Composite and fairwater structures for marine vessels.

摘要

In a marine vessel having a drive shaft that extend rearwardly from its hull, wherein the drive shaft has a coupling and a bearing assembly along its length that are supported by struts, which struts are also secured to the hull of the vessel. A coupling cover encompasses the coupling and is mounted adjacent to a bearing assembly. A fairwater encompasses the coupling cover and is attached to the bearing assembly or the strut associated therewith to define a chamber and a clearance space between the fairwater and the coupling cover for directing fluids therethrough and through the bearing assembly to lubricate such bearing assembly. Vanes are located on the coupling cover or on a separate support located within such chamber to enhance the fluid flow through the bearing assembly. A laminate for use in the structures of such coupling cover; the fairwater, struts, vanes and supports wherein the laminate includes a fiber-reinforced toughened epoxy resin layer sandwiched between a vibration-damping elastomer layer and a biocidal elastomer layer. The marine laminate material can be shaped and sized into a marine structure such as described above, and exhibits desirable marine properties including cavitation-resistance, anti-fouling and vibration damping.