STEERING SYSTEM

Steering system of ships

➢ Steering Gear is the equipment provided on ships to turn the ship to left (Port
side) or to right (Starboard side) while in motion during sailing.

➢ The Steering Gear works only when the ship is in motion and, does not work
when the ship is stationary.

➢ Manually operated steering gears were in use during sailing ship days. Sailors
with strong body were required to operate the steering gears. Later on, after
the onset of steam engines, mechanized gears were used, and after the onset
of electro technology steering system is now high-tech and integrated with
many functions.

Basic requirements for steering gears guided by IACS rules can

be briefly outlined as:
➢ The steering gear should be capable of steering the ship from 35 degrees port
to 35 degrees starboard and vice-versa with the vessel plying forwards at a
steady head-on speed for maximum continuous rated shaft rpm and summer
load waterline within a time frame of maximum 28 seconds.
➢ It is to be power operated where necessary to meet the above conditions, and
where the stock diameter exceeds 120 mm.
➢ With one of the power units inoperative, the rudder shall be capable of turning
15 degrees port to 15 degrees starboard (and vice-versa) within a time frame
of 1 minute with the vessel moving at half its rated maximum speed or 7 knots
(whichever is greater) at summer load line.
➢ The major power units and the control systems are to be duplicated so that if
one of them fails, the other can easily substitute for them as standby.
➢ The steering system is to be provided with additional power unit (hydraulic
pump etc.) connected to the emergency power supply from Emergency
Generator, which shall be capable of turning the rudder from 15 degrees from
one side to other side within 60 seconds with the vessel moving at half its
rated maximum service speed or 7 knots, whichever is greater.
Steering system of ships steering gear systems may fall in either of the categories:

➢ Mechanical
➢ Hydraulic
➢ Telemotor-hydraulic
➢ Pneumatic –hydraulic
➢ Steam-mechanical
➢ Electro-mechanical
➢ Electro-hydraulic
Complete Steering Gear system consists of three main parts, namely:

•Telemotor (Transmitter and receiver system)

•Control Unit

•Power Unit (Rotary vane type and Ram type).

The Transmitter is located on the navigation bridge/wheel house, which transmits

the given order to the Receiver located in the steering gear compartment, by turning
the steering wheel or joystick or feeding autopilot data. The wheel order may be
transmitted to the Receiver through mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric
signals.
The Receiver conveys this order to the Control Unit, also located in the steering gear
compartment.
The control unit signal is then magnified/amplified in the power unit to execute
rudder stock motion towards port or starboard through mechanical, electric or
hydraulic power.
Four Ram Twin Rudders
 Rudders
Rudder is a device used for steering and manoeuvring a vessel. Rudders are
hydrofoils which are pivoting on a vertical axis. They are located normally at the
stern behind propeller(s) to produce a transverse force and steering moment about
the ship centre of gravity by deflecting the water flow to the direction of the foil
plane.

RUDDER(S) are placed in the center of the DISCHARGE flow and the current of
water rushing by produces a pressure on the rudder blade which controls the
direction of vessel moving in the water.

The required area of the rudder varies with different type of vessels since desired
maneuvering ability differs considerably and the general ship design may imposed
restriction.

Aspect Ratio = Span / Chord of Rudder

Its value is generally 2. High aspect ratio is used in large vessels, where depth is not
a constraint. Higher aspect ratio reduces the astern torque considerably.

–Chord:
•Horizontal distance from leading to trailing edge
•Limited by propeller and edge of stern

–Span:
•Vertical distance from stock to tip
•Limited by local hull bottom and ship baseline

The force on the rudder depend on:

•Area of the rudder
•The form of rudder
•The speed of the ship
•The angle of helm

Rudder effectiveness can be improved by:

•Rudder arrangement in the propeller stream
•Increasing the rudder area,
•Better rudder type (e.g. spade rudder instead of semi-balanced rudder, high
lift profiles or flap rudders),
 •Steering gear which allows larger rudder angles than the customary 35°,
•Shorter rudder steering time (more powerful hydraulic pumps in steering
gear).

Rudder Types

Rudder Types depend on the balance with respect to its stock vs centre of pressure.
On this basis rudders are:

–Vertically aligned: Fully Balanced

–Rudder Stock at leading edge: Unbalanced

–Semi-Balanced

•Less operating torque than unbalanced

•Returns to centerline on failure