A Study on the Development of Ship's Stern Tube Sealing System(I) -Based on Lip Seals-

선미관 밀봉장치 개발에 관한 연구 (I) - 맆 시일을 중심으로-

Lip type stern tube sealing systems have used in almost all the middle or large ships which are being constructed in these days. It seems that the pressure fluctuation of the seal ring interspace, the cross-section profile and the materials quality of the seal rings have great effects on the sealing fuction of this sealing system. In this paper, the mechanical movement of lip seal ring which plays the most important role in stern tube sealing system and the possibility of leakage caused by pressure fluctuation are studied by theory and experiment. Using the finite element method for the axi-symetric object which receives the torsional load, the displacement and stress analysis of the seal rings, and also the possibility of crack occurance is checked by theoretical analysis. If the force which seal ring lip periphery receives is too small, there will be the possibility of leakage caused by the pressure fluctuation of the seal ring interspace, and if this force is too large, the frictional force between the seal ring and the liner will become problematical. The possibility of leakage caused by hardening of seal ring materials and creep phenomena of tested seal rings are also examined. The trial seal rings were designed and manufactured using the program of displacement and stress analysis developed in this study and the experimental apparatus to test the trial seal rings was also designed and manufactured. This trial seal rings were fitted in the experimental apparatus which was made in the same form as an actual stern tube. The one side of this apparatus was filled with sea water and the other side of it was filled with the lubricating oil. The leakage of oil and sea water was checked and the temperature was measured, rotating the propeller shaft at the constant velocity by D.C. motor. It was proved that the trial seal rings made in Viton rubber functioned excellenty but the trial seal rings made in N.B.R. rubber had problem in its durability.