Efficiency of mechanical dampers of torsional vibration of marine internal combustion engines

Abstract

The article considers the danger of torsional vibrations in ship power plants, which is recognized by leading specialists of the shipbuilding, engine-building and ship repair industries and supervisory authorities – the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS), the Russian River Register (RRR), as well as foreign classification societies. There are a number of factors that can lead to serious accidents due to torsional vibrations, therefore, dampers (liquid or mechanical) are installed on the crankshafts of marine engines to reduce the oscillation amplitudes and tangential twisting stresses in the shafts and flexible elements of the coupling couplings of the engine-propulsion complex. Since the warranty period of the dampers is 30,000 hours, the shipowners need to make periodic measurements (on average, after 15,000 hours) using a torsiography method, upon the results of which an approximate residual life of the dampers is established until the next check. A special feature in the operation of mechanical dampers in marine diesel engines is the lack of methods approved by the supervisory authorities – RMRS and RRR for the non-selective assessment of the residual life of mechanical dampers, due to the fact that previously mechanical dampers were not used so widely in marine diesels. There have been analyzed the factors and criteria that affect the performance of mechanical torsional vibration dampers and can be used in the development of a method for non-selective diagnostics and assignment of the residual life of mechanical torsional vibration dampers of marine internal combustion engines.