Balanced rudder

Balanced rudder

Ship Handling: Equipment

Published in David House, Seamanship Techniques, 2019

The surface area of the rudder is seen to be proportioned either side of the ‘bolt axle’. In fact, the amount of surface area will vary, but generally does not exceed 25–30 per cent forward of the axle. The advantage of a balanced rudder is that a smaller force is required to turn it so that smaller steering gear may be installed at lower running cost. Ideally a reduction of torque is achieved because the rudder is turning about a more centralized position, which would not be experienced with, say, the unbalanced plate rudder already mentioned. Balanced rudders are of streamlined construction, which reduces drag.

Material quality effects on structural design of rudder horns for bulk carriers and tankers

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Journal Information

Published in Ships and Offshore Structures, 2020

K. Tsevdou, P. Contraros, E. Boulougouris

Rudder horns represent a critical part of the design, construction and reliability of a vessel’s rudder system. As they serve as the main support of the rudder blade, their structural behaviour is vital for the overall safety of a vessel. Rudder horns minimise the loads induced on rudder stocks which also constitute a vital part of the rudder system. This is valid for all types of rudder horn systems including the commonly used semi-balanced rudder installations. All typical rudder horns are of hydrofoil cross-sectional geometry and as such, they are designed to minimise their appendage drag effects on the vessel’s hydrodynamic performance and maximise lift for manoeuvring performance (Liu and Hekkenberg 2017).

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Ship Handling: Equipment

Material quality effects on structural design of rudder horns for bulk carriers and tankers