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SteeringGear
Rudders
Arudderallowstheshiptoturn,simpleplateshavebeensupersededbyplateswelded
tocastorfabricatedframe.Ruddersarehollowandsoprovideforsomebuoyancy.In
ordertominimisetheriskofcorrosioninternalsurfacesareprovidedwithaprotective
coatingandsomeareevenfilledwithfoam.Adrainplugisprovidedtoallowforthe
drainageofwater,enableinternalinspectiontobemadeusingfiberopticdeviceand
evenallowforthelimitedapplicationofaprotectivecoating.Platesareweldedtothe
framesinternallyinordertoprovideflushfitting,thefinalclosingplatemustbewelded
externally.Ameansofliftingisprovidedtakingtheformofatubeasclosetothecenter
ofgravityaspossible.Ruddersaretestedtoapressurehead2.4mabovethetopofthe
rudder.
Iftherudderhasitsentireareaaftoftherudderstockthenitisunbalanced.Arudder
withbetween20and40%ofitsareaforwardofthestockisbalancedsincetherewillbe
someangleatwhichtheresultantmomentonthestockduetothewaterforcewillbe
zero.Mostmodernruddersareofthesemibalanceddesign.Thismeansthatthata
certainproportionofthewaterforceactingontheafterpartoftherudderiscounter
actedbytheforceactingonthefor'dhalfoftherudderhence,thesteeringgearcanbe
lighterandsmaller.Aruddermayliftduetothebuoyancyeffect,theamountofliftis
limitedbythejumperbarfittedtothesternframe.Thejumper/rudderclearancemust
belessthanthesteeringgearcrossheadclearancetopreventdamage.Arudderis
supportedbymeansofabearingpintleoralowerbearingdependinguponthedesign.
Wherealowerbearingisemployedtherudderisactuallysupportedonsplitbearing
ringsfittedonthelowerfaceoftherudderandtheupperfaceofthesolepiece(the
extendedlowersectionofthesternframeuponwhichtheruddersits)

SEMIBALANCEDRUDDER
Semibalancedrudderwithrudderhorn

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Fullybalancedrudder
Toreducetheamountoftorquerequiredtoturnarudderthepivotpointismoved
backfromtheleadingedge.Theamountoftorquethenvariesdependingontheangle
ofattack.Zerotorqueleadstoinstabilitywithruddermovingwithinitsclearances.

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SpadeRudder

Thereduceddiameterattheupperpartispurelytotransmittorque.Thelower
sectionmustalsosupportbendingmomentsandhenceincreaseddiameter.With
twinruddershipstheinnerruddermustturnthroughagreateranglethanthe
outer.Thisisachievedbyhavingthetillerarmatanangletothecentrelineofthe
rudder.
Itispossibletohavethebladesangledinoroutwhenthewheelisamidshipsto
increasepropulsiveefficiency.
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increasepropulsiveefficiency.

SPECIALSTEERINGDEVICES
THEKORTNOZZLE

Adequateclearanceisessentialbetweenpropellerbladetipsandsternframein
ordertominimisetheriskofvibration.Asbladesrotatewaterimmediatelyahead
ofthebladesiscompressedandatthebladetipsthiscompressioncanbe
transmittedtothehullintheformofaseriesofpulseswhichsetupvibration.
Adequateclearanceisnecessaryoralternativelyconstantclearance,thisbeing
providedwithductedpropellerssuchastheKortnozzleOriginallydesignedto
reduceerosiononriverbanksthenozzlehasproveditselfalsoabletoincrease
thrustwithoutincreaseofappliedpower.
Thenozzleconsistsofaringofaerofoilsectionwhichformsanozzlesurrounding
thepropeller.Thesuctionofthepropellercausesanaccelerationofflowinthe
mouthofthenozzleandhenceadropofpressureinthisregion.Sincethe
pressureontheouterpartofthenozzleremainsrelativelyunchanged,thereisa
resultingdifferentialinpressure,whichactingontheprojectedannulusofthe
nozzle,givestheadditionalforwardthrust.Thisadditionalthrustistransmitted
directfromthekortnozzletothehullviathenozzlesupports,sothatno
additionalforceactsonthepropellerandshaftthrustblock.
TherearetwotypesofKortnozzles.Thefixedtypehasaconventionalrudder
behindit,whereaswiththeswivellingruddertype,thewholeassemblyis
supportedbyacarrierattachedtotherudderstockandactuatedbythesteering
gear.
Inthecaseofnozzlerudders,whenhelmisapplied,theincreasedthrusthasan
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Inthecaseofnozzlerudders,whenhelmisapplied,theincreasedthrusthasan
athwartshipcomponentwhichhaspowerfulsteeringeffect,sothathardover
anglesof25'(or30'inspecialcases)aresufficienttoprovideeffectivesteering
aheadduringacrashstopand,providedthehullisareasonabledesign,astern.
Thisdeviceisespeciallyvaluablefortugs,trawlers,specialvesselsandmore
recently,VLCC,whicharerequiredtomanoeuvrewell,particularlyatslowspeed
,andhavethebestpropulsiveefficiency.
Bollardpullgainsbetween30and50%,equivalenttoreenginingupto13/4
timestheoriginalpower,havebeenobtainedintugsandtrawlersandinVLCC
gainsinpropulsiveefficiencybetween6to13%canbeexpected.Thenormal
methodofcalculatingruddertorque'scanbeappliedtonozzlerudders.The
maximumsteeringeffortisrequiredtoreturntheruddertowardsmidshipsand
nottomovetherudderoverfromamidships.Thus,thesteeringgearmustbe
designedtokeepcontroloftherudderundertheseconditions.Fordiagramand
additionalnotessee'methodofreducingvibration'and'increasingpropulsive
efficiency'

PLEUGERRUDDER

Anormalruddercanonlybeeffectivewhentheshipismoving,andthetorqueit
exertsvarieswiththesquareofthespeed,sothatatverylowspeedsitcanbe
veryineffective.Apleugerrudderincorporatesasubmersibleelectricallydriven
propellerwhichcanberunwhenthemainpropulsionisatrest.Inordertoattain
maximumeffectandmanoeuvretheshipatresttherudderisabletoturnto
90',owingtothisnormalfloatinglinkagehuntinggearcannotbeused,anda
specialcamhuntinggearused.Fornormalcoursekeepingtheangleislimitedto
35',andawarningsignalinitiatedifexceeded.

THEVOITHSCHNEIDERPROPELLER

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Thispropellerconsistsofaseriesofbladesofaerofoilsectionwhichproject
verticallydownwardsfromtheship'shullandrotateaboutaverticalaxis.The
bladesaremountedonaxesonacirclearoundthecentralaxisandarelinked
togetherwithamechanismwhichcancausethemtooscillatesoastoprovide
thrustinanydirection.Theamountofthrustcanbevariedbyvaryingthedegree
ofoscillation,thuswiththebladeassemblyrotatinginthesamedirection,
manipulationofthebladescangiveaheadorasternthrust,orportandstarboard
thrustwithoutanaheadorasternthrustcomponent,oranyangleofportor
starboardthrustwithaheadorasternthrust.
Thecycloidmotionofthebladescanbemadetoproducethrustinanydirection
roundthecircleofrotation.Thismeansthatthepropellerinadditiontoproviding
themaindriveforashipprovidesfullmanoeuvrabilitywithouttheneedtoprovide
arudderandsteeringgear.Thisunusualdegreeofcontrolisofparticularvaluefor
specialcraftorfloatingequipmentsuchasfloatingcranesordrillingshipswhich
mustbekeptinposition.
Thelocationofthepropellerdependsupontheparticularapplicationanditcanbe
placedwherethemaximumdesiredeffectcanbeachieved.

JETFLAPRUDDER

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AnotherdevicewhichisbeinginvestigatedattheN.P.L.isthejetflaprudder.In
thetrailingedgeofanotherwiseconventionalrudder,afluidicswitchisfitted,
whichcandirectajetofwatertoportorstarboard.Thewaterispumpedintothe
hollowrudderthroughahollowrudderstock.
Considerableincreaseinmanoeuvrabilityisclaimed,especiallyatlowspeeds.

ROTATINGCYLINDERRUDDERS

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Thisisadevicetomakeashipequallymanoeuvrableatallspeedsandwas
developedintheU.KbytheShipDivisionoftheNationalPhysicalLaboratory
(N.P.L.).
Anormalrudderiseffectiveuptoanglesofabout35',afterwhichtheflowoverthe
rudderstallsinamannersimilartothatoveranaeroplanewingathighanglesof
incidence.Therearevariousmethodsofpreventingthisfromoccurringandtheyall
involvefeedingenergyintothestreamoffluidadjacenttotherudderoraerofoil
surface.Thisiscalledboundarylayercontrol.Onesuchmethodistorotatea
cylinderattheleadingedgeofthesectionatsuchaspeedthattheruddercanbe
putoverto90'withoutstall,andthisisthebasicprincipleofoperationofthe
rotatingcylinderrudder.Itis,ofcourse,necessarytoreversethedirectionof
rotationofthecylinderdependingonwhethertherudderisputtoportorstarboard,
andsuchasystemcanbefittedtoalmostanytypeofrudder,balancedor
unbalanced.
Themajoradvantageofputtingarudderovertosuchahighangleisthattheflow
fromthemainenginesmaybedeflectedthroughamuchlargeranglethanwitha
conventionalrudder,andstaticsidethrustsofover50percentofthebollardpull
havebeenmeasured.Anothermainadvantageisthatitseffectisindependentof
forwardspeedanditworksaseffectivelyatzeroasatfullspeed.

SchillingRudder

Beckerflap

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Theflapisattachedtothehull.Astherudderrotatestheflapisturnedinansame
directionincreasingtheaerofoilshapeandtherebyincreasinglift.
Thissystemcanbeusedatverylargerudderanglesgivingsidethrustcapabilities

Thisdesignallowsforlargerturningforcesforthesamesizedrudderorreducedsize
requirementscomparedtoothersizes
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requirementscomparedtoothersizes
Anotherformatallowstheflaptobesteeredindependently.Thisagainallows
increasesinthrustaswellasimprovingsteeringwiththevesselunderwayasonlythe
flaphastobeturnedtocausesmallcorrectionstobecarriedout

MANOEUVRABILITYANDSTOPPING
Theproblemsofimprovingthemanoeuvrabilityandbrakingofshipsisofincreasing
importanceastheyincreaseinsize.Onedevicewhichisbeingtriedouttoimprove
stoppingpoweristoarrangethecontroloftwinrudderssothattheymoveoutboard
simultaneously.Thisinvolvestwoseparatesteeringgears,oneforeachrudder,the
movementofwhichmustbesynchronisedfornormalsteering.
Withtwinruddershipstheinnerrudderonaturnmustturnthroughagreaterangle
thantheouter.Thisisachievedbyhavingthetillerarmatanangletothecenterline
oftherudder.Itisalsopossibletoslightlyangletherudderseitherinoroutto
increasepropulsiveefficiency.

Pumpssuitableforsteeringgearsystems
Pumpsusedforsupplyingtheworkingfluidtothemainsteeringgearcanbeofeither
thevariablecapacityreversibledeliverytypeorthefixeddeliverynonreversibletype.
Forlargecapacityoutputswithhighratesofchangeindemand,thevariablecapacity
pumpsarenormallyfitted.Theseareoftwomaintypes,theHeleShawvariable
strokepumphavingradialcylindersandtheswashplatevariablestrokepumphaving
axialcylinders.
HeleShawPump

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Leftshowstheconstructionandoperationofthistypeofpumpwhichisnormally
drivenbyaconstantspeedelectricmotor.Thepistonsarefittedinarowofradial
cylindersandthroughtheouterendofeachpistonisagudgeonpin,whichattaches
theslipperstothepiston.Theslippersarefreetooscillateontheirgudgeonpinsand
fitintocirculargroovesinthecircularfloatingring.Thisringisfreetorotatebeing
mountedonballbearings,whicharehousedinguideblocks,thisreducesoil
churningandfrictionlosses.Thelatterbearontracksarecontrolledbytheactuating
spindles,whichpassesthroughthepumpcasing.Themovementofthefloatingring
bytheactuatingcontrolspindle(operatedby,say,thetelemotorreceiver)fromthe
centralpositioncausespistonstoreciprocateintheradialcylinderssothatapumping
actiontakesplace.Thedirectionofthepumpingdependsuponwhetherthe
movementistotheleftorrightofthecentralorneutralposition.

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Theactionofthepumpisshownabove.
Itshouldbenotedthatanadvantagewiththissystemisthatinreversingthe
directionoftheflowoffluid,thepumpmovesfrommaximumdeliveryinone
directionacrosstozerodeliverythenthroughzerodeliverytomaximumdeliveryin
theoppositedirection.Thebuildupinfluidpressuretakingplacewithoutshock
loadingofpipelinessupplyingfluidtothemainsteeringunit.
Thepumpisusuallyprovidedwithanoddnumberofcylinders,usuallysevenornine,
whichproducesmoreevenhydraulicflowandabetterbalancedpump.
VariableStrokeReversibleSwashplatePump

Thispumpissometimescalledthevariablestrokegearpump(V.S.G),itrunsinthe
floodedcondition,themakeuptankbeingabovethelevelofthepumpsothatall
theworkingpartsareimmersedinoil.Itisdrivenbyaconstantspeedelectric
motorthevolumeanddirectionoftheoilflowbeingcontrolledbymeansofa
strokecontrollever.

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TheVSGpumpisstatedtohavesomeadvantagesovertheHeleShaw,thisisdueto
thefactthatthecofgoftheHeleShawplungersisarelativelylargedistancefrom
thecentreofrotationoperatingrelativelylargecentrifugalforces.TheVSGplunges
haveacofgclosetothecentreofrotationcreatingrelativelysmallcentrifugalforces,
thismeansthattheVSGsystemcanberunatmuchhigherspeedsandthereforecan
bemuchsmallerwhilstdoingthesameworkastheHeleShaw.Duetocentrifugal
forcesacting,thewearontheV.S.G.pumppistonscanbegreaterthanthatforthe
radialtypepistonsThereisasmallclearancebetweenthevalveandcylinderblocks
whenrunningoffload.Whentheunitcomesonstrokethehydraulicpressureforces
thetwofacestogether.
Externalpipesconnectportstosteeringgear.
VSGpumpsandHeleShawpumpshaveanoddnumberofcylinderssincecalculation
showsthatthisgivesbetterhydrodynamicbalancing(andabetterstartingtorque
whenusedinapumpdrivinghydraulicmotor).
AuxiliaryPump
Somemanufacturerssupplyanauxiliarypumpdrivenfromthemainpumpshaft,
whichdrawsoilfromthereplenishmenttank,deliveringthroughnonreturnvalvesto
eachsideofthemainhydraulicsystem.Alowpressurereliefvalveopenstoreturnthe
auxiliarypumpdeliverybacktothereplenishmenttankifthemainsystemisfull,at
thesametimekeepingequivalentinitialpressureonthewholesystem.Thisensures
thelubricationofthemainpumpswhenatnostrokeandresiststheingressofairinto
thesystem.Pressurefromthispumpcanalsobeusedtopowertheautomatic
helmsmancontrol,tooperatechangeovervalves,ortopowerservocontrolunits
whichinlargeinstallationsmaybeusedtooperatepumpstrokemechanismsandso
reducetheforcerequiredfromthetelemotor.
ConstantPressurePumps
Theconstantpressuredeliverypumpisastandardproductionline,cheappumpit
runsconstantlydeliveringasetvolumeofliquidwhosepressuremustberegulated
.Recirculatingv/v'sallowoiltobypassramswhenstationary,anoilcoolermayhave
tobeincorporated.
Valvesmustbeincorporatedtodiverttheflowofoiltoonesideortheother.These
normallytaketheformofelectricallyoperatedsolenoidvalveswhicharesubjectto
wear,aswellasdamagetoseatsandsolenoidcoils.
Shockloadingtoramsandpipeworkcausingnoiseandvibrationaswellasdamage.

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RudderCarrierbearings

Theruddercarrierbearingtakestheweightoftherudderonagreaselubricated
thrustface.Therudderstockislocatedbythejournal,alsogreaselubricated.
Supportforthebearingisprovidedbyadoublerplateandsteelchock.Thebaseof
thecarrierbearingislocatedbywsdgetypesidechocks,weldedtothedeck
stiffening.Thecarrierisofmeehanitewithagunmetalthrustringandbush.Carrier
bearingcomponentsaresplitasnecessaryforremovalorreplacement.Screwdown
lubricatorsarefitted,andthegreaseusedforlubricationisofawaterresistanttype
(calciumsoapbasedwithgraphite).
Weardown
Asmallallowanceismadeforweardown,whichmustbeperiodicallychecked.This
maybemeasuredeitherbetweenpadsweldedontopoftherudderandontothe
rudderhorn,orbetweenthetopoftherudderstockandafixedmarkontheinner
structureofthesteeringgearflat.Thelattergenerallyinvolvestheuseofa
'Trammelgauge'whichtakestheformofa'L'shapedrodadetofitthenew
conditionofthegear.Asweardownoccursitcaneasilybecheckedwiththisgauge.
Therudderispreventedfromjumpingbyrudderstopsweldedontothesternframe.
Ruddermovementstops
Rudderstopsarearrangedasfollows
AnglefromcentrelinePositionofstopNote
35oOntelemotorsystemNormallimit
37oOnsteeringgearPreventsrudderstrikingexternalstops
39oExternal,onsternframeemergencystoptoprotectpropeller
Theselimitsrefertoruddersoftraditionaldesignandisgovernedbyboththe

physicallayoutoftherudderandactuatorbutalsoduetothestallanglesofthe
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physicallayoutoftherudderandactuatorbutalsoduetothestallanglesofthe
rudder.i.e.theangleatwhichlift(turningmoment)isreducedorlostwith
increasingangleofattack.Therearedesignsofruddersuchasbeckerflapwhich
haveincreasedstallanglesupto45o
Criticalprofilingofcarrierbearing

Reasonsforcriticalcontouringofthrustface
1. forlubrication
2. conicalinordertopreventsideslipandcentraliserudder
3. projectedareagivesgreaterbearingareaallowingsmallerdiameter
bearing

Steeringgear
Ahydraulicsteeringgearconsistsofabridgecontrolwhichapplieshelm,anengine
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Ahydraulicsteeringgearconsistsofabridgecontrolwhichapplieshelm,anengine
controlwhichisoperatedjointlybythehelmandhuntinggear(whenfitted)anda
powerpumpandrudderactuatorwhichconstitutesthesteeringengine.
Telemotorsystems
Thetelemotorsystemconsistsofatransmitteronthebridgeandareceiverfitted
onthesteeringgearformingapartofthehuntinggear.Thesystemmaybe
electricalorhydraulicoracombinationofthetwo.
Mostmodernvesselsarefittedwithelectricorelectrohydraulicsystems.Dueto
theincreasingsizeofvesselspiperunshavelengthencausinglagsintheoperation
ofthereceiverinhydraulicsystems.Inadditionhydrauliconlysystemsgenerally
requiremoremaintenance.
Hydraulictransmitter

Shownaboveisatypicalhydraulictransmitterunit.Thepiniondrivingthepistons
isturnedbythebridgewheel.
Thecasingisusuallygunmetal,withbronzerams,andcopperpipesareledinby
frilledleadsonthecasting.
Totestthesystem,withthesteeringgearactuatingpumpsstopped,thewheel
maybelashedathardoverandthepressurerecorded.Itshouldmaintainthis
pressureforsometime
Toallowforexpansioninthesystemandtoallowtoppingupa'bypassvalve'is
fitted.Itwillalsoactasasafetyvalve.
Authornote:
Themainproblemappearstobetheeffectofairentrainedwithinit.Thusregular
ventingofthesystemisrequired.

Bypassvalve

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Theoperatingrodispusheddownmakingbothlinecommonwheneverthewheel
isatmidships,generallybyacamfittedtothepinion.Thisensurestheysystemis
alwaysbalanced

Thechargingvalvesareopenedonlywhenfillingorflushing.
Themovingcylinderisattachedtothehuntinggear.Whenthebridgewheelis
turnedhydraulicpressureactsonthecylindercausingittomove.Thisinturn
movesthehuntinggear.Thesteeringgearisthenmovedtocompensateuntilthe
huntinggearismovedbacktotheneutralposition.Thetotalmovementofthe
receiverislimitedbystops.
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Electrohydraulictypetelemotorsystem

Shownisaverysimplesystemcapableofoperatingasteeringhuntinggear.A
pressurereliefvalvewouldnormallybefittedafterthevalveandacrossthepump
topreventoverpressurisationofthesystem.
Thesignalisderivedfromtheactiononthesteeringwheel,createdbythe
autopilotordirectlyfromthenonfollowupcontrollevers.
Telemotorfluid
shouldbeagoodqualitymineraloilwiththefollowingproperties
1. lowpourpoint
2. nonsludgeforming
3. noncorrosive
4. goodlubricatingproperties
5. highflashpoint
6. lowviscosity

HuntingGear
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Thesteeringgearsystemaboveconsistsofthetelemotorwhichreceivesasignal
fromthebridgewheel.Thisactsonthehuntinggear.
Thehuntinggearmovesdisplacingacontrolrod,thisrodactsonthepump
displacementcontrolgeartoalterthedeliveryfromthepump.Thedeliveryfrom
thepumpcausestheramtomoverotatingtherudderstockandhencethe
rudder.Theotherendofthehuntinggearismountedontherudderstock.
Therotationoftherudderstockmovesthehuntinggearreturningtheoperating
rodforthepumptotheneutralpositiononcetherudderhasreachedthecorrect
angle.

RudderActuators
Therearemanydifferentmechanismsbymeansofwhichhydraulicpowercanbe
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Therearemanydifferentmechanismsbymeansofwhichhydraulicpowercanbe
convertedintotorqueattherudderstocksomeofwhichareasfollows

RapsonSlideActuatorsRamtype

Steeringgearincorporatingtherapsonslideprinciplearethemostcommonin
useonheavydutyapplications.
Therapsonslideactingoneitheraforktillerorthemorecommonroundarm.The
tillerdrivestherudderstockbymeansofakeyorkeys.Thecrossheadisfreeto
slidealongthecirculararmofthetillersothatthestraightlineeffortoftherams
isappliedtotheangularmovingtiller.Eachsetoftwocylindersinlineare
connectedbyastrongsteelgirderusuallycalleda"Joist"whichstiffensthe
systemandformsa"guidebar"forthecrossheadguideslipperstoslidealong.
Thejoistisoftendesignedtoincorporatethesteeringenginestops.
Animportantconsiderationinallsteeringgearsisthe"weardown"oftherudder
carryingbearing,thisbearingtakesalltheweightoftherudder.
Thereforetheremustbeadequateclearancebetweenthebottomofthetillerand
thecrossheadbearing,soastherudderbearingwearsdowninservicethetiller
andcrossheadbearingdonottouch,clearancewhennewcanbe22mmat
bottomand12mmattopthetopclearanceisaprecautiontostopthetiller
bumpingupthesteeringramsintheunlikelyeventoftherudderliftinginheavy
weather.Shouldthebottomofthetillerandthecrossheadbearingtouch,then
theweightoftherudderwillbetransferredfromtherudderbearingtothe
steeringramswithdisastrousresultssuchasleakingofworkingfluidfromthe
cylindersandshearingoftherams.
Inthecaseofforkedtillerdesign,thethrustfromtheramsistransmittedtothe
tillerthroughswivelblocks.Oneadvantageofthisarrangementisthattheoverall
lengthofpairsoframsisreducedcomparedtotheroundarmtillerdesignand
thiscanbeanimportantconsiderationinsomecases.Adisadvantageisthat
whereasanyslightmisalignmentinthecaseoftheroundarmtillerisnotvitally
important,itcouldleadtounevenloadingoftheswivelblocksintheforkedtiller
designanditisessentialthatthelineoftheramsbeexactlyatrightanglestothe
rudderstockcentrelineifthisistobeavoided.
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rudderstockcentrelineifthisistobeavoided.
WiththeRapsonSlidethetorquereactionfromtherudderistakenonthetillerby
aforcewhichisbalancedbyanequalandoppositeforcehavingtwocomponents
oneofwhichisproducedbytheramandactsinthelineoftheram,whilstthe
otherisatrightanglestothelineoftheramandisproducedbytheguide
reaction.

Whereguidesarenotfittedasissometimesthecasewithsmallersteeringgears
thentheguidereactionforcemustbecarriedbybearingsortheglandsofthe
cylinders.
a=actuatorarea
p=Workingfluidpressure
n=Numberofeffectiverams(1for2ram,2for4ram)
q=rudderangle
r=tillerradiusatamidships
r'=tillerradiusatqooftillerhelm
s=guidereactionforce
f=forceonramwithtilleramidships(=pxa)
f'=effectiveforceactingat90ototiller
r'=r/cos.qalsof'=f/cos.q=pxa/cos.q
t=torqueavailable=f'xr'xn
=((pxa)/cosq).(r/cos.q).n
t=(pxaxnxr).(1/cos.2q)
Showingthattherapsonslideeffectwhichgivesincreaseofavailabletorquewith
increasesofrudderangle
Thetorquedemandedfromthesteeringgearincreasesandisatamaximumat
maximumrudderanglewhenthemechanicaladvantageoftheRapsonSlidegear
isatamaximum.Ramtypegearsarealsowelladaptedtotakeadvantageofthe
highpressureswhicharecurrentlyavailable,sinceramdiametersandcasingare
relativelysmallandleakagepathsaresmallornonexistent.

OscillatingCylinderActuators
Theuseofoscillatingcylindersorpinnedactuatorsisarecentdevelopment.They
canbeusedassinglecylinderunitsforhandonlysteeringortwocylinderunitsfor
handandpowersteering.Whilefourdoubleactingcylinderscancopewithlarger
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handandpowersteering.Whilefourdoubleactingcylinderscancopewithlarger
torquedemands.Theseunitsaredoubleactingbecausepistonsworkinthe
cylindersandpressurecanbeappliedtoeithersideascomparedwithramgears
whicharesingleacting.
Inthesecases,thetorqueTappliedtotherudderstockvarieswiththerudder
deflectionangleandonthelocationoftheactuator.Ingeneralthetorque
developedwillbelessatthemaximumrudderanglethanthemaximumpossible
fromtheactuator.
Maximumtorquefromactuator=p.a.n.r.
Torqueat35o=p.a.n.r.cos(35=o)
whereo=angletracedoutbytheactuator
betweeno=0oando=35o
Mechanicaladvantageat35o=Cos35o=0.82
sincetheactuatorsarepivotingabouttheirpincentre,theyusuallyhavetheir
workingfluidtankandpumpmountedontheactuatorcylinder,ortheyare
connectedtotankandpumpbyaflexiblepipeline.
RamsConnectedToCrossheadsByLinks
Thistypeofgearisusediftheathwartshipsspaceislimited,ortheheadroomat
therudderheadisrestricted,asforexample,inthecaseofavehicleferryhaving
aslipwayaft.Thedesignenablesthesteeringgeartobemovedforwardwhere
thereisreasonableheadroomforaccess.
AsinthecaseoftheoscillatingcylinderdesigntheMechanicalAdvantageofthe
RapsonSlidegearislostinthelinksandthetorqueoutputofthegearisata
minimumathardoverwhenthetorquedemandcreatedbytherudder
hydrodynamicforcesisatamaximum.

RotaryVaneGear
Theseconsistoftwoelements:
acylindricalstaticcasing(stator)withusuallythreeinternalvaneswhich
projectradiallyinwards
arotorkeyedtoandconcentricwiththerudderstock,therotorhasrotor
vaneswhichprojectradiallyoutwardsintothespacesformedbythe
statorvanes.
Thespacesformedbetweenthestatorandrotorvanesareusedashighand
lowpressurechambers.Themainadvantageofthesystemisthatitis
compact,occupyingabout1/10thespaceofaramsystem.Thedisadvantages
are
ithasalongoilsealingpath
itisaconstanttorquemachineatallanglesofhelmcomparedtotheram
systemwhereduetotheRapsonslideeffect,thetorqueavailable
increaseswithincreasinghelm.
Where100%redundancyisrequiredtworotaryvanesinpiggybackareused.
Allvanesarespheroidalgraphitecastironsecuredtothecastironrotorandstator
byhightensilesteeldowelpinsandcapscrews.Rotorstrengthismaintainedby
keysfittedfulllengthoftherotaryvane.Steelsealingstripsarefittedalongthe
workingfaces,backedbysyntheticrubberingroovesalongtheworkingfaces
whichareelasticallyloaded,soastoensurethatcontactwiththematingsurfaces
ismaintainedinordertoholdthehydraulicpressures.

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Thechambersarealternatelyconnectedtothesuctionanddeliveryfromthehydraulic
pumpsothattheycanbeusedtoproducetherudderactuatingtorque.Becausethe
distributionofthepressurechambersisbalancedaroundtherudderstock,onlypure
torqueistransmittedtothestockandnosideloadingareimposedbythegear.
Therearetwomaintypesofrotaryvanesteeringgearinusetoday.Onehasitsstator
firmlyfixedtothesteeringflatdeckandthestatorhousingandcoverareprovided
withsuitablebearingstoenabletheunittoactasacombinedruddercarrierand
rudderstockbearingsupport.Theothertypeofvanegearissupportedwherethe
statorisonlyanchoredtotheshipsstructuretoresisttorquebutisfreetomove
verticallywithintheconstraintsoftheseparaterudderheadbearingandcarrierwhich
issimilartothebearingprovidedforramtypesteeringgears.
Theruddercarrierringbearing(PallisterBearing)istakingtheweightoftherotary
vanesteeringgearandtherudderandstock.

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Rotationofthestatorispreventedbymeansoftwoanchorbracketsandtwoanchor
bolts.Theanchorbracketsaresecurelyboltedtothestoolandverticalclearanceis
arrangedbetweentheinsideoftheStatorflangesandthetopandbottomofthe
anchorbracketstoallowforverticalmovementoftherudderstock.Thisclearance
varieswitheachsizeofrotaryunitbutcouldbeabout40mmtotal.Itisessential
thattheruddercarriershouldbecapableofrestrictingtheverticalmovementsof
therudderstocktolessthanthisamount.
Theanchorboltsarefittedwithspecialbushesinhalves,shapedexternallyinorder
topreloadthesyntheticrubbershockabsorbers,whicharefittedbetweenthem
andtheanchorbrackets.Themaximumdeflectionoftheshockabsorbersunderfull
loadisapproximately1mm.
Theworkingangleofthegearisgovernedbythenumberofvanesandtheir
thickness.Vanesactasrudderstopswhenamovingvanecontactsafixedvane.
Valvesatinlettothechambersmaybeshutcausingahydrauliclock.Intherotary
vaneunitstheMechanicalAdvantageisunityatallanglesandhencetorqueis
constant
Torque=p.a.n.r.
wheren=numberofrotatingvanes
TendfjordRotaryPistonGearActuator
Thisgearconsistsofacasingaroundtherudderstockwhichcontainspistonsof
rectangularsectionslidinginangularcompartmentsconcentricwiththerudder
stock.Thetillerprojectsintoagapbetweenthecylinder,thepistonendsabutting
ontothetillerbutnotbeingattachedtoitsothataxialmovementsoftherudder
cannotbetransmittedtothepistons.Steeringgearsofthistypeoperateat
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cannotbetransmittedtothepistons.Steeringgearsofthistypeoperateat
hydraulicpressuresupto41bar(600lbf/in2)andareingeneralrestrictedtolow
powerapplication.
AswiththerotaryvanesteeringgearstheMechanicalAdvantageisunityatall
anglesandhencethetorqueisconstant.
Torque=p.a.n.r.
whereninthiscaseisunity.

Components
ReliefIsolatingAndBypassValves
Hydraulicactuatorsareprovidedwithreliefandbypassvalvesbetween
complementarypairsofcylindersorchambersofvanegears.Thereliefvalvesare
settoliftatpressuresabovethenormalmaximum.
Thebypassvalvesarenormallyclosedbutcanbeopenedonatwocylindergearto
enableemergencysteeringtobeused.Onafourcylindergearonepairofcylinders
canbebypassedwhiletheotherpairprovideemergencysteeringatareduced
torque,aninstructionplateisfittedoverthecontrolsvalveblockgivinga
combinationoffailuresandwhichvalveshavetobeopenorshuttocopewiththe
emergencyetc.Itshouldbenotedthatifoneramorcylinderinafourramsystem
breaksdown,thenneverisolatethecylinderdiagonallyoppositethedamagedunit,
sincethesteeringgearwillnotoperateduetothefactthattheremainingtwo
cylinderswillbeeitheronallpressureoronallsuctionatthesametime.
Isolatingvalvesareprovidedateachcylinderorrotaryvanechamberwhichwhen
closedwillholdtherudderbytrappingtheoilinthechambers.Isolatingvalvesare
alsofittedtopumpssothatapumpcanbecompletelyshutofffromthecircuitand
removedforservicingwhilesteeringiscontinuedwiththeotherpump.
Inthecaseofgearswithduplicatedvariablestrokepumps,inordertobeableto
bringastandbyunitquicklyintooperation,thepumpstrokemechanismsare
permanentlycoupledtogetherandbothpumpsareleftopentothehydrauliccircuit.
Thusitisonlynecessarytostartupamotorforthestandbypumptobeoperative.
Itisusualtorunbothpumpsinrestrictednavigationwaters.Asavariablestroke
pumpcanoperateasamotorifpressureoilisappliedtoonesidewhileitison
stroke,itisnecessarytopreventwindmillingorrotationofthepumpwhichison
standbyduty.
Otherwise,theoutputoftheoperationpump,insteadofmovingthesteeringgear
wouldbeusedupinrotatingthestandbypump.
Onemethodtopreventthis,isusingafixedratchetisprovidedconcentricwiththe
pumpdrivingshaft.Pawlsthatcanengagethisratchetarecarriedinthedrive
coupling.Whenthepumpisonstandbythepawlsengagewiththeratchetand
preventrotationwhenoilonthedeliverysideoftheoperatingpumpisonpressure.
Inthisconditionthetendencytomotorthestandbypumpwillalwaysbeagainstits
normaldirectionofrotation.Assoonasthepumpisstarted,rotationbeinginthe
oppositedirection,thepawlsdisengageandbycentrifugalactionflingoutagainst
theinnerflangeofthecouplingcompletelyclearoftheratchet.Whenapumpison
standbyandtherudderisbeingdrivenbywaterpressureinthedirectioninwhich
itisbeingmovedsoastogeneratepressureonwhatisnormallythesuctionsideof
theoperatingpump,thiswillcausethestandbypumptorotateinitsnormal
runningdirection.Thismeansthatthepawlswilldisengageandthepumpwillbe
motoredround,allowingtheruddertomovemorequicklytoanewsteeringposition
thanthesingleoperatingpumpwillallow.
AnothermethodofprotectionagainstrotationofthestandbypumpistofitServo
pressureoperatedautomaticchangeovervalvesinthepipelinestheseensurethat
thepumpcanonlybestartedintheunloadedcondition(neutral)andinaddition
preventsthestandbypumpfrombeingmotoredbythepumpinservice.
Onsomeshipsithasbeendiscoveredthattheballbearingracesonthestandby
pumphavebeenfailingduetobrinellingoftheballbearings,causedbyship
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pumphavebeenfailingduetobrinellingoftheballbearings,causedbyship
vibrations,andinthesecasesitisusualtofitdeviceswhichallowsthestandby
pumptobemotoredslowly.
Whenfixeddeliverypumpsareduplicatedinsupplyingoiltoacommon
hydraulicallyoperatedcontrolvalve,anautomaticchangeovervalvecanbefitted
whichwillisolatethestandbypumpwhenitisatrest,butwillconnectittothe
actuatorwhenthepumpisstartedup.
StopsAndLimitSwitches
Externalorsternpostsstopsaresetattheabsolutelimittohardovermovementof
therudder,protectspropellerandshipsternintheeventofmetalorotherfailure
whichallowsruddertoswinginanuncontrolledmanner.Mechanicalstopsonthe
rudderactuatoroperatebeforetheexternalstoparereached.thesetaketheform
oftravellimits.Stopsonthebridgecontroloperatebeforemechanicalstops.local
controlsaresetmidway.autopilotcontrolsaresetfirst.Itshouldbenotedthatthe
vanesactasstopsonrotaryvanegears.
DriveBackDueToHeavySea's
Heavyseasactingontheruddercanforcetheactuatoragainstthehydraulics
sufficienttoliftthereliefv/v,inwhichcasetherudderwillmove.Huntinggearwill
tendtoreturnthegeartoitscorrectposition.
HandAndPowerHydraulicSteeringGears
Forsmallshipsduringnavigationalcoursekeepinghandsteeringcanbeused,whist
duringmanoeuvringpowersteeringcanbeused.Thesemaytaketheformofchains
orsimplehydraulicsoperatedbyafixeddeliverypumpattachedtothesteering
gears.
"FollowUp"Steering
Thisisthenormalmethodofsteeringandinvolvesthefeedbackofsteeringangleto
thehelm.Thisissuitedtobothmanualandautomaticoperation.
Theshipsheadingmaybesetintotheautopilotwhichcanthencomparetheactual
todesiredheadingandadjusttherudderangletosuit
"NonfollowUp"Steering
Normallyusedforbackuppurposesonly.Consistsofasingleleverpersteering
gearunit,bymovingtheleverinondirectiontherudderwillbegintoturn,the
rudderwillcontinuetoturnuntiltheleverisreleasedoritreachesthelimitofits
operation
ChargingASystemWithFluid
.Inallcaseshighqualityhydraulicoilshouldbeused,containinginhibitorsagainst
oxidation,foaming,rustandwearandemulsification.
Inordertokeepthetransmissionloadaslowaspossiblewhenhandsteering,hand
powersystemsmusthaveoiloflowviscosity.
Theconditionoftheoilshouldbemonitoredandensuredatleastcleanandfreeof
moisture.

Steeringgearfailure
Astudyofsteeringgeardefectsdemonstratesthatthemostcommonarerelatedto
vibrationandtheworkinglooseofcomponents.
Themostcommonsourceoffailurearethepumpandthehydraulicsystem
associatedwithit.

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Ruddertorquecalculations
Formulaeforassessingruddertorque'sarebasedupontheexpressionTaACpV2
Sinqwhere:
T=ruddertorque
C=rudderarea
Cp=centreofpressuredistancefromcentrelineofrudderstock
V=velocityofship
q=rudderanglemeasuredfrommidshipposition
Inpracticedifferentconstantsobtainedempiricallyareusedwiththisexpression
andtakeintoaccountsuchfactorsaspropellerslipandwakespeedasappropriate
dependingupontherelationoftherudderandpropellerpositions.Thepositionof
thecentreofpressurehasasignificanteffectuponruddertorqueandhencethe
sizeofthesteeringgearrequiredthegreaterthedistanceoftheCofPfromthe
centrelineoftherudderstock,thelargerthetorquerequiredthereforedesigners
attempttobringtheCofPasneartothecentrelineaspossible.Withthesimple
"barndoor"typerudderonsomesinglescrewships,noadjustmentcanbemade,
butthesemibalancedandbalancedtyperudderscanbedesignedtoreducethe
torquerequiredforinstance,withthespadetyperuddersuchasfittedtotwin
screwferries,thepositioncanbeadjustedbythedesignertogiveoptimum
position.Thisliesbetween30and32percentabafttheleadingedgeofthemean
chordoftherudder.SucharudderwouldhaveitsCofPforwardofthestock
positionatlowanglesofhelm,wouldbalancearound10oto15oanddriftaftofthe
stockathigherrudderangles.

Ingraphaboveisshownatypicaltorquecharacteristicsforaspadetypebalanced
rudderanda"barndoor"orunbalancedplaterudder.Theasterntorque'sshould
alsobecalculatedsincethisissometimeshigherthantheaheadtorque,thisistrue
forspaderudders.

POWER
Thepeakpowerthatasteeringgearmustdevelopistheproductofthemaximum
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Thepeakpowerthatasteeringgearmustdevelopistheproductofthemaximum
torque(T)usuallyathardoverwiththeshiptravellingatfullspeed,andthe
maximumspeed(S)ofruddermovementi.e.Power(max)aTxS.
Thecombinationofmaximumpowerandspeedonlyexistsfor2or3seconds
duringeachmanoeuvresoclearlytheaveragepowerrequiredtooperatethe
steeringgearisconsiderablybelowthepeak.Becausethesteeringgearmusthave
sufficientpowertoovercomefrictionandstillhaveamplereserveofpower,the
valueforusedintheforegoingexpressionissignificantlyhigherthanthatusedin
theexpressionforruddertorque.Whenconsideringthediameteroftherudder
stock,bendingandshearstressesmustbetakenintoaccount.

RudderWearDown
Thisreferstothemeasurementstakengenerallyduringadockingperiodtoindicate
excessivewearinthesteeringgearsystemparticularlytheruddercarrier.The
significanceofthisisthatforramsystemsexcessivewearcanleadtobending
momentsontherams.Forrotaryvanesystemsitcanleadtovaneedge
loading.Thereadingstakenareofferedforrecordingbytheclassificationsociety.
Trammel
Thistakestheformofan'L'shapebarofsuitableconstruction.Whenthevesselis
builtadistinctcentrepunchmarkisplacedontotheruderstockandontoasuitable
locationonthevesselsstructure,heregivenasagirderwhichistypical.The
trammelismanufacturedtosuitthesemarksAsthecarrierwearstheupperpointer
willfallbelowthecentrepunchmarkbyanamountequaltotheweardown.

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RudderClearance
Padsareweldedtothehullandrudder.Aclearanceisgiven(sometimesreferredto
asthejumpingclearance).Asthecarrierwearsthisclearancewillincrease

SteeringgearClearance
Directmeasurementcanbetakenfromthesteeringgearassembly.Shownbelow
isoneexample,heretheclearancewillbeseentoreduceasthecarrierwearsand
impacthishasonthesystemcanbedirectlyjudged

Rules
Designofsteeringgearshavebeeninfluencedovertheyearsbytherulesand
regulationsofnationalauthoritiesandclassificationsubjects.Anychangesofreal
substancetendnowadaystooriginatefromtheinternational
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regulationsofnationalauthoritiesandclassificationsubjects.Anychangesofreal
substancetendnowadaystooriginatefromtheinternational
MaritimeOrganisations(I.M.O.)conventionsandregulations.Classificationsociety
requirementsareasfollows
1. Allshipstohavepoweroperatedmaingearcapableofdisplacing
therudderfrom35oportto35ostarboardatthedeepestdraught
andatmaximumservicespeed.Mustalsobecapableofdisplacing
therudderfrom35oportto30ostarboardin28secondsandvice
versa.
2. Theauxiliarygearmustbepoweroperatedandcapableofbeing
broughtrapidlyintoaction.Theauxiliarygearisonlyrequiredto
steertheshipateither7knotsorhalfservicespeed
3. Ifthemaingearcomprisestwoormoreidenticalpowerunits,then
asinglefailureofeitherpowerunitorpipingmustnotimpairthe
integrityoftheremainingpartofthesteeringgear
4. Eachpowerunitmustbeservedbyatleasttwoelectricalcircuits
fromthemainswitchboard.Onecircuitmaypassthroughthe
emergencyswitchboard.Allcircuitstobeseparatedaswidelyas
possiblethroughouttheirlength.
5. Allpoweroperatedgearstobefittedwithshockrelieving
arrangementstoprotectagainsttheactionofheavyseas.
6. Anefficientbrakeorlockingarrangementtobefittedtoenablethe
ruddertobemaintainedstationary
7. themaximumpowerdevelopedbythegearisproportionaltoTxS
whereT=ruddertorque
S=Speedofruddermovement
alsoT=AxPxsinqxV2
whereA=rudderarea
P=centreofpressure
q=rudderangle
V=velocityoftheship

Specialrequirements
Ownersmayspecifyadditionalrequirementssuchasfasterhardovertohardover
time,strengthofcomponentsabovethatrequiredbytheRules,additionalcontrol
pointsandadditionalduplication,
Newtankersof100000dwtandaboveshallcomplywiththefollowing
Themainsteeringgearshallcompriseofeither
twoindependentandseparatepoweractuatingsystemseachcapableof
meetingthehardoverportto30ostarboardin28secrequirements,
or
atleasttwoidenticalpoweractuatingsystemswhichacting
simultaneouslyinnormaloperation,shallbecapableofmeetingthehard
overrequirements.Wherenecessarytocomplywiththisrequirement
interconnectionofhydraulicpowersystemsshallbeprovided.Lossof
hydraulicfluidfromonesystemshallbecapableofbeingdetectedand
thedefectivesystemisolatedsothattheothersystemshallremainfully
operational
Intheeventoflossofsteeringcapabilityduetoasinglefailureotherthanthetiller,
quadrantorcomponentsservingthesamepurpose(theseareexcludedfromsingle
failureconcepts),orseizureoftherudderactuators.Thesteeringcapabilityshallbe
regainedinnotlessthan45secondsafterthelossofonepoweractuatingsystem.
Steeringgearotherthanhydraulicshouldmeetthesamestandards.

Exampleofsuitablesystempermissibleforallships
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Thesystemshownconsistsoftwosetsoframsbutcouldequallybetworotary
vaneunits.Withnopoweronthesolenoidsareinbypassmodewithoilbeing
allowedtopassfreelyfromonesidetotheother.Whenanelectricmotorisstarted
thecontrolpumpsuppliesoiltothesolenoidshuttingit.Highpressureoilfromthe
mainunitisnowfedtotheramsasrequired.Theotherunitremainsinbypass
untiltheelectricmotorisstarted.
Lowlevelalarmsarefittedtothetanks.Lowlowchangeoversmayalsobefittedso
thatintheeventofoillossfromonesystem,theothersystemisstarted.
Newtankersbetween10000gtupwardsto100000tdwt

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Forthesetankersthesinglefailurecriterionneednotapplytotherudderactuator
oractuatorssubjecttocertainrequirementsbeingfulfilled.Theseincludea
requirementthatsteeringberegainedwithin45secondsfollowingfailureofany
partofthepipingsystemorpowerunitsandaspecialstressanalysisofnon
duplicatedrudderactuators.
Thelefthandunitisshowninoperation.
Forthisbasicarrangementthepowerunitsmustbeidentical
Newships70000gtandupwards
systemsuitableforallshipsexcepttankersof10000gtandabove

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Themainsteeringshallcomprisetwoormorepowerunitsandthatthemain
steeringgearissoarrangedthat,afterasinglefailureinitspipingsystemorin
oneofthepowerunitsthedefectcanbeisolatedsothatsteeringcanbespeedily
regained.
'Speedily'isintendedtomeantheprovisionofduplicatehydrauliccircuitsor,for
example,aconventionalfourramsteeringgearwithacommonhydrauliccircuit
withappropriateisolatingvalves
Newshipsoflessthan70000gtandtankerslessthan10000gt
suitablesystem

Singlefailureisnotapplicableasarule,however,attentionisdrawntothe
requirementthatauxiliarysteeringgearbeindependentofanypartofthemain
gearexceptthetiller.Thereisnorequirementthatmainandauxiliarypowerunits
beidentical.
Theauxiliarysteeringgearmustbecapableofputtingtherudderoverfrom15o
fromonesidetotheotherinnotmorethan60secondswiththeshipatitsdeepest
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fromonesidetotheotherinnotmorethan60secondswiththeshipatitsdeepest
draughtandrunningaheadathalfmaximumspeedor7knots.
Existingtankersof40000gtandupwards
Thesteeringgearshallbearrangessothatintheeventofsinglefailureofthe
pipingoroneofthepowerunits,steeringcapabilitycanbemaintainedorthe
ruddermovementcanbelimitedsothatsteeringcapabilitycanbespeedily
regainedby
Anindependentmeansofrestrainingtherudder
or
fastactingvalvestoisolatetheactuatororactuatorsfromtheexternal
hydraulicpipingtogetherwithameansofdirectlyrefillingtheactuators
byafixedindependentpowerpumpandpipingsystem
or
Anarrangementsothat,wherehydraulicpowersystemsare
interconnectedanylossofhydraulicfluidfromonesystemshallbe
detectedandthedefectivesystemshutoffeitherautomaticallyor
remotelyfromthebridgesothattheothersystemremainsintact
Requirementsforallnewships
Administrationsmustbesatisfiedinrespecttothemainandauxiliary
steeringgearprovidedforeveryshipthatallcomponentsandthe
rudderstockareofsoundconstruction
Everycomponent,whereappropriate,utiliseantifrictionbearingswhich
willbepermanentlylubricatedorprovidedwithlubricantfittings
Partssubjectedtohydraulicpressuresshouldbedesignedtocopewith
1.25maximumworkingpressurewhentherudderishardoverat
maximumdraughtandservicespeed
specialrequirementsforfatigueresistance(duetopulsatinghydraulic
pressure),reliefvalvesandoilcleanliness
Lowlevelalarmtobefittedtoeachhydraulicreservoir.
Fixedstoragecapacitysufficienttorechargeonsystem
Auxiliarysteeringgear
Theothersetofsteering(auxiliary)maybeanarrangementsofblocksandtackles
orsomeotherapprovedalternativemethod.
Theauxiliarysteeringgearneedonlybecapableofsteeringtheshipatnavigable
speed,butitmustbecapableofbeingbroughtspeedilyintoactioninan
emergency.Navigablespeedisonehalfofmaximumservicespeedaheador7knots
whicheveristhegreater.
Theauxiliarysteeringgearmustbeapoweroperatedtypeiftherudderstock
exceeds230mmforpassengershipsand250mmforcargovessels.Noadditional
meansofsteeringisrequiredwhenelectricorelectrohydraulicsteeringgearis
fittedhavingtwoindependentmotorsortwosetsofpumpsandmotors.
ElectricalSupply
Shortcircuitprotectionandoverloadalarmaretobeprovidedinsteeringgear
circuits.Indicatorsforrunningindicationofsteeringgearmotorsaretobeinstalled
onthenavigationbridgeandatasuitablemachinerycontrolposition.Eachelectric
orelectrohydraulicsteeringgearshallbeservedbyatleasttwoindependent
circuitsfedfromthemainswitchboard.Cablesforeachcircuitledthrougha
separaterouteasfarapartaspossiblesothatdamagetoonecabledoesnotinvolve
damagetotheother.Achangeoverswitchisfittedinanapprovedpositionto
enablepowersuppliestobeinterchanged.Onecircuitmaypassthroughan
emergencyswitchboard.
Rudders
Inpassengershipswheretherudderstockexceeds230mm,analternativesteering
positionremotefromthemainpositionistobeprovided.Failureofonesystem
mustnotrendertheothersysteminoperable.Provisionmadetotransmitorders
frombridgetoalternativeposition.Theexactpositionoftheruddermustbe
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frombridgetoalternativeposition.Theexactpositionoftheruddermustbe
indicatedatprincipalsteeringpositions.Anefficientbrakingorlockingdevicemust
befittedtothesteeringgeartoenabletheruddertobeheldstationaryifnecessary.
Springorhydraulicbufferreliefvalvesfittedinsteeringgearsystemtoprotectthe
rudderandsteeringgearagainstshockloadingduetoheavyseasstrikingthe
rudder.Suitablestoppingarrangementsaretobeprovidedsoastorestrictthetotal
traveloftherudder.Stopsorcutoutsonthesteeringgeararearrangedsothatit
operatesonasmallerangleofhelmthantherudderstops.
Rudderrestraint
Sincefailureofasinglehydrauliccircuitcanleadtounrestrictedmovementofthe
rudder,tillerandrams,repairandrechargingmaynotbepossible.Difficultyarises
withwhichthespeedarestraintwhetherintheformofamechanicalorhydraulic
brakecanbebroughtintouse.
Duetothepossibilityofconsiderabledamageoccurringbeforeitcould,regulations
haveconcentratedoncontinuityofsteeringratherthanashutdownandrepair
solution
Testinganddrills
Within12hbeforedeparture,theship'ssteeringgearshallbecheckedand
testedbytheship'screw.Thetestprocedureshallinclude,whereapplicable,
theoperationofthefollowing:
themainsteeringgear
theauxiliarysteeringgear
theremotesteeringgearcontrolsystems
thesteeringpositionslocatedonthenavigationbridge
theemergencypowersupply
therudderangleindicatorsinrelationtotheactualpositionoftherudder
theremotesteeringgearcontrolsystempowerfailurealarms
thesteeringgearpowerunitfailurealarmsand
automaticisolatingarrangementsandotherautomaticequipment.
Thechecksandtestsshallinclude:
thefullmovementoftherudderaccordingtotherequiredcapabilitiesof
thesteeringgear
avisualinspectionofthesteeringgearanditsconnectinglinkageand
theoperationofthemeansofcommunicationbetweenthenavigation
bridgeandsteeringgearcompartment.
Simpleoperatinginstructionswithablockdiagramshowingthechange
overproceduresforremotesteeringgearcontrolsystemsandsteering
gearpowerunitsshallbepermanentlydisplayedonthenavigation
bridgeandinthesteeringgearcompartment.
Allships'officersconcernedwiththeoperationormaintenanceofsteering
gearshallbefamiliarwiththeoperationofthesteeringsystemsfitted
ontheshipandwiththeproceduresforchangingfromonesystemto
another.
Inadditiontotheroutinechecksandtestsprescribedinparagraphs(a)and(b),
emergencysteeringdrillsshalltakeplaceatleastonceeverythreemonthsin
ordertopractiseemergencysteeringprocedures.Thesedrillsshallinclude
directcontrolfromwithinthesteeringgearcompartment,thecommunications
procedurewiththenavigationbridgeand,whereapplicable,theoperationof
alternativepowersupplies.
TheAdministrationmaywaivetherequirementtocarryoutthechecksandtests
prescribedinparagraphs(a)and(b)forshipswhichregularlyengageon
voyagesofshortduration.Suchshipsshallcarryoutthesechecksandtestsat
leastonceeveryweek.
Thedateuponwhichthechecksandtestsprescribedinparagraphs(a)and(b)
arecarriedoutandthedateanddetailsofemergencysteeringdrillscarried
outunderparagraph(d),shallberecordedinthelogbookasmaybe
prescribedbytheAdministration.
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