Automatic folding sail
By automatically adjusting the angle and position of the flaps and main sail of the wind-connecting unit, the structural integrity and safety of the ship under high wind speeds are solved, and the wind-connecting unit can reliably lower the sail, thus improving the safety and stability of the ship.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202480019120.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-03-17
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-24
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, it is difficult for ships to reliably reduce the wind-connection area of wind-connection units under high wind speed conditions, leading to structural integrity and operational safety issues.
By controlling the movable parts of the wind-engaging unit, including flaps and main sail, its angle and position are automatically adjusted to reduce the wind-engaging area. Automatic sail retrieval is performed using wind speed and torque thresholds. Safe sail retrieval is achieved by combining the rotation of the flaps and the tilting of the wind-engaging unit.
It effectively reduces the load on the wind-connected unit, improves the structural stability and safety of the ship, and adapts to changing wind speed conditions.
Smart Images
Figure CN120835853A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling a device configured to reef a wind engaging unit configured for propulsion of a marine vessel, and a controller device performing the method. The present disclosure further relates to a computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform the steps of the method when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit comprised in the device. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having the computer program embodied therein. BACKGROUND
[0002] Wind propulsion of marine vessels by using wind engaging units configured to provide propulsion force and in the form of sails has been known for a long time as a means of propulsion of vessels such as ships. Traditionally, flexible sails have been mounted on masts to utilize the power of the wind and propel the ship. Modern commercial vessels typically use fossil fuels and combustion engines to propel the vessel.
[0003] It has been suggested to use wind propulsion to reduce the overall consumption of fossil fuels. For this purpose, rigid sails can be used. The amount of generated power is related to a number of interrelated factors, but the wind engaging area of the wind engaging unit configured for propulsion and other geometrical and aerodynamic properties are the main performance indicators.
[0004] Wind engaging units for vessels can be designed in many different ways, but what is common for most of them is that it must be possible to reduce the wind engaging area when the wind speed becomes too high, i.e. it must be possible to reef the wind engaging unit. This can be in order to maintain the structural integrity of the sail itself and / or to maintain the operational safety of the ship. I.e. it must be possible to avoid excessive angles of heel and it must be possible to maintain the maneuverability of the vessel.
[0005] Reefing is a challenge when using large wind engaging units. Therefore, the unit needs to be designed so that varying wind speeds are taken into account. In order to improve the safety of wind propelled vessels, a safe reefing system that responds in a prudent way to varying weather conditions is desirable. SUMMARY
[0006] There is a development in the industry towards fully automatic sail systems. To secure the safety of marine vessels, the automatic sail systems will need an automatic reefing function. It is an object of the present disclosure to address or at least mitigate this problem in the art and to provide an improved method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a vessel.
[0007] According to the present disclosure, the above stated problem is solved by a method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a wind propulsion arrangement of a marine vessel, the wind propulsion arrangement comprising a wind engaging unit comprising at least one movable part and a base connected to the wind engaging unit and to a hull of the marine vessel, and wherein the method comprises determining a wind speed experienced by the wind engaging unit, determining if the wind speed exceeds one or more threshold values determined for the wind engaging unit, and if so, controlling the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit to displace relative to the base. When reefing by displacing the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit relative to the base, the loads on the wind engaging unit and on the base can be reduced.
[0008] The determining of the first step additionally comprises determining a force and / or torque acting on the wind engaging unit, and the determining of the second step additionally comprises determining if the force and / or torque exceeds one or more threshold values determined for the wind engaging unit, and if so, performing the controlling step.
[0009] The wind engaging unit can comprise a main wing sail and a flap, which flap is rotatable about a first longitudinal rotation axis. The first longitudinal rotation axis can be different from a unit rotation axis about which the entire wind engaging unit is rotatable. The method step of controlling the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit can then comprise controlling the flap to rotate about the first longitudinal axis of the wind engaging unit. In this way, the area of the wing sail unit facing the wind can effectively be reduced.
[0010] The controlling of the flap can comprise, in a first step, causing the flap to rotate about the first longitudinal axis towards the main wing sail to a folded position. The controlling of the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit to displace comprises, in a second step, causing the wind engaging unit to pivot about a horizontal rotation axis relative to the base towards the hull of the marine vessel to a tilted position. The first step can be based on a first threshold value and / or a point in time, and the second step can be based on a second threshold value and / or a point in time. The first threshold value on wind speed and / or force and / or torque can be lower than the second threshold value on wind speed and / or force and / or torque.
[0011] The determining of the threshold value can be based on a determined apparent wind speed, and can comprise filtering the measured and / or calculated apparent wind speed with one or more of: a time constant, a filtering algorithm, and / or weighting the wind speed from wind data from more than one different position of the wind engaging unit.
[0012] The determining of the threshold value can be based on a measured true wind speed, and / or on a calculation of the true wind speed based on at least one of: a vessel speed, a speed increment, a maximum vessel speed, a maximum vessel speed when the vessel is turned straight into the wind, and a range of true wind angles.
[0013] The control of the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit can only be performed if it is determined that the true wind angle of the wind engaging unit is within a predetermined range.
[0014] The method can further comprise warning an operator of the vessel that the wind speed exceeds a threshold value.
[0015] The present disclosure also relates to a computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform the steps as described above when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit comprised in the device.
[0016] The present disclosure also relates to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having embodied thereon the computer program as described above.
[0017] The present disclosure also relates to a controller device configured to control reefing of a wind engaging unit of a wind propulsion arrangement of a marine vessel, the wind propulsion arrangement comprising: the wind engaging unit comprising at least one movable part; and a base connected to the wind engaging unit and to a hull of the marine vessel. The controller device comprises a processing unit and a memory containing instructions executable by the processing unit. The controller device is operative to obtain wind speed data from the wind propulsion arrangement associated with a wind speed experienced by the wind engaging unit, and determine, based on the obtained wind speed data, whether the wind speed exceeds one or more threshold values (T) determined for the wind engaging unit (101); and if so, control the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit to displace relative to the base.
[0018] The wind engaging unit can comprise a main wing sail and a flap, which flap is rotatable about a first longitudinal rotation axis. The controller device can then be further operative to control the flap to rotate about the first longitudinal axis of the wind engaging unit.
[0019] The controller device can be further operative to control the flap to rotate in a first step about the first longitudinal axis towards the main wing sail to a folded position and / or to pivot in a second step about a horizontal rotation axis towards the hull of the marine vessel to a tilted position. The first step can be based on a first threshold value and / or a point in time, and the second step can be based on a second threshold value and / or a point in time, and wherein the first threshold value on wind speed and / or force and / or torque can be lower than the second threshold value on wind speed and / or force and / or torque.
[0020] The controller device can be operative to determine the threshold value based on the determined apparent wind speed, and to filter the measured and / or calculated apparent wind speed with one or more of: a time constant, a filtering algorithm, and / or weighting the wind speed from wind data from more than one different position from the wind engaging unit.
[0021] The controller arrangement is operable to determine the threshold value based on the measured true wind speed (and / or based on at least one of the ship speed, the speed increment, the maximum ship speed, the maximum ship speed when the ship is turned directly into the wind, and the true wind angle range in combination with the calculation of the true wind speed), and to control the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit only when it is determined that the true wind angle of the wind engaging unit is within the predetermined range.
[0022] The controller arrangement is operable to warn an operator of the ship that the wind speed exceeds the threshold value. Thus, the crew in the ship can be warned to pay attention to the automatic reefing of the sails.
[0023] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined in the present document otherwise. All references to a / an / the item, apparatus, component, means etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one and possibly also more than one of the respective items, apparatus, component, means etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0024] Aspects and embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A marine vessel in which embodiments can be implemented is shown; Figure 2 A wind engaging unit according to an embodiment is shown; Figure 3 A wind engaging unit is shown in a folded position from an overhead view; Figure 2 A wind engaging unit is shown in a folded position from an overhead view; Figure 4 An inclined wind engaging unit of a ship according to an embodiment is shown; Figure 5 A flowchart showing a method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a ship according to an embodiment is shown; Figure 6 A flowchart showing a method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a ship according to another embodiment is shown; Figure 7 A flowchart showing a method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a ship according to yet another embodiment is shown; Figure 8 Reefing of a wind engaging unit according to a further embodiment is shown; and Figure 9 An arrangement configured to perform reefing of a wind engaging unit according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Aspects of the present disclosure will now be described in greater detail below, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the application are shown.
[0026] These aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms, not just the specifically described examples; and it should be understood that the embodiments are to be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The description throughout is meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting.
[0027] Figure 1 A marine vessel 1 in which embodiments can be implemented is shown. In this embodiment, the vessel 1 comprises three wind assisted propulsion arrangements 100, each comprising a wind engaging unit 101 and a base 20 connected to the wind engaging unit 101. The base can be fixed directly or indirectly to the hull 3 of the vessel, i.e. the base can be connected directly to e.g. a deck of the vessel, or there can be an intermediate structure between the wind engaging unit and the deck of the vessel. In the shown embodiment, the wind engaging units are in the form of wing sail arrangements. Each of the wind engaging units 101 comprises a main wing sail 110 and an aft flap 120. The aft flap can have different dimensions than the main wing sail, and in the shown example it is smaller than the main wing sail. The wind engaging unit 101 is depicted by the dashed rectangle in connection with the intermediate wind propulsion arrangement 100. In the shown embodiment, two coupling parts, an upper coupling part 130 and a lower coupling part 140, are used to connect the main wing sail 110 and the aft flap 120.
[0028] Although Figure 1 The vessel 1 of Figs. 1 and 2 comprises three wing sail arrangements 101, but typically it would be possible to operate the vessel 1 with a single or multiple wing sail arrangements, such as from 2 to 8, but not limited to this. The number of wing sail arrangements is suitably adjusted to the size and type of the vessel. In the shown example, both the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120 are rigid or semi-rigid (meaning that there is some degree of flexibility).
[0029] Each wind propulsion arrangement 100 comprises a base 20 which can be fixed directly or indirectly to the deck 3, i.e. the hull of the vessel 1. Thus, the hull of the vessel can comprise a structure which is fixed to the deck or which is part of the deck. The wind engaging unit 101 is rotatably connected to the base 20 via a longitudinal unit rotation axis 125, which allows the entire wind engaging unit 101 to be rotated relative to the base 20, as shown with the double arrow RU at the leftmost wind propulsion arrangement 101. In this way, the wind engaging unit 101 can be directed towards the wind in a suitable way.
[0030] In Figure 1In the middle, the wind engaging unit 101 is shown in an upright position in which the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120 are tilted relative to each other to form an arch C, as indicated in connection with the rightmost wind propulsion arrangement 100. In the propulsion position, the wind engaging unit has a certain wind engaging area provided by the surfaces of the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120. The wind engaging area means the area of the wing sail in the wind engaging unit that is exposed to wind loads in a way that it engages the wind in a way to provide propulsion to the vessel. By changing the angle of the flap 120 relative to the main wing sail 110 and by turning the wind engaging unit 101 relative to the base around the unit rotation axis 125, the entire wind engaging unit can be adjusted to all possible angles of incoming wind. Thus, the entire wind engaging unit can be turned towards the wind in the propulsion position, e.g. so that the concave surface of the arch faces the wind, or so that the main wing and the flap are aligned.
[0031] Generally, reefing of the wind engaging unit can be required when the wind speed becomes stronger than a threshold value. Reefing means reducing the wind engaging area or the projected area towards incoming wind. When adjusting and reducing the projected area towards the wind, the wind loads on the wind engaging unit are reduced. When reefing, at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit is displaced relative to the base in order to reduce the loads on the wind engaging unit and on the base.
[0032] According to an embodiment, the flap 120 is displaced relative to the base 20 and the flap is comprised in at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit 101. Figure 1 An example of a flap 120 is shown in connection with the middle wind engaging unit 100, which flap 120 is arranged to rotate around a first longitudinal rotation axis 111. The flap 120 can be arranged to rotate both clockwise and counter clockwise around the first longitudinal rotation axis 111. As Figure 1 As shown in the middle, the first longitudinal rotation axis 111 is different from the unit rotation axis 125.
[0033] Generally, and with reference to Figure 1 , the wind engaging unit can be provided to a propulsion position, a neutral position and a folded position. When in an upright vertical (V) position, the entire wind engaging unit 101 can be rotated around the longitudinal unit rotation axis 125 to adjust the position relative to the surrounding wind. The different positions can be provided by rotating the flap to a propulsion position in which the arch C is provided, to a neutral position in which the main wing sail and the flap are aligned with each other in succession, and to a folded position in which the flap is brought towards the main wing sail so that the flap overlaps the main wing sail in a projected side view. In the folded position, the lateral extension T of the wind engaging unit is shorter than in the propulsion or neutral position.
[0034] With reference to Figure 2, another embodiment of a wind propulsion arrangement 100 with a wind engaging unit 101 is shown in a propulsion upright position. In this embodiment, the flap 120 is rotatable about a first longitudinal rotation axis 111 which is located outside the periphery of the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120. In this embodiment, the first longitudinal rotation axis 111 is also different from the unit rotation axis 125. The first rotation axis 111 is provided in a lower coupling part 140 which is connected to the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120. When rotating the flap 120 relative to the main wing sail 110 about the first rotation axis to an inclined position, the flap is displaced relative to the base 20 which is fixed to the vessel body. In this embodiment, the wind engaging unit comprises several upper coupling parts 130 along the height, i.e. longitudinal extension, of the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120.
[0035] Figure 3 The wing sail unit 101 is shown in a folded position in a simplified view from above. When the flap is folded towards the main wing sail 110, the flap 120 overlaps the main wing sail 110 in a projected view. In the folded position, the side wall of the flap 120 faces the side wall of the main wing sail 110. I.e. generally, in the folded position, the flap is placed above the main wing sail.
[0036] Each of the main wing sail 110 and the flap 120 has a so-called airfoil shape which implies a wing profile having an aerodynamic shape when viewed in a cross-sectional view in a front-to-back direction, i.e. from a leading edge to a trailing edge. The aerodynamic airfoil shape is advantageous in that a greater force can be generated for a greater range of flow angles. The shape can be asymmetric in said direction, but it can comprise a symmetric part, or the shape can be a symmetric airfoil. The airfoil shape can for example be defined according to the NACA standardized series, but the shape is not limited thereto.
[0037] In scenarios where the wing sail arrangement 100 is subjected to strong winds, the safety of the vessel 1 can be compromised. A major problem with large propulsion forces is that the wind engaging unit 101 can not be able to withstand the large forces and moments generated by high wind speeds. In addition, lateral forces generated by the wind engaging unit can result in large angles of roll and destabilize the vessel. It is therefore important to be able to reduce the load on the wind engaging unit and the destabilizing forces on the vessel.
[0038] Further reference is made to Figure 2 , a device 150 for controlling reefing of the wind engaging unit 101 is shown. According to embodiments, the device can use a method for reefing as further shown in Figure 5 . The device 150 is configured to control a displacement means 200 which can for example be a hydraulic means and / or an electrical means. As further shown in Figure 2As shown in Fig. 1, the device 150 can be arranged in the vicinity of the wind propulsion arrangement 100, in this case inside the hydraulic power unit of the displacement means 200, but can alternatively be arranged anywhere on the vessel, such as at a central monitoring entity of the vessel.
[0039] The displacement means 200 can displace a part of the wind engaging unit 101, such as the flap 120, and / or the entire wind engaging unit 101. The displacement means 200 can be arranged to tilt the entire wind engaging unit 101 horizontally about a horizontal tilt rotation axis 112 relative to the base 20.
[0040] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , according to embodiments, the wind propulsion arrangement 100 can comprise at least one hydraulic actuator 118 arranged in engagement with at least one movable part for its displacement relative to the base 10. In Figure 1 , one actuator 118' is shown connected to the lower coupling part 140 of the wind engaging unit for rotation of the flap 120. In Figure 2 the shown embodiment, one hydraulic actuator 118 is connected to the lower coupling part 140, which comprises a first rotation axis for rotating the flap 120. A second hydraulic actuator 118' is connected to a shaft between the base and the wind engaging unit, which shaft provides a second horizontal rotation axis 112 for tilting the wind engaging unit 101 towards the hull of the vessel into a tilted position, which is shown in Figure 4 . The hydraulic actuators 118, 118' are connected to a hydraulic power unit of the displacement means 200, which is arranged for supplying hydraulic power to the hydraulic actuators 118, 118' via hydraulic conduits 119. The hydraulic actuators 118, 118' are arranged in engagement with at least one movable part for its displacement relative to the base. The movable part can be the flap 120 or the entire wind engaging unit 101. The base 20 is fixed to the hull 3 of the vessel, either directly or indirectly via a structure which in turn is fixed to the hull 3. When the flap 120 is rotated relative to the main wing sail, it is also rotated relative to the base 20.
[0041] Figure 4 The wind engaging unit 101 is shown in a tilted position. When tilted, the wind engaging unit is fully furled and in a non-propelling position. In the shown tilted position, as Figure 3 shown in Fig. 1, the flap 120 is folded towards the main wing sail 110, so that space on the deck of the vessel can be saved. In the tilted position, the longitudinal axis L of the wind engaging unit extends substantially or almost parallel to the deck, which extends in a horizontal direction H relative to the deck of the vessel 1, as Figure 4In the inclined position, the wind engaging unit 101 is suitably physically connected to the base 20, e.g. via the actuators 118, 118' and the hydraulic power unit 200, but for illustrative reasons, the base 20 is shown in Figure 4 separation from the wind engaging unit 101.
[0042] Figure 5 A flow chart is shown, illustrating a method of controlling reefing of a wind engaging unit of a vessel according to an embodiment. In this example, the wind propulsion arrangement 100 is configurable to comprise a wind engaging unit 101 and a base 20, as described above in connection with Figures 1-4 .
[0043] Typically, the device 150 is embodied in the form of one or more microprocessors or similar devices with data computing capabilities.
[0044] Figure 1 In Fig. 3, a wind speed detector 160 is further shown arranged at the top cover of the central monitoring entity of the vessel 1, for measuring the speed of the wind the wind propulsion arrangement 101 is subjected to. There can be several wind speed detectors on the vessel, and they can be located at different positions of the vessel. The wind speed detectors are connected to the control device 150, suitably via wired connections, but in some cases via wireless connections.
[0045] Returning to Figure 5 , in a first step S101, the device 150 determines the wind speed (WS) the wind propulsion arrangement 101 is subjected to. In this embodiment, the device 150 is communicatively connected with the wind speed detector 160, which measures the wind speed and supplies measured wind speed values to the device 150, which is configured to receive these values.
[0046] In step S102, the device 150 determines whether the measured wind speed exceeds a threshold value T, i.e. WS > T, where the threshold value is set such that if the measured wind speed exceeds the threshold value T, the wind speed is considered too high and the wind engaging area of the wind engaging unit 101 should be reduced, and it should therefore reef. In this example, it is assumed that WS > T.
[0047] To achieve reefing, the device 150 controls at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit 101 to be displaced in step S103 relative to the base, in order to reduce the load on the wind engaging unit 101.
[0048] In an embodiment, the movable part is the flap 120, and the device 150 controls the flap 120 to rotate around the first longitudinal axis 111 of the wind engaging unit 101. The flap can be rotated to a neutral position, in which the flap can be aligned with the main wing sail. The entire wind engaging unit 101 can be rotated to an angle in which the wind engaging area facing the wind is minimized. Alternatively, as a first step in reefing, the flap can be controlled to rotate around the first longitudinal axis 111 towards the main wing sail 110 to a folded position, as illustrated in Figure 3 In this way, the wind engaging area is effectively reduced.
[0049] As will be understood, if the wind speed is reduced below the threshold T, the device 150 can control the rotation of the flap 120 to rotate around the first longitudinal rotation axis 111 back to the unfolded propulsion position to again increase the wind engaging area of the unit 101 subjected to the wind. Furthermore, in case WS < T, it will typically not be necessary to fold the flap 120.
[0050] Although Figure 2 Although only a single wind speed detector 160 is illustrated in
[0051] Referring to Figure 2 , while the wind speed detector 160 will detect what is commonly referred to as apparent wind, i.e. the wind actually experienced by the wind propulsion arrangement 100 and / or the wind engaging unit 101, which is defined as the true wind plus the motion (speed, heading, roll, etc.) of the vessel 1, the true wind can alternatively be considered for controlling reefing (which includes folding of the flap 120 and tilting of the entire wind engaging unit). In other words, the true wind is the wind that the wind speed detector 160 would experience if the vessel 1 was brought to a complete stop. Thus, the true wind speed and wind angle can be calculated from the measured apparent wind speed by using information about the motion of the vessel 1, primarily the heading and speed of the vessel 1. Thus, the device 150 can alternatively determine in step S102 whether the true wind speed (TWS) exceeds the threshold T TWS instead of determining in step S102 whether the apparent wind speed (AWS) exceeds the threshold T AWSThus, the determination of the threshold in step S101 can be based on the determined apparent wind speed (AWS) and can comprise filtering the measured and / or calculated apparent wind speed (AWS) with one or more of the following: a time constant, a filtering algorithm and / or weighting the wind speed from wind data from more than one different position from the wind engaging unit (101). Alternatively, the determination of the threshold S101 can be based on the measured true wind speed (TWS) and / or on at least one of the following: the ship speed, the speed increment when the ship turns into the wind, the maximum ship speed, the maximum ship speed when the ship turns into the wind and the true wind angle (TWA) range and the calculation of the true wind speed (TWS).
[0052] In a further embodiment, assuming that folding the flap 120 against the main wing sail 110 is not enough to reduce the wind engaging area of the wind engaging unit 101 subjected to the wind, the control device 150 can be configured to, in a second step, control the wind engaging unit to cause the wind engaging unit 101 to pivot around the horizontal rotation axis 112 towards the body of the marine vessel into a tilted position relative to the base 20. The first step can be based on a first threshold (T1) and / or a point in time and the second step is based on a second threshold (T2) and / or a point in time. The first threshold (T1) on the wind speed (AWS; TWS) can be lower than the second threshold (T2) on the wind speed (AWS; TWS). In this way, the entire wind engaging unit is tilted only when a higher wind speed than needed for folding is measured by the detector. Thus, the flexibility of the wind power arrangement can be improved while ensuring a high level of safety.
[0053] Figure 6 This embodiment is illustrated in a flow chart. In a first step S101, the device 150 determines the wind speed (WS) the wind power arrangement 101 is subjected to. Similarly as in the embodiment of Figure 5 The device 150 is in communication connection with a wind speed detector 160 that measures the wind speed and supplies measured wind speed values to the device 150, which is configured to receive these values, as in the embodiment of
[0054] In step S102, the device 150 determines whether the measured wind speed exceeds a first threshold T1, i.e. WS > T1, where the threshold is set such that if the measured wind speed exceeds the threshold T1, the wind speed is considered too high and the wind engaging area of the wind engaging unit 101 should be reduced and it should therefore reef. In this example, it is assumed that WS > T1. The wind speed and the threshold can be determined as apparent or true wind speed, or any other appropriate wind speed quantity.
[0055] To achieve reefing, the device 150 controls the flaps 120 of the wind engagement unit 101 to shift relative to the base in step S103 in order to reduce the load on the wind engagement unit 101. Thus, the device 150 controls the flaps 120 to rotate about the first longitudinal axis 111 of the wind engagement unit 101 to a folded position as a first step in reefing.
[0056] When the measured wind speed also exceeds the second threshold value T2 (this second threshold value T2 is higher than the first threshold value T1), the wind speed is still considered too high for the folding flaps in the wind engagement unit. In this case, the wind engagement area of the wind engagement unit 101 should be further reduced, and it should therefore be completely reefed. In this example, it is assumed in step S104 that WS>T2, and as a second step, the device 150 controls the wind engagement unit in step S105 to pivot to an inclined position relative to the base 20 around the horizontal rotation axis 112 toward the body of the marine vessel. As will be understood, the tilting in step S105 will greatly reduce the propulsion force compared to the folding of the flaps 120 performed in step S103. As mentioned above, the wind speed and threshold value can be determined as apparent or true wind speed, or any other appropriate wind speed amount.
[0057] Although Figure 6 A two-step approach is shown in which first the folding of the flaps 120 is performed in step S103, followed by the tilting of the wind propulsion arrangement 101 in step S105, but it is conceivable that if the measured wind speed greatly exceeds the threshold value T, the wind engagement unit 101 is already tilted in step S103 and the folding of the flaps 120 is not performed.
[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiments, Figure 7 As shown in the flowchart of FIG, at any time during steps S102 and S104 when the wind speed exceeds a threshold value (i.e., WS>T, T1, or T2), the device 150 will provide a warning to the operator of the vessel 1 that the threshold value has indeed been exceeded (and therefore reefing, i.e., folding / tilting, will be automatically performed). This may occur audibly and / or visually, such as via the vessel's human-machine interface (HMI).
[0059] While wind speed quantities in the form of apparent wind speed (AWS) and true wind speed (TWS) have been discussed above, other wind speed quantities are contemplated.
[0060] In an embodiment, both TWS and vessel speed are taken into account, wherein folding is performed - i.e. folding of the flaps, tilting of the wind engagement unit, or both - if TWS + vessel speed > T, wherein T is a suitably chosen threshold value. If the vessel 1 is turned towards the strongest wind at a constant vessel speed, this is the highest wind speed that the wind propulsion arrangement 101 may experience.
[0061] In embodiments, both TWS and maximum vessel speed are considered, where folding is performed if TWS + maximum vessel speed > T, where T is a suitably chosen threshold. This is the highest wind speed that the wind propulsion arrangement 101 can experience at constant TWS (i.e. if the vessel 1 turns towards the strongest wind and increases the vessel speed to maximum).
[0062] In further embodiments, the true wind angle (TWA) is considered, i.e. the angle at which the wind impinges on the wind propulsion arrangement 101 when the vessel is considered to have zero speed. The true wind angle can be combined with the wind speed quantities discussed above for determining whether to perform reefing in the form of flap folding and / or wing sail tilting.
[0063] In embodiments, folding or tilting is performed if TWS + vessel speed > T and TWA is within a predefined range, such as between suitably chosen angles a and β (e.g. a range that can be reached relatively quickly with only small heading adjustments). Similarly, for the examples given above where vessel speed and maximum vessel speed are considered, a TWA range can be added as a condition for folding and / or tilting.
[0064] Figure 8 One embodiment where the true wind angle is considered is shown, where in case the wind speed exceeds a threshold in step S102 (i.e. WS > T), the device 150 proceeds to step S102b for determining whether a ≤ TWA ≤ β. If so, reefing is performed in step S103.
[0065] In embodiments, based on the measured TWS, the device 150 will calculate which states (e.g. heading and vessel speed) that will result in AWS > T. The device 150 will then estimate (e.g. based on simulations or actual vessel properties) how long it will take for the vessel 1 to reach such states. Based on this estimate, the control device can warn the crew to avoid those configurations, or to fold and / or tilt before the heading and speed of the vessel are changed accordingly.
[0066] Again, with reference to Figure 1 , while in some embodiments a dedicated wind speed detector 160 can be used to measure the wind speed, other sensors or detectors can be used to measure other properties on the vessel (such as loads, aerodynamic forces, moments) and provide estimates etc. For example, as an alternative or in addition to using a wind speed detector, a force sensor or a torque sensor can be arranged to measure the force / torque acting on e.g. the wind engaging unit 101, the flap 102 or the base 20, where folding / tilting is performed if the measured force exceeds a suitable force / torque threshold.
[0067] Figure 9An apparatus 150 configured to control the reefing of a wind-engaging unit of a vessel, according to an embodiment, is shown. In practice, the steps of the method performed by apparatus 150 are performed by a processing unit 911, embodied in the form of one or more microprocessors configured to execute a computer program 912 downloaded to a storage medium 913 associated with the microprocessors, such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, or a hard drive. Processing unit 911 is configured to cause apparatus 150 to perform the method according to an embodiment when a suitable computer program 912 comprising computer-executable instructions is downloaded to storage medium 913 and executed by processing unit 911. Storage medium 913 may also be a computer program product comprising computer program 912. Alternatively, computer program 912 may be transferred to storage medium 913 via a suitable computer program product, such as a digital versatile disk (DVD) or a memory stick. As a further alternative, computer program 912 may be downloaded to storage medium 913 via a network. The processing unit 911 may alternatively be embodied in the form of a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), etc. The device 150 also includes a communication interface 914 (wired and / or wireless), through which the device 150 is configured to transmit and receive data.
[0068] Aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments and examples thereof. However, as is readily apparent to a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended patent claims.
[0069] Therefore, while various aspects and embodiments are disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A method of controlling a reefing of a wind engaging unit (101) of a wind propulsion arrangement (100) of a marine vessel (1), the wind propulsion arrangement (100) comprising: - the wind engaging unit, the wind engaging unit comprising at least one movable part (120), and - a base (20) connected to the wind engaging unit (101) and to a hull of a marine vessel, and wherein the method comprises: determining (S101) a wind speed (TWS; AWS) experienced by the wind engaging unit (101), determining (S102) if the wind speed (WS; TWS; AWS) exceeds one or more threshold values (T) determined for the wind engaging unit (101); and if so: controlling (S103, S101) the at least one movable part (120) of the wind engaging unit (101) to displace relative to the base.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Step (S101) additionally comprises determining a force and / or torque acting on the wind engaging unit (101), and step (S102) additionally comprises determining if the force and / or torque exceeds one or more threshold values determined for the wind engaging unit, and if so, the control step (S103, S105) is performed.
3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, the wind engaging unit comprises a main wing sail (110) and a flap (120), the flap (120) being rotatable about a first longitudinal rotation axis (111), and wherein, in the method, the step of controlling (S103) the at least one movable part of the wind engaging unit (101) comprises: controlling (S103) the flap (120) to rotate about the first longitudinal axis (111) of the wind engaging unit (101).
4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The control (S103) of the flap (120) comprises, in a first step: causing the flap (120) to rotate about the first longitudinal axis (111) towards the main wing sail (110) to a folded position.
5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The control (S101) of the at least one movable part (120) of the wind engaging unit (101) to displace comprises, in a second step: causing the wind engaging unit (101) to pivot about a horizontal rotation axis (112) relative to the base (20) towards the hull of the marine vessel to a tilted position.
6. The method of any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein, The first step is based on a first threshold value (T1) and / or a point in time, and the second step is based on a second threshold value (T2) and / or a point in time.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first threshold value (T1) on wind speed (AWS; TWS) and / or force and / or torque is lower than the second threshold value (T2) on wind speed (AWS; TWS) and / or force and / or torque.
8. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The determination of the threshold values (T; T1; T2) is based on a determined apparent wind speed (AWS), and comprises filtering the measured and / or calculated apparent wind speed (AWS) with one or more of: a time constant, a filtering algorithm, and / or weighting the wind speed from wind data from more than one different position from the wind engaging unit (101).
9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The determination (S101) of the threshold value (T; T1; T2) is based on a measured true wind speed (TWS), and / or on a calculation of at least one of a vessel speed, a speed increment, a maximum vessel speed, a maximum vessel speed when the vessel is turned directly into the wind, and a true wind angle (TWA) range in relation to the true wind speed (TWS).
10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The control (S103, S105) of the at least one movable part (120) of the wind engaging unit (101) is only performed if it is determined (S102b) that the true wind angle of the wind engaging unit (101) is within a predetermined range.
11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: warning (S102a, S104a) an operator of the vessel (100) that the wind speed exceeds the threshold value.
12. A computer program (112) comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device (150) to perform the steps recited in any of claims 1-11 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit (111) comprised in the device (150).
13. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium (113), having the computer program (112) according to claim 12 embodied thereon.
14. A controller device (100) configured to control reefing of a wind engaging unit (101) of a wind propulsion arrangement (100) of a vessel (19), the wind propulsion arrangement (100) comprising: - the wind engaging unit (101), the wind engaging unit (101) comprising at least one movable part (120), and - a base (20) connected to the wind engaging unit (101) and to a hull of a marine vessel, wherein the controller device comprises a processing unit (111) and a memory (113), the memory containing instructions (112) executable by the processing unit (111), whereby the controller device (100) is operative to: obtain wind speed data from the wind propulsion arrangement (100) associated with a wind speed (TWS; AWS) experienced by the wind engaging unit (101); determine, based on the obtained wind speed data, if the wind speed (WS; TWS; AWS) exceeds one or more threshold values (T) determined for the wind engaging unit (101); and if so control (S103, S101) the at least one movable part (120) of the wind engaging unit (101) to be displaced relative to the base.
15. The controller device (100) according to claim 14, wherein the wind engaging unit (101) comprises a main wing sail (110) and a flap (120), the flap (120) being rotatable about a first longitudinal rotation axis (111), and wherein the controller device is further operative to control (S103) the flap (120) to be rotated about the first longitudinal axis (111) of the wind engaging unit (101).
16. The controller arrangement (100) according to claim 14 or 15, further operative to control (S103; S105): the flap (120) to rotate in a first step about a first longitudinal axis (111) towards the main wing sail (110) to a folded position and / or in a second step to pivot about a horizontal rotation axis (112) relative to the base (20) towards the body of the marine vessel to a tilted position.
17. The controller device of claim 16, wherein, The first step is based on a first threshold (T1) and / or a point in time, and the second step is based on a second threshold (T2) and / or a point in time, and wherein the first threshold (T1) in wind speed (AWS; TWS) and / or force and / or torque is lower than the second threshold (T2) in wind speed (AWS; TWS) and / or force and / or torque.
18. The controller arrangement according to any of the preceding claims 14 to 17, operative to determine a threshold (T; T1; T2) based on a determined apparent wind speed (AWS) and to filter a measured and / or calculated apparent wind speed (AWS) with one or more of: a time constant, a filtering algorithm and / or weighting the wind speed from wind data from more than one different position from the wind engaging unit (101).
19. The controller arrangement according to any of the preceding claims 14 to 18, operative to determine (S101) a threshold (T; T1; T2) based on a measured true wind speed (TWS) and / or based on a calculation of true wind speed (TWS) and at least one of: a vessel speed, a speed increment, a maximum vessel speed, a maximum vessel speed when the vessel is turned directly into the wind and a true wind angle (TWA) range, and to control (S103, S105) at least one movable part (120) of the wind engaging unit (101) only when it is determined (S102b) that the true wind angle of the wind engaging unit (101) is within a predetermined range.
20. The controller arrangement according to any of the preceding claims 14 to 19, operative to warn (S102a, S104a) an operator of the vessel (100) that the wind speed exceeds the threshold.