What is rudder and how it turns the ship? | Construction and Working

What is a rudder? It is the fin at the rear of a ship used for directing the ship?? Actually rudder is a primary control device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine or hovercraft. In simple terms it creates resistance in the water on one side or another and causes the ship to turn.

A rudder makes the boat/ship to rotate and are hollow to provide some buoyancy. To minimize any risk due to corrosion, the inner surface is applied with a protective coating and a drain plug provided to allow drainage of the water. Many of the rudders which are found on present-day ships are semi-balanced, i.e. they have a small proportion of their lateral area forward of the turning axis (less than 20 per cent). A rudder with 20 to 40% of the area before the rudder stock is considered balanced, Most modern rudders are half-balanced design. Which means a part of the force acting on the rear wheel of the water is counteracted by the force acting on the other half of rudder; Therefore, the design can be lighter and smaller. Then rudder is supported by a bearing pintle or a lower bearing according to the design.

There are two main types of rudder based on their design:

Fully fabricated Rudder:

A side plate and the strips of horizontal & vertical reinforcement is welded on the plate. Another plate, often referred to as a "top plate", is weld then only to all internal structure from the outside. Other cables entering the desert tray Welding can be achieved by sealing the plate shown in the solution slot.

Rudder with a cast Frame:

Rudders frames were welded with the side wall. Grooves in the bore of the lever, can take the shape of the solder tube with the plug hole from the bottom and the side plates and the end of the fold. To avoid corrosion in the region, where the wheels can sometimes be inert foamed plastic. On the water under the stairs in the upper surface of the top pole once tested per 2.45 m wheel.

The Rudder consists of five main parts:

1. Rudder Flap (Mentioned and explained above)
2. Rudder stock
3. Rudders bearings
4. Rudder pintles
5. Rudder trunk

Rudder Stock

Rudder stock is the vertical member at the forward edge of a rudder, hinged at the stern post and attached to the helm or steering gear. A rudder stock can be casted or forge. Diameter bending moment is preserve in every moment. Its lower end is connected to the screw bolt horizontally or vertically with respect to the wheel arrangement, which is adapted to withstand torque output. This clutch allows the navigation ease for inspection and service rolls.

Rudder Bearing

To support the weight of the spindle in the internal part of the lower part of the spindle space bearings are provided. Some types of bearings is in segment others in the housing and supported by various kinds of weight bearing Resistances blades. The waterproof steering bearings can be installed on the top edge of the cover of the steering wheel.

Rudder Pintles

A pintle is a pin or bolt, usually inserted into a gudgeon, which is used as part of a pivot or hinge. Pintles have a taper on the radius, and a bearing length which exceeds the diameter.

A gudgeon is a circular fastener, often made of metal, which is bonded to a surface. It allows you to rotate an accessory. It is generally used with an axis of rotation, which is a pivot point in the piston bore. As such is a smooth bearing pin.

Rudder Trunk

Rudder reserves carried in the trunk of the rudder, which closed at its lower end typically does not install the case, a stuffing box, but in the upper part of the trunk when the supply of the trunk intact. This log is kept sufficiently short so that the bearing does not support a minimum length, and is constructed from welded box-shaped with the crossbar forming the bottom of its end plates. The effect of the inside of the helmet in an emergency, a small opening with a cover can be closed so that these initiations are provided on one side of the inspection.

# Various books, study material and other online sources has been refereed prior to writing this article but no part is copied or produced  from any of the source but explained same thing in better detailed way.

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Author Amit                                                                            

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