Objectives  In order to make the stern have more space to optimize the arrangement of shafting and reduce the vibration of stern, a new spherical bulkhead structure for the stern is presented.

  Methods  ANSYS software is adopted to establish a finite element model, and the strength and stability of the new and traditional spherical bulkhead structures are compared and analyzed. The influence of the thickness of the fence on the strength and stability of the bulkhead structure is then studied in spherical bulkheads of different thicknesses.

  Results  The results show that when the thickness of the fence increases, the stability of the bulkhead structure will also approximately linearly increase. The effect on the strength of the spherical bulkhead structure depends on the position where the maximum Mises stress appears. When the maximum Mises stress is located near the fence, increasing the thickness of the fence can effectively reduce it. When the maximum Mises stress is located in the toroidal transition, increasing the thickness of the fence will not be helpful in reducing it.

  Conclusion  This research can provide references for the design of spherical bulkhead structures.