OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA

MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING

Introduction to steering gear system

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Steering Gear Arrangement

When the ship is required to be turned on receiving an order (say by 10° to port) from the
Master or, the Duty Officer, the helmsman turns the steering wheel towards port until the
rudder has reached 10° to port as read on rudder indicator.

Complete Steering Gear system consists of three main parts namely

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A brief description about the construction and working of these components is as follows
Telemotor

Control Unit
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MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING

Power Unit

Basic hydraulic steering system

OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA
MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING
 OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA
MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING

Telemotor Control for Ships Steering Gear

Telemotor control
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MATTAKKULIYA
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Two ram steering system

The hunting-floating gear

Electrohydraulic steering gear

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MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING

On a large ship, the power required to position the rudder is provided by electrohydraulic
steering gear comprising of power units, hydraulic rams and cylinders.

Electrohydraulic steering gear respond to rudder orders transmitted electrically from the helm
in the ship’s bridge to the steering gear, located directly above the rudder in the stern.
The steering control (Telemotor transmitter) on the navigation bridge sends electrical signals to
the Telemotor receiver located in the steering gear room of the ship.
In the steering gear room this Telemotor receiver sends electrical signal to Direction control
solenoid valves.
These solenoid valves control the flow of oil between:
⦁
⦁
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PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING

Rotary Vane Steering Gear

In rotary vane steering gear, there is a fixed housing in which two vanes rotate. The housing
along with the vanes form four chambers. The physics behind its operation is similar to the ram
type with a small difference.

When chambers A and C are pressurized, there is an anticlockwise rotation of the vanes. A and C are
connected to the discharge side of the pump while chambers B and D are connected to the suction side
of the pump.

Similarly, when clockwise rotation is required, B and D are connected to the discharge side of the pump
while A and C are connected to the suction side of the pump. As above, this is also operated by
specialized control valves.

Thus, differential pressurization of the chambers cause rotational moments in the vane
OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA
MATTAKKULIYA
PRE SEA TRANING FOR ENGINE RATING