Scribd
Upload
105 views7 pages

Stern Tube Explained - Location, Parts and Purpose

Stern Tube

Uploaded by

Anurag Jha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
105 views7 pages

Stern Tube Explained - Location, Parts and Purpose

Stern Tube

Uploaded by

Anurag Jha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

Back

-31 May 2023


Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and
Purpose

Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and


Purpose
Introduction
Among the many different parts of the ship that serve a
waterproofing function, the stern tube is the most important.

In this article, we explore what it is, its location and purpose.

What is the stern tube?


The stern tube is a hollow tube that holds the shaft that connects
the engine to the propeller. This shaft is known as the tail shaft
or the propeller shaft. The tube is made from either cast iron or
mild steel.

As the propeller is submerged at all times, the stern tube


connects the inside of the ship (engine room) directly to the
seawater around the ship.

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 1/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

We, therefore, need very good sealing arrangements to prevent


the entry of seawater into the ship’s interior. Nitrile rubber
works best as the seal material. Failure to maintain a leak-proof
seal will result in rapid flooding of the ship’s engine room,
sometimes enough to sink a ship.

In small ships, gland packings are enough to prevent leakage. In


big ships, however, we may need header tanks that provide
pressure against the external seawater to maintain the engine
room’s integrity.

Location of the stern tube


The stern tube is located at the rear or aft end of the ship. The
forward part of the tube is supported by the aft peak bulkhead
and the rear part is supported by the stern frame.

The tube opens up into the engine room of the ship, usually at the
lowermost deck. Several factors such as the arrangement of the
engines, power requirement, dimensions of the propeller shaft
and sealing arrangements determine the dimensions and other
specifications of the stern tube.

Purpose of a stern tube


Withstand the load
The stern tube supports the load of the propeller shaft and the
propeller. The overhanging length of the propeller shaft and the
propeller apply a downward force on the

These stresses can become very high during rough weather as the
tube must bend along with the ship’s hull while also enduring
higher forces from the propeller shaft and the propeller.

Prevent water leakage


The stern tube houses the sealing arrangements to prevent water
leakage into the sea. The arrangement includes liners that rotate
with the propeller shaft, rubber seals, and oil cavities. In addition
to water leakage into the ship, it must also prevent oil leakage
into the sea.

Provide minimum resistance around the


shaft
The sealing arrangements and specifications of the stern tube
must provide minimum resistance to the rotation of the propeller
https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 2/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

shaft. An optimum amount of resistance is one in which minimal


to no leakage occurs without imparting an undue frictional force
on the shaft to affect its rotation.

What is a stern tube bearing?


Stern tube bearings are journal bearings that are placed between
the propeller shaft and the stern tube to transfer the load of the
shaft and the propeller to the stern tube. They also facilitate the
smooth movement of the shaft in the tube. The bearings are
usually made of white metal.

Types of stern tubes


There are several ways to classify stern tubes. But the most
popular among them is based on the type of lubrication. They are
of two main types: Sea water lubricated stern tube and oil-
lubricated stern tube. Let’s get a brief overview of each.

Sea water lubricated stern tube


In this stern tube, we use sea water in conjunction with wood
bearings to lubricate the shaft in the stern tube. The hardwood is
sourced from a tree known as the lignum vitae (Tree of Life) and
is fitted between the stern tube and the shaft. Compared to an oil
lubricated tube, the sea water lubricated tube provides better
cooling and environmental friendliness.

Water lubricated stern tube.


Credits: Pelić, Vladimir &
Mrakovčić, Tomislav & Radonja,
Radoslav & Račić, Nikola.
(2022). Technical and Ecological
Aspects of Water-lubricated
Stern Tube Bearings. Journal of
Maritime & Transportation
Science. Special edition 4. 289-
304. 10.18048/2022.04.21.

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 3/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

However, it has a relatively short service life as the sea water is


abrasive in nature. Thus, more maintenance and overhauls of the
stern tubes are required in the same time frame for a water-
lubricated setup over an oil-lubricated setup.

The sea water lubricated stern tube was primarily used on older
ships but it is seeing a comeback as more durable materials have
been developed recently. These materials include polymers and
composites. They work with sea water lubrication but satisfy the
requirements for durability and functionality.

Sea water lubricated bearing


made from composite material.
Credits:
https://www.duramaxmarine.com/pdf/DuraBlue-
Bearing_broch2019.pdf

Some new systems are also using sea water purification systems
to eliminate the abrasive nature of sea water and improve
durability.

Oil-lubricated stern tube


As the name suggests, the oil-lubricated stern tube uses oil-
based lubricants for stern tube lubrication.

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 4/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

Credits: Borras, Xavier &


Nieuwendijk, Roy & Ramesh,
Vikram & Rooij, Matthijn &
Schipper, Dirk Jan. (2021). Stern
tube seals operation: A practical
approach. Advances in
Mechanical Engineering. 13.
168781402199440.
10.1177/1687814021994404.

Even though oil is less dense than water, it has a higher viscosity.
Where water flows readily, oil does not. This helps it to maintain
a thin film under pressure where water would have escaped
resulting in metal-to-metal contact.

This property is especially important for our stern tube


application. The properties of oil enable hydrodynamic
lubrication even at extremely low speeds and high bearing loads.
This means that large vessels with low propeller shaft RPM can
be lubricated well by oil.

The oil-lubricated stern tube has a much longer life. Even with
the most advanced steels, however, we cannot completely avoid
oil leakage into the sea.

But there have been workarounds that have reduced the impact
of this leakage over the years. Environmentally Acceptable
Lubricants (EALs) can replace mineral oils in some systems but
their cost can be up to eight times higher than mineral oils.

Types of Stern Tube Seals


Stern tube seals prevent the leakage of oil into the sea or water
into the stern tube. These are of three main types:

Stuffingbox

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 5/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

The stuffingbox uses a gland packing similar to a valve. By using


the right size of packing, it is possible to completely stop the
leakage. But a slight leakage is allowed to ensure cooling of the
packing and the forward area of the stern tube.

Gland packing of a stern tube


being renewed onboard a Mini
Bulk Carrier

Should the stern tube start leaking more, the engineers have the
temporary option to tighten the gland packing to a certain limit
before replacement becomes due.

Lip Seals
The lip seal is a more advanced type of seal that presses against a
liner which is in contact with the shaft. It is supported by a garter
spring as well as the fluid pressure against the shaft.

There are usually four seals at the propeller end of the stern tube
and two at the engine end. The propeller end seals are known as
aft seals and those at the engine end are called forward seals.

They are made from a wide range of materials. Some of these are
Neoprene, Viton, FKM, PTFE, Nitrile, and EPDM.

Radial face seals


Radial face seals have a flat surface in contact with the shaft to
provide sealing. The faces are held in contact against the shaft
through special springs.

A unique feature of radial seals is the split construction of all the


components. This enables ease of installation, inspection and
maintenance.

Conclusion
Stern tubes are a key component of the propulsion system for any
ship. In addition to safety, they are also very important to

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 6/7
10/18/24, 9:24 AM Stern Tube Explained | Location, Parts and Purpose

maintain high operational efficiency. They must, therefore, be


designed well to ensure their integrity and smooth operation.

By keeping a vigilant eye on the system, it is possible to spot


signs of leakage and excessive wear well in advance. With proper
care, the stern tube overhaul can be extended from the routine 5
years to well more than that.

About Services Fleet Contact

Our Ship Fleet Email us :


Approach Management hello@nautilusshipping.com
Careers Crew Call us
News & Management + 91 44 4684 9999
Insights Inspection
Company Commercial
Team Services
Contact

Sitemap Privacy Statement Disclaimer

https://www.nautilusshipping.com/stern-tube-overview 7/7

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy