Question 358Steam Plants - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is A) transmit the force produced by the propeller to the structure of the ship. In a reduction gear drive system, thrust bearings are responsible for transferring the thrust force generated by the propeller to the hull of the ship. This is necessary to prevent the propeller shaft from moving axially and damaging other components. The thrust bearings ensure that the propulsive forces are properly transmitted to the ship's structure, rather than being absorbed by other parts of the drive system. The other answer choices are incorrect because: B) holding the main engine in place is not the function of thrust bearings, C) thrust bearings do not increase the shaft speed, and D) limiting the radial movement of the shaft is the role of journal bearings, not thrust bearings.