Mechanical arrangements onboard ship of innovative permanent magnet linear actuators for steering gear

This paper deals with the mechanical solutions for installation of innovative direct-drives suited for steering gears onboard ships. The work is comprised in a research project commissioned by the Italian Navy. The research aims to realize a full-electric and oil-free drive for actuation of hydraulic loads in the perspective of more 'green ships'. The electrical drives proposed are based on a fractional slot permanent magnet linear motor sized and optimized for high force and low speed operation, as required by hydraulic loads onboard ships. The capabilities and efficiencies of the electric drives in servo-assistance to the hydraulic motor were evaluated in previous works of the same authors. In this paper the mechanical analysis and the feasibility of the installation are shown.