Rudder

The rudder device is a vehicle which serves to change the direction by generating torques of the medium flowing around. This is true for ships (these is the term rudder also common ) with the medium flowing around water and for airplanes or airships with the medium air.

Term

General Linguistically the term " rudder " is also used for the rudder movement (belt or Skulls ) of a rowing boat used. In technical terms is a " rudder ", however, always a rudder meant. The operation of a belt or Skulls for locomotion of a floating body is, however, correct " rowing " in the jargon. The operation of a rudder problem is called " taxes " or " rowing Go ".

The somewhat confusing use of language stems from the fact that the conceptual distinction between " rudder " and " belt " is relatively young. Originally, the " rudder " in Latin also called gubernaculum ( " guide " ) or clavus ( " nail " ), serving just a particularly large, at the rear or elsewhere on the ship wall mounted belt and the other, the locomotion " belt "(Latin remus ), which had the same shape as the rudder used to control, in principle, were it not linguistically distinguished. Hence can be " rowing " in common parlance to this day not a problem as a collective term for rudder and rudder movement (belt ) understand.

Helmsman is a still older common name for the navigational watch of a ship. The helmsman on the other hand actually controls the ship, usually according to the specifications of the appropriate nautical officer (eg entries in charts or rudder commands). The helmsman is therefore always the person who is at any given time at the helm, regardless of whether she holds the rank or the function of a helmsman.

History

When the river vessels of the Egyptians and Romans, the rudder was already centrally at the rear. The first evidence of a stern rudder in the Hochsseeschiffahrt dates from the 13th century, a wall drawing in the Church of the Faith ( Gotland ). In the Middle Ages, this principle came with the Hansekogge on in the deep sea shipping. This construction made ​​it necessary to move the rudder with a rudder stock, or with a tiller. Later types of ships then had rope transmission that moving the rudder from the steering wheel off.

Today's systems

In the present systems, the desired compass heading on the bridge is entered into the autopilot, which operates the rudder. The course of the ship is now permanently compared with the compass position and adjusted the rudder blade accordingly. This process occurs continuously, so that the steering system is one of the most stressed devices on a ship. A rudder angle indicator on the command bridge of the ship always shows the position of the rudder blade.

There are various types of rowing drives: the so-called rudder quadrant simple Engine via a worm gear. Then the hydraulic drive with exposed hydraulic props and as a last development, the hydraulic rotary vane steering gear. If the electrical system aboard each steering system may be operated at a emergency setting or an emergency supply.

Types of Rowing and their parts

Among others, there

• Active Rudder: A row with integrated ( small ) propeller, which supports the tilting of the ship at low speed
• Becker rudder: a rudder, wherein the trailing edge can be swiveled as an additional fin. An elaborate hinge connection to the body ensures that the fin of the rudder imparts a curvature when the rudder is placed. Since it is patented, it only manufactures Becker Marine Systems in Hamburg- Harburg. In this design, the fin pivots twice as strong as the rudder.
• Costa bulb ( spade rudder ): A horizontal drop-shaped thickening of the rudder in the propeller jet.
• Semi-balanced rudder: the upper forward edge of the rudder is connected as a skeg ( skeg ) rigidly attached to the hull, the rudder is supported with a bearing and does not rotate with. Advantage: the rudder is additionally supported at its center. Bending moments resulting from lateral load of the rudder blade ( buoyancy forces) must not be taken from the rudder stern tube. Disadvantage: in -laid rudder configuration is very jagged, which may lead to cavitation. Also, get in the hollow corners of the rudder blade may fatigue problems ( fatigue cracks to the loss of half the rudder blade ) on.
• Kort nozzle: a swiveling nozzle around the propeller instead of a rudder.
• Schilling Rudder: The rudder has no conventional drop-shaped profile, but a truncated rear with two sharp edges demolition.
• Spade rudder: The entire rudder is rotatable as trapezoidal fin and stored only in the interior of the hull.
• Twisted Spade Rudder: upper and lower halves of the fore side are rotated against each other in order to adapt the swirl in the propeller jet. Intention are lower energy losses when driving straight ahead, not a better rudder effect.

As thrusters ( in the literal sense not really a " rudder " ) refers to one of the better maneuvering serving device for laterally moving the front or rear end of the ship.

Aviation

Also on aircraft it is called in the guide means of oars. The moveable control, together with the rigid fins of the tail unit of the aircraft flight control system:

• The elevator to the position control to the transverse axis,
• The rudder for attitude control to the (vertical ) vertical axis,
• The ailerons at the trailing edge of the wing member to the position control to the longitudinal axis.

Rocketry

It also rockets were built, was controlled over the helm in the exhaust jet and / or rowing on the fins. The best known example of this is the A4.