Influence of Stern Shaft Inclination on the Cooling Performance of Water-Lubricated Bearing

The water film model of the marine water-lubricated stern bearing was established by FLUENT. The influence law of water flow rate on the cooling performance of water-lubricated bearing was studied in consideration of the stern shaft inclination. It will be helpful to improve the performance of marine water-lubricated stern bearing and both security and reliability of propulsion system. The simulation results show that the increase of cooling water flow rate in a certain range can effectively reduce bearing temperature. The bearing temperature rises sharply with thinning of water film thickness which is caused by the increase of inclination angle. Larger inclination angle can deteriorate the operating reliability of bearing.