MEO Class IV - GEK

Steering Gear Systems

Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

This exam guide contains model questions similar to the ones you would answer in the written examintion.
Our aim is to equip you on important subject areas. Answers provided are in the form of cues and bulleted
list to enable easy recollection.

Questions

1. a. Sketch a two ram type hydraulic steering gear with a single electro hydraulic pumping
unit. Show the hunting gear arrangement and indicate the position of valves.
b. Describe the working of two ram steering gear.

2. State and explain the purpose of:

a. Hydraulic shock buffer valves.
b. Oil reservoir.
c. Hunting gear.

3. With reference to ram type steering gear explain:

a. The function of Rapson slide.
b. Why should the minimum number of rams be two?
c. How are the oil leakages from the system compensated?
d. How a four ram steering gear can be operated by two rams only?
e. Explain hunting gear with some simple sketches.

4. a. State why each of the following is fitted to the steering system:

i. Shock / buffer relief valves.
ii. Steering gear stops and limits.
iii. Rudder stops.
b. State why there is a difference in helm angles from hard over to hard over.

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Q 1. a.
Sketch a two ram type hydraulic steering gear with a single electro hydraulic
pumping unit. Show the hunting gear arrangement and indicate the position
of valves.

A
Pin in
Tele motor
Ram moving cylinder Pin out
Guide joist Trick wheel
Cylinder Stops
Lever
Fixed fulcrum
Motor
X

Tiller Crosshead
Pump
Rudder Control lever
stock Hunting gear
Floating lever

Hydraulic oil Spring

36° 36°
Theta “ "

Port side Starboard side

Two ram type hydraulic steering gear

Q 1. b.

Describe the working of two ram steering gear.

A Two ram hydraulic steering gear is described as follows:

z The pump unit delivers high pressure hydraulic oil to rams. Rams are directly coupled
to the rudder stock by the tiller arm fork type or cross head, forming the actuator
mechanism. Refer to the sketch above.

z Consider a movement of steering wheel to starboard. The ship should head to

starboard. The rudder movement will be to starboard. The rams will move from
starboard to port, that is from right to left.

z The steering telemotor moves from right to left. Since rams are mounted on the joist
bracket through 180°, the movement on the sketch shown will be from left to right.

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

z The telemotor receiver motion is transmitted to a lever, whose fulcrum is fixed at the
centre.

z The other end of the lever x moves from right to left.

z The movement of the lever end x from right to left actuates the control lever or pump
stroking lever.

z The pump is put on stroke and pump delivers oil to the starboard ram and draws from
the port ram.

z The rams start moving from right to left along the guide joist, as pressurised oil pushes
the starboard ram.

Q 2. a.
State and explain the purpose of hydraulic shock relief valves or buffer
valves.

A Hydraulic shock relief valves or buffer valves are explained as follows:

z The rudder is attached to the rudder stock and moved by a tiller. Excessive pressure
may be built up in the system, by wave force on the rudder. This force will be
transmitted to the ram through the tiller.

z If the rudder is subjected to heavy buffeting forces arising from rough sea, the rudder
might fail structurally.

z This is avoided by having hydraulic shock buffer valves incorporated in the system such
that the rudder is permitted to yield,v when it is hit by heavy seas.

z Hydraulic shock relief valves or buffer valves are set at high pressure such that it
releases the excessive pressure build up in the system due to buffeting forces.

z The inherent hydraulic lock of the system is overcome temporarily to avoid serious
damage to the rudder and hydraulic pipelines

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Q 2. b.
State and explain the purpose of oil reservoir.

A Depending upon the particular system, the functions of the reservoir include the
following:

z Providing a safe working level and continuously available source oil for the pump
suction on open loop systems.

z To act as a make up supply and as a receiver for excess fluid due to expansion in closed
systems.

z For purging out intruded air. For this purpose it should have an excess capacity of 25%
above its normal working level, so as to present a free surface to clean atmospheric air.

z Dissipating the heat generated in the pumps and systems not fitted with coolers.

z Providing a long residential time for the settling of contaminants.

z Housing alarm and control arrangements for coping with leakages from the system.

Q 2. c.
State and explain the purpose of Hunting gear.

A The hunting gear serves the following purposes:

z The hunting gear in a steering gear system is essentially an error feedback device,
trying to correct the error, and bring the existing angular position of the rudder in
conformity with the desired helm angle set at the bridge.

z It is a simple mechanical device which uses a floating lever. Floating lever has a
movable fulcrum. One end of the hunting gear is connected to the tiller through the
buffer spring; the other end is connected to the receiving telemotor. The fulcrum point
is connected to the pump stroking lever.

z As the tiller moves, the cut-off linkage counter acts the movement and brings the
steering gear to rest by restoring the pump to no stroke position.

z In addition to its role as a follow up mechanism, the hunting gear also helps in bringing
the rudder back to its normal helm, after it has yielded and moved under the impact of
heavy seas.
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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Q 3. a.
With reference to ram type steering gear, explain the function of Rapson
slide.

A z Rapson slide converts the linear motion of the rams to the rotary motion of the rudder.
The torque reaction from the rudder is taken by the tiller. The Rapson slide gear has the
highest mechanical advantage. The mechanical advantage increases with the increase
in helm angle. At the rudder angle, 35°, the mechanical advantage is 1.53.

z In a ram and link arrangement, it can be shown that, when the rudder is hard over, the
effective cross head arm or the torque arm is very nearly equal to the cross head radius
multiplied by cosine of the hard over angle. Torque arm = Cross head radius X cos (θ).

z Large forces are required for driving the rudder in a ram link arrangement.

z In case of Rapson slide, an increasing mechanical advantage is obtained at large rudder

angles.

z Torque developed by a single Rapson slide arrangement is Q = F X r / cos2 θ.

Guide reaction

Ram force,
pressure p acting on area a
Tiller arm - fork type

Torque
reaction
Rudder stock

Theta “ "

Rapson slide

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Q 3. b.
With reference to ram type steering gear, explain why should the minimum
number of rams be two?

A The minimum number of rams is two because,

z If single acting arrangement is selected, then minimum number of rams is two. In a

double acting arrangement, a single ram may be used, but will give rise to the problem
of differential areas on either side of the piston and piston rod.

z Since the rudder response should be rapid and smooth in either direction, the above
arrangement of double acting may not be satisfactory.

Q 3. c.
With reference to ram type steering gear explain how a four ram steering
gear can be operated by two rams only?

A A

B Relief valves C

Rudder stock
Floating link
and tiller arm

Electric motor E
D

Pump
To receiver
telemotor

Replenishing tank

N/R valves

F Bypass valve

Four ram steering gear

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

In a four ram steering gear, there is a built in redundancy and this can be put to use
when one ram cylinder fails. The following sketch shows a well known Hastie Brown type
of four ram gear with valve arrangement. Three combinations are possible in this case.

z All four rams in operation i.e valves B,C,D,E is open and by-pass valves A and F shut.

z With cylinders 1 and 2 in operation and operating at 50% torque (existing ships), then
valves D, E & A are kept closed and valves B, C & F are kept open.

z With cylinders 3 and 4 in operation and operating at 50% torque (existing ships), then
valves B, C & F will be closed and valves D, E & A are closed.

Q 3. d.
With reference to ram type steering gear explain, how are the oil leakages
from the system compensated?

A Oil leakages are compensated by providing an oil reservoir, which acts as a make up
supply and also as a receiver for excess fluid due to expansion in closed systems.

Q 3. e.
With reference to rotary steering gear, how shock loading and misalignment
is accomodated?

Rudder Electric motor

stock and tiller Buffer spring
Rudder angle
transmitter Pump stroke rod
Ram cylinder Pump

Ram center
line Floating lever
Attached to
telemotor

Hunting gear

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Telemotor
Rudderstock signal
and tiller

Floating lever

Pump Pump now Pump off

stroke rod on stroke stroke
Hunting gear operation

The steering gear system consists of the telemotor which receives a signal from
the bridge wheel. This signal is transferred to the hunting gear.

The hunting gear moves displacing a control rod, this rod acts on the pump
displacement control gear to alter the delivery from the pump. The delivery from
the pump moves the ram and rotates the rudder stock. The other end of the hunting
gear is mounted on the rudder stock.

The rotation of the rudder stock moves the hunting gear returning the operating rod for
the pump to the neutral position once the rudder has reached the correct angle.

Q 4. a. i.
State why each of the following is fitted to the steering system:
Shock / buffer relief valves
A Explained in question 2 a.

Q 4. a. ii.
State why each of the following is fitted to the steering system:
Steering gear stops and limits

A Steering gear stops and limits are as follows,

z The telemotor stops are fitted to the receiving telemotor, which do not permit further
stroking of the steering gear pump beyond 35° helm. This is true even when the
transmitted telemotor is set for a higher value inadvertently.

z Another limit is in the form of ball valve incorporated within the ram cylinder. When
the ram moves over the protruding spring loaded ball, a relieving passage is opened,
thereby relieving the oil pressure, thus limiting the ram travel.

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 MEO Class IV - GEK
Steering Gear Systems
Electro Hydraulic Steering Ram Exam Guide

Q 4. a. iii.
State why each of the following is fitted to the steering system:
Rudder stops

A It is a physical stop in the form of a material obstruction. It is built in the stern post
carrying the rudder, with which the rudder comes into hard contact and be prevented
from further swing. This is necessary in the case of total steering failure.

Rudder stops are arranged as follows:

Angle from
Position of stop Position of stop
centreline
35°C On telemotor system Normal limit
37°C On steering gear Prevents rudder striking
external stops
39°C External, on stern Emergency stop to protect
frame propeller

These limits refer to rudders of traditional design and are governed by the physical
layout of the rudder, actuator and the stall angles of the rudder. i.e. the angle at which
lift force or turning moment is reduced or lost with increasing angle of attack.

Q 4. b.
State why there is a difference in helm angles from hard over to hard over.
In the regulations for the steering gear ability, it is stated that 35° on one
side and 30° on the other side.

A The small difference in the degree of movement is to allow for difficulty in judging, when
the final position has reached, due to feedback from the hunting gear. As the rudder
approaches the desired angular position, the feedback from the hunting gear shortens the
pump stroke.

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