Practical Aspects of Propulsion Shaft Alignment
The economical and operational implications of poor alignment are indisputable for the propulsion shafting system of a commercial vessel. This holds true for naval vessels as well, although far less documented in the technical literature. This paper addresses some of the challenges associated with the proper alignment of a high-speed naval craft, which has been in service for many years. Laser bore-sighting was performed on a Guided Missile Fast Patrol Boat resting on a docking cradle. The measured bearing offsets were input to a FEA model of the shafting system to calculate bearing reactions and detect potential misalignment issues. Subsequent decisions regarding corrective measures take into account the results computed by the numerical model, experience from sister ships, the available documentation from the building yard and several other factors which are discussed in the paper. The solutions proposed are targeted towards a balanced trade-off between cost effectiveness and out-of-service time on one hand, and the risk of potential damage from misalignment on the other hand, which would seriously disrupt the ship’s operational availability. Practical aspects and lessons identified in the process are also presented, which demonstrate the distinct differences in alignment strategy of a high-speed naval craft compared to a typical commercial vessel.