🔍 Key Concepts

• Compare rotary vane steering gear to conventional linear ram (cylinder-and-ram) steering gears in terms of weight/space, leakage points, and torque output. • Think about how many moving seals and external piping connections you can see in this illustration versus a typical twin-ram system. • Consider what classification societies / inspection societies usually focus on when judging steering-gear dependability (simplicity, number of parts, proven service record).

💭 Think About

• Looking at the illustration, does this design appear to have more or fewer potential leak paths (rod seals, gland packing, long external pipes) than a conventional ram-type gear? • If you needed to produce the same torque on the rudder stock, would a rotary vane unit that acts directly on the stock likely be bulkier, or could it be more compact than two long rams and a tiller arrangement? • Do inspection societies automatically rate newer, more compact designs as more dependable, or do they require long service experience and redundancy before doing so?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether rotary vane units are commonly advertised as being more compact / lighter than ram-type units for the same torque. • Check how many high‑pressure dynamic seals and long external lines a ram system needs compared with what you can infer from the cutaway of this self‑contained housing. • Consider whether there is any explicit rule or guidance that inspection societies prefer vanes over rams, or if they mainly require that either type meets SOLAS/Classification steering gear criteria.