR A/ormcm h. Penney BY m, .9 {M ATTORNEYS April 21, 1964 N. W. PENNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 FUEL INVENTOR Narrrzcm W Permg ATTORNEYS April 21, 1964 w. PENNEY PROPULSION ARRANGEMENT FOR MERCHANT SHIP Filed Dec.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Norman #14 Para/2g BY 2 M KTTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,129,682 PRQPULSION ANGEMENT FOR MERCHANT SHHI Norman W. Penney, Ridgewood, N.J., assignor to John J.

McMullen Associates, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 158,987 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-65) This invention relates to the combination of a novel propulsion arrangement and a merchant ship wherein an open cycle type gas turbine main propulsion uni-t is positioned in a lower portion of the ship in a manner to enable the gas turbine unit to be readily extracted from the ship and replaced on scheduled occasions. Moreover, the use of space in the lower portion of the ship makes available more and better cubic space for storage of cargo.

At the present time, the machinery spaces on merchant ships are arranged with the main propulsion and auxiliaries located in the same general space. Also, usually, above the engine spaces are located accommodations, quarters and/or deckhouses. Because of this general convenience it is necessary either to cut a hole in the side of the ship or the engine room bulkheads, and in both cases, it is necessary to remove piping, wiring, etc., if it becomes necessary to remove large items of equipment or machinery. Alternatively, it would be necessary to dismantle the machinery in the engine room completely and remove it piece by piece through existing openings. In short, the access is very poor. This does not, however, cause too much practical difiiculty as the number of occasions when it is necessary to make such removals is limited due to the nature of the machinery and equipment which are used. More frequently, repairs are made on board the ship even though this means loss of time. Further, the machinery and personnel facilities are usually located in the after portion of the ship merely by constructing the ship with an after appendage that does not contribute to the structural strength of the ship. That is to say, the main longitudinal bulkheads terminate forward of the machinery space due to the nature and design of the after appendage.

To overcome the drawbacks inherent in currently used propulsion arrangements, the present invention provides a novel ship propulsion concept based on the principle of readily extractable and replaceable propulsion units whereby the down time of the ship is relatively short and the cost of replacing a propulsion unit is relatively small. In this way all repairs and machinery overhauls can be carried out at a well equipped shore installation without delaying the use of the ship. Also, and equally important, the present invention provides a novel ship design in conjunction with the novel propulsion arrangement whereby the girder system for the ship extends the entire length of the ship even including the after portion which houses the propulsion unit. Thus, the after portion does not function merely as an appendage, but actually contributes to the overall structural quality of the ship.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and unique combination of a merchant ship and propulsion arrangement therefor utilizing an open cycle type gas turbine main propulsion unit and mounting same in a compartment of the ship located partially under the after hold of the ship. Further, the after hold is designed with a readily removable deck section or large hatch closing the top of the compartment housing the propulsion unit which section or hatch is dimensioned to enable the gas turbine unit to be removed from the ship in toto through the after hold.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel combination of merchant ship and propulsion unit 3,129,682 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 whereby the propulsion unit is arranged in a lower after portion of the ship between two main fore and aft bulkheads which are integral parts of the girder system for the ship which extends the length of the ship to impart the same structural quality to the after part of the ship as present .in forward parts of the ship.

Other and further objects of the invention will become more fully evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the figures of the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a seagoing vessel;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a view in section taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown together with the best mode for carrying out the invention. A typical merchant ship is shown in section in FIGURE 1 having six cargo holds 1-6 arranged lengthwise of the ship. The usual screw propeller 8 is positioned at the stern of the ship on the end of drive shaft 10. The customary bearings and supports mount shaft 10. A compartment 12 is defined by the ship adjacent its stern and partially below the after cargo hold 6. The bottom of the after cargo hold 6 is provided with a relatively large removable deck section or hatch 14.

A pair of main structural bulkheads 16 and 18 extend lengthwise of the ship and form integral parts of the girder system of the ship which, in the embodiment of this invention, extends the length of the ship from bow to stem. The compartment 12 is defined between bulkheads 16 and 18, a forward engine room bulkhead 20 and an after engine room bulkhead 22. The lowest deck 24 of the ship extends substantially the full length thereof and is spaced above the ship bottom to define the bilges. Within compartment 12, a pair of rails 26 and 28 are attached to deck 24 and extend in spaced relation substantially parallel with the long axis of the ship. A series of apertured lesser bulkheads 30 to give desired structural rigidity are attached to main bulkheads 16 and 1-8 and rails 26 and 28 transversely of the ship. A super deck structure 32 is attached to each side of compartment 12 supported by rails 26 and 28, bulkheads 30 and main bulkheads 16 and 18. The bulkheads 30, in the space between rails 26 and 28, are cut out as indicated at '34.

The ship machinery is mounted on a suitable beam frame 40 to enable it to be removed en masse from compartment 12. The frame 40 consists of spaced parallel beams 42 and 44 interconnected by suitable means to form a rigid frame support for the ship machinery. The beams 42 and 44 are detachably bolted to the rails 26 and 28 as indicated by reference 50.

The power machinery for the ship is constituted principally of an open cycle gas turbine power plant all parts of which are supported or mounted on frame 40 so that the entire power plant can be readily removed and replaced merely by detaching frame 40 from rails 26 and 28. The power plant consists of an axial flow compressor 60 driving a compressor turbine 62 by shaft 64. Air entering compressor 60 is pressurized and leaves the compressor outlet by tubing '66 which connects with a series of circumferentially arranged combustion chambers 68. Fuel from a suitable source is directed to chambers 68 by tubing 70 and is injected into the chambers 68 by nozzles 72. The chambers 68 include suitable firing means (not shown) to cause the fuel to burn and produce gaseous by-products. The exhaust from the chambers 68 is directed by tubing 74 to the inlet of turbine 62 for the initial expansion stage. The exhaust from turbine 62 is connected by tubing 76 to the inlet of main power turbine 30 for the main power expansion stage. The exhaust from turbine 80 is directed by tubing 82 through the after bulkhead 22 and to a heat exchanger 84 mounted on an upper deck and slightly aft of the engine room compartment 12. The heat exchanger 84 may be a conventional waste heat boiler. The exhaust from the heat exchanger 84 is connected to a stack 86 which extends vertically and terminates above the highest point of the ship.

Air for the compressor 60 is taken in through a grating 90 located on the main deck of the ship at the mouth of a duct 92 which connects with the top of compartment 12.

The power from turbine 80 is fed through the turbine shaft 100 and coupling 102 to shaft 104 which projects through the after bulkhead 22. Shaft 104 is the input to reduction gearing 106, the output of which is coupled by means 108 to the drive shaft upon which screw propeller 8 is fixed.

As evident from the foregoing, the power machinery for the ship is all contained on a frame 40 which can readily be detached from rails 26 and 28 and removed from compartment 12 through the hatchway in the bottom of No. 6 cargo hold. A new power assembly on a frame like frame 40 can readily be introduced into compartment 12 in the same manner and its frame attached to rails 26 and 28. The only connections necessary to be broken and made in this replacement are fuel tubes 70, exhaust tube 82 and coupling 102.

Thus, the power machinery is arranged as a unitary package having the minimum number of external connections whereby it can be operatively connected and disconnected in the shortest possible time. The section or hatch 14 is dimensioned to enable the propulsion machinery to be lifted out of compartment 12 and removed from the ship by Way of after cargo hold 6. Hence, instead of relying upon repair and maintenance of individual components of the propulsion machinery as is required using propulsion schemes currently in vogue, the entire propulsion machinery can be extracted and replaced on scheduled occasions or whenever necessary.

The location of the propulsion machinery in compartment 12 has several other advantages, namely, increased available dead weight and cubic space because the size of the gas turbine arrangement is not only significantly less than other types of propulsion schemes, but compartment 12 is in an area of the ship which is not too suitable for cargo because of the fineness of the ship. Also, the location and configuration of the gas turbine unit permits the continuation of the longitudinal structure of the ship, the girder system, directly into the stern framing of the ship. Usually, this -is not possible because of the engine room space requirements necessitating that the engine room extend the full breadth of the ship.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in terms of a specific embodiment, nevertheless, various changes and modifications will occur to one skilled in the art which do not depart from the inventive con cepts herein taught. Accordingly, such changes and modifications are deemed to come Within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

The combination comprising a merchant ship characterized by a pair of main structural bulkheads extending fore and aft in the ship from how to stern and forming an integral part of the girder system of the ship, means cooperating with said pair of main structural bulkheads defining a plurality of cargo holds arranged fore and aft in the ship, a drive shaft protuding from the stern of the ship, a propeller mounted on the protruding portion of said drive shaft, a compartment defined between said pair of main structural bulkheads and located partially below the after cargo hold of the ship, a first frame support fixed to the bottom of said compartment, said first frame comprising a pair of parallel spaced rails extending along the longitudinal axis of the ship and a plurality of apertured, lesser bulkheads extending transversely to said rails and mounted between said main structural bulkheads, a propulsion system composed of a second frame support, and compressor means, combustion chamber means and turbine means operatively interconnected and all mounted on said second frame support, means detachably securing said second frame support on said first frame support, means operatively disengageably connecting the output of said turbine means to said drive shaft, and removable means defining in common a portion of the floor of said after cargo hold and the top of said compartment which when removed defines an opening large enough to enable said entire propulsion system to be extracted from the ship as a unit through the after cargo hold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,343 Gibbons Apr. 27, 1909 1,431,924 Beebee Oct. 17, 1922 1,443,368 Lamblin Ian. 30, 1923 1,542,165 Oechsle June 16, 1925 2,632,997 Howard Mar. 31, 1953 2,640,317 Fentress June 2, 1953 2,663,141 Hage Dec. 22, 1953 2,912,824 Van Nest Nov. 17, 1959 2,914,918 Kaplan Dec. 1, 1959 3,019,757 Bailey Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,400 Great Britain 1905 595,945 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1947

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