Semianalytical method for contact mechanic among shaft and bearing of a submarine vehicle

© 2015 CIMNE (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya)The present study analyzes the best attachment of the propeller shaft of a submersible to his bearing, studying geometry of contact between those elements. A semi-analytical method based on the rules of the quadrature of the main values of Cauchy, the secant method and a numerical method for determining a tension map have been applied to the study of the contact surfaces between shaft and bearing. It is assumed that there are imperfections in the order of microns when machining the contact surfaces, which can produce subsurface damage that is possible, linked to pitting and the growth of fatigue cracks. Such failures not only will influence on the proper propulsive performance, but also on the watertightness conditions, which is related to the risk of ship integrity loss. The results let us to set design criteria, which account for the Young's module and the importance of an adequate machining and further adjustment of clearances on the shaft-bearing system, thus improving the reliability of such elements.