Ship handling system and ship handling method

Abstract

This ship handling system is provided with: a plurality of propulsion devices, including a propulsion machine and a mooring machine, mounted on a ship body; a range finder that detects a shore-approaching distance, which is a distance from the hull to a quay wall that is going to reach the shore; a manipulation device that outputs a propulsion command to the propulsion device; and a control device that obtains the docking distance and the propulsion command, obtains a propulsion command limit value corresponding to the docking distance on the basis of a given relationship in which the propulsion command limit value decreases as the docking distance decreases, and controls the propulsion device when the propulsion command output from the steering device is equal to or greater than the propulsion command limit value. The propulsion command is set as a propulsion command limit value, thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command is distributed to the plurality of propulsion devices, and the plurality of propulsion devices are controlled so that the distributed thrust is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship maneuvering method, especially a ship maneuvering method when docking, and a ship maneuvering system for implementing the ship maneuvering method. Background Art

[0002] The series of processes from the ship entering the port to the berth to the shore and mooring include ship operation, which is mentally taxing for the operator, and operations that are labor-intensive for the ship operators. For this reason, in order to reduce the burden and improve safety, there is a desire to automate the above series of processes and save labor. However, due to the need to respond flexibly to changes in weather and sea conditions in the port and the delicate coordination between ship operators and port operators, the current situation is that most operations still rely on the experience of the ship operator and the ship and port operators.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses an automatic mooring machine for automating the ship operation from landing to mooring. The ship of Patent document 1 is equipped with: front and rear thrust engines that output the front and rear thrust of the hull; bow side thrusters and stern side pod thrusters that can output lateral thrust to either side of the hull; bow side mooring machine and stern side mooring machine that can reel in and unreel the mooring rope; a distance meter that measures the distance to the shore wall; and a controller that controls the bow side thrusters, stern side pod thrusters, bow side mooring machine and stern side mooring machine based on the measurement value of the distance meter. The controller performs the landing / mooring action of the ship in the order of the landing mode and the mooring mode. In the landing mode, the controller stops the front and rear thrust engines, the bow side mooring machine and the stern side mooring machine, and uses the bow side thrusters and the stern side pod thrusters to move the hull laterally to the mooring start position 1m away from the shore wall. In the mooring mode, the controller stops the front and rear thrust engines, the bow side thrusters and the stern side pod thrusters, and uses the bow side mooring machine and the stern side mooring machine to pull the mooring cable, thereby mooring the ship to the shore.

[0004] Prior art literature: Patent Literature: Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-255058. Summary of the invention

[0005] Problems to be solved by the invention: It is conceivable that when the ship is approaching the shore (or docking at the pier), the operator may misoperate the control equipment. The ship body may also move due to the misoperation. When the ship is very close to the shore, for example, if a misoperation is performed that generates a thrust toward the shore on the ship, the ship may collide with the shore. As the distance between the ship and the shore decreases, the possibility of the ship colliding with the shore due to misoperation increases.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to propose a technology for preventing a ship from colliding with a quay wall even if an erroneous operation of a steering device occurs when bringing a ship to a shore.

[0007] Means of solving the problem: In order to solve the above problems, a ship handling system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: A plurality of propulsion devices mounted on the hull, including: a propulsion engine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore; and a mooring machine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore by winding up the mooring cable; A distance meter, which detects the distance from the hull to the shore wall, i.e., the shore distance; a steering device that outputs propulsion commands; and A control device obtains the berthing distance and the propulsion instruction, calculates the propulsion instruction limit value corresponding to the berthing distance based on a given relationship in which the propulsion instruction limit value decreases as the berthing distance decreases, and when the propulsion instruction output from the operating device is greater than the propulsion instruction limit value, uses the propulsion instruction as the propulsion instruction limit value, distributes the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion instruction to the multiple propulsion devices, and controls the multiple propulsion devices in a manner that the distributed thrust is output from each of the multiple propulsion devices.

[0008] A ship maneuvering method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a ship maneuvering method for a ship in which a plurality of propulsion devices are mounted on a hull, wherein the plurality of propulsion devices include: a propulsion engine that outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward a shore; and a mooring machine that outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore by winding a mooring cable, and the ship maneuvering method includes: Obtaining the distance from the hull to the shore wall, i.e., the shore distance; obtaining a propulsion command for the vessel; Based on a given relationship that the propulsion instruction limit value decreases as the approaching distance decreases, the propulsion instruction limit value corresponding to the approaching distance is obtained, and the propulsion instruction is limited to be equal to or less than the propulsion instruction limit value; distributing the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices; and The plurality of propulsion devices are controlled in such a manner that the distributed thrust is outputted from each of the plurality of propulsion devices, respectively.

[0009] Effect of the invention: According to the present disclosure, it is possible to propose a technology for preventing a ship from colliding with a quay wall even if an erroneous operation of a steering device occurs when bringing a ship to a shore. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a ship to which a ship handling system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied; Figure 2 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a mooring machine; Figure 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a ship handling system; Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the functional parts of a ship handling controller; Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the propulsion control unit; Figure 6 This is a diagram that explains how to maneuver a ship when mooring it to shore; Figure 7 d and the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim; Figure 8 d and the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim; Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the approach speed Vapp; Fig.10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the difference ΔV between the approach speed Vapp and the approach speed threshold Vsafe and the correction coefficient Kv; Fig.11 2 is a diagram illustrating the approaching disturbance force Fapp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ship S to which a ship handling system 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0012] [Schematic structure of ship S] like Figure 1 As shown, with the ship S as a reference, the horizontal direction connecting the bow and the stern of the ship S is defined as the "fore-and-aft direction", and the horizontal direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction is defined as the "lateral direction". The ship S includes: a hull 5; at least one fore-and-aft propulsion engine 2 that outputs thrust in the fore-and-aft direction to the hull 5; and at least one lateral propulsion engine 3 that outputs thrust in the lateral direction to the hull 5.

[0013] In this embodiment, the front and rear propulsion machines 2 include a combination of a variable pitch propeller and a rudder as a main propulsion machine. The variable pitch propeller and the rudder are arranged on the stern side of the hull 5. However, the front and rear propulsion machines 2 are not limited to the above content, and can be a rotary propeller, or a combination of multiple variable pitch propellers and rudders.

[0014] The transverse thruster 3 preferably includes at least one bow-side transverse thruster 3B and at least one stern-side transverse thruster 3A. In the present embodiment, the bow-side transverse thruster 3B is a side thruster (bow thruster) arranged on the bow side. In addition, in the present embodiment, the combination of the variable pitch propeller and the rudder arranged on the stern side can output both the thrust in the front-back direction and the thrust in the lateral direction through the direction of the rudder, and therefore also has the function of the stern-side transverse thruster 3A. However, the transverse thruster 3 of the ship S is not limited to the above content, and a side thruster may be arranged on the bow side and the stern side of the hull 5, respectively, or a rotary thruster may be arranged on at least one of the bow side and the stern side of the hull 5.

[0015] Furthermore, the ship S is provided with: at least one bow-side mooring machine 10B, which is arranged on the bow side of the deck; and at least one stern-side mooring machine 10A, which is arranged on the stern side of the deck. In the present disclosure, the mooring machine 10, the front and rear thrusters 2, and the transverse thruster 3 are collectively referred to as "propulsion equipment 9". The original mooring machine 10 is a device for mooring the ship S, but in the ship handling system 20 of the present disclosure, the mooring machine 10 has the function of applying thrust to the ship S, and the mooring machine 10 is also regarded as a kind of propulsion equipment 9.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the bow side mooring machine 10B includes a headline mooring machine and a forward spring line mooring machine. The bow side mooring machine 10B may also include a forward breast mooring machine. In addition, in the present embodiment, the stern side mooring machine 10A includes a stern line mooring machine and an after spring mooring machine. The stern side mooring machine 10A may also include an after breast mooring machine. The mooring machine 10 (when the bow side mooring machine 10B and the stern side mooring machine 10A are not distinguished, the reference number 10 is used) that the ship S should have is determined by the number of outfitting, etc.

[0017] Each mooring machine 10 of the bow side mooring machine 10B and the stern side mooring machine 10A has substantially the same structure. Figure 2As shown, each mooring machine 10 includes a mooring rope R and a winch W capable of winding and unwinding the mooring rope R. The winch W is an electric hydraulic type. The winch W includes: a winding drum 11 on which the mooring rope R is wound; a motor 12 that drives the winding drum 11 to rotate; a hydraulic clutch 13 that switches the connection and disconnection of the power transmission from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11; a speed reducer 14 that is provided on the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11; and a hydraulic release type brake 15 that continuously applies a braking force. However, the structure of the winch W is not limited to the above content, and the winch W may also be an electric type.

[0018] The mooring machine 10 is provided with a rotation position sensor 51, a tension meter 52, a cable length meter 53, and a winch controller 50 for controlling the operation of the winch W based on the detection values ​​thereof. The rotation position sensor 51 detects the rotation position and rotation speed of the motor 12 or the winding drum 11. The cable length meter 53 measures the length of the mooring cable R released from the winding drum 11. The winch controller 50 measures the rotation of the motor 12 or the winding drum 11 based on the detection signal of the rotation position sensor 51 and / or the measurement value of the cable length meter 53, thereby estimating the winding length or unwinding length of the mooring cable R. The tension meter 52 can directly or indirectly detect the tension (load) acting on the mooring cable R. The tension meter 52 is, for example, a load cell provided on the brake 15, and can estimate the tension of the mooring cable R based on the load detected by the load cell. The tension meter 52 is, for example, a torque sensor for detecting the output torque of the motor 12, and can estimate the tension of the mooring cable R based on the torque detected by the torque sensor. The hoisting machine controller 50 can control the rotation of the winding drum 11 based on the detection value of the tension meter 52 so that the tension acting on the mooring rope R is maintained at a predetermined value that does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value.

[0019] When the mooring cable R is wound onto the winding drum 11, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 is connected by the clutch 13, and the winding drum 11 is driven to rotate in the winding direction. In addition, in a state where the thrust acts in the offshore direction, the winding force of the winch W is set to a value as small as the degree of suppressing the slack of the mooring cable R. When the mooring cable R is unwound from the winding drum 11, the clutch 13 is disconnected, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 is disconnected, and the winding drum 11 becomes in a state where it can idle and can rotate in the unwinding direction. Alternatively, when the mooring cable R is unwound, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 is connected by the clutch 13, and the winding drum 11 is driven to rotate in the unwinding direction.

[0020] return Figure 1The tip of the mooring rope R is tied to a mooring post 35 provided on the quay wall 30. The mooring rope R pulled out from the winding drum 11 is protected and guided by a suitable guide 36 such as a fairlead, a deck end roller, and a stand roller.

[0021] [Structure of ship handling system 20] Figure 3 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the ship handling system 20. Figure 3 As shown, the ship handling system 20 of the vessel S includes a ship handling controller 6, an instrument group 7 electrically connected to the ship handling controller 6 by wire or wirelessly, a user interface 8, and a propulsion controller group 9C.

[0022] The ship handling controller 6 includes a processor, memory such as ROM and RAM, and an I / O unit (all not shown). The ship handling controller 6 is connected to an instrument group 7, a user interface 8, and a propulsion controller group 9C via the I / O unit. The ship handling controller 6 may also be connected to a memory (not shown) via the I / O unit.

[0023] The ship-to-land communication device 31 is connected to the ship-to-land communication device 31. The ship-to-land communication device 31 is used by the ship-to-land communication device 31 to transmit ship-to-ship information to a state monitoring device 33 installed at a land base. The ship-to-ship information includes navigation conditions in the port or equipment operation data.

[0024] The instrument group 7 includes a rangefinder 27, a camera 28, and various navigation instruments.

[0025] The distance meter 27 includes: a bow side distance meter, which measures the bow side distance from the bow to the quay 30; and a stern side distance meter, which measures the distance from the stern to the quay 30. The distance meter 27 may be, for example, a known non-contact distance meter such as a laser distance meter. The ship handling controller 6 can obtain the distance in the quayside direction D2 from the hull 5 to the quay 30 to be docked (hereinafter referred to as "the quayside distance d") based on the information obtained from the distance meter 27. Here, the quayside direction D2 is the direction approaching the quay 30. In addition, the quayside distance d can be defined as the shortest distance from the hull 5 to the quay 30.

[0026] The camera 28 includes: a bow side camera, which is installed on the bow side deck and continuously or intermittently photographs the quay 30 from the bow; and a stern side camera, which is installed on the stern side deck and continuously or intermittently photographs the quay 30 from the stern. In addition to the quay 30, the shooting field of the bow side camera desirably includes the bow side mooring machine 10B and / or the mooring rope R unwound from the bow side mooring machine 10B. In addition, in the shooting field of the stern side camera, the stern side mooring machine 10A and / or the mooring rope R unwound from the stern side mooring machine 10A desirably includes. In order to ensure such a wide field of view, an around view camera system may be used as the camera 28.

[0027] As various navigation instruments, there are illustrated a compass 21 for detecting the bow azimuth, a speedometer 22 (water speed meter), a wind direction and anemometer 25 (wind vane and anemometer), a ship position measuring device 26, a tidal current meter 29, an echo sounder, a radar, a chronometer, a draft meter, etc. The ship position measuring device 26 is a position measuring device using GPS using satellites, radio waves or light from a reference station, and / or a light wave type. The ship handling controller 6 can obtain navigation status information including the position, heading, bow azimuth, ship speed, etc. of the ship 5 based on the information obtained from various navigation instruments.

[0028] The ship handling controller 6 uses the ship-to-land communication device 31 to obtain port information from the port information providing device 32 installed on the land base in a timely manner. The port information includes weather / ocean information in the port, port environment information, etc. The weather / ocean information includes wind speed, wind direction, current, tide level, weather and climate in the port. The port environment information includes the congestion level in the port, berth status, etc. The ship handling controller 6 also uses the information sent from the port information providing device 32 via the ship-to-land communication device 31 together with the information from the instrument group 7 for calculation.

[0029] The user interface 8 is provided with an operating device 80 and a display device 83. The user interface 8 may also be provided with a setting device or an indicator for a propulsion device 9 such as a separate propeller or rudder, a display unit for displaying signals from the instrument group 7 such as a direction display or a ship speed display, various function switching switches, and indicator lights.

[0030] In this embodiment, a joystick 81 and a rotary dial 82 are provided as the control device 80. The joystick 81 receives a command of the direction and magnitude of the thrust for parallel movement of the hull 5 input by the operator moving the joystick 81, and outputs it to the ship control controller 6. The rotary dial 82 receives a command of the direction and magnitude of the rotational torque for rotational movement input by the operator moving the rotary dial 82, and inputs it to the ship control controller 6. However, the control device 80 is not limited to the above, and a known control device may be used.

[0031] As the display device 83, at least one of various display devices such as a touch panel display and a head mounted display is used, and at least one known display device is used. The display device 83 may include the ship handling support information output from the ship handling controller 6, the image captured by the camera 28, the operation status of the equipment, the navigation status information, the environmental information of the hull 5 (ocean / weather information), etc. The ship handling support information includes at least one of the position of the ship on the nautical chart, the recommended route, the avoidance line, the remaining distance, the sea facilities and the target position, the moving speed vector of the hull 5, the speed of any position of the bow and the stern, and the remaining distance to the quay 30.

[0032] The propulsion controller group 9C controls the operation of the propulsion device 9. The propulsion controller group 9C specifically includes: a winch controller 50 that controls the winch W of the mooring machine 10, a front and rear propulsion controller 91 that controls the front and rear propulsion machines 2, and a transverse propulsion controller 92 that controls the transverse propulsion machine 3. The winch controller 50, the front and rear propulsion controller 91, and the transverse propulsion controller 92 are set according to the base number of the winch W, the front and rear propulsion machines 2, and the transverse propulsion machine 3 installed on the ship S. However, Figure 3 The center winch controller 50, the front and rear propulsion controller 91, and the lateral propulsion controller 92 are shown in the figure, and the others are omitted. The ship handling controller 6 outputs instructions to each of these propulsion controller groups 9C, and the propulsion controller groups 9C operate the corresponding propulsion equipment 9 based on the instructions.

[0033] like Figure 4As shown, the ship handling controller 6 has functional units of a ship handling support information generating unit 65, a display control unit 66, a route planning unit 67, a command generating unit 68, and a propulsion control unit 69. The ship handling support information generating unit 65 generates ship handling support information based on information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32. The display control unit 66 displays the generated ship handling support information on the display device 83. The route planning unit 67 searches for the most suitable route after the specified evaluation index from the departure place to the destination is optimized based on information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32, and generates the most suitable route as a planned route. The command generating unit 68 generates commands instead of the operator during automatic ship handling. The propulsion control unit 69 is equivalent to the control device of the claims. The propulsion control unit 69 controls the propulsion equipment 9 via the propulsion controller group 9C.

[0034] Figure 5 2 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the propulsion control unit 69. Figure 5 As shown, the propulsion control unit 69 of the ship handling controller 6 includes an obtainer 61 , a limiter 64 , a corrector 60 , a thrust distribution calculator 62 , and an output device 63 .

[0035] The acquirer 61 acquires information detected or measured by the instrument group 7, instructions received by the operating device 80 of the user interface 8, and the like. The information detected or measured by the instrument group 7 includes the berthing distance d and the berthing speed Vapp. The acquirer 61 performs A / D conversion, scaling processing, and the like on the acquired information and instructions. The acquirer 61 generates a "command vector" based on the propulsion instruction received by the joystick 81 (i.e., the tilting angle and tilting direction of the joystick 81). The direction of the command vector corresponds to the tilting direction of the joystick 81, and the magnitude of the command vector corresponds to the tilting angle of the joystick 81. Here, in the case where the propulsion instruction is a thrust instruction, the command vector is defined as a thrust instruction acting on the hull 5 represented by direction and magnitude. In addition, in the case where the propulsion instruction is a speed instruction, the command vector is defined as a speed instruction representing the hull 5 by direction and magnitude.

[0036] The limiter 64 imposes restrictions on the command vector as needed based on the berthing distance d. The function of the limiter 64 will be described in detail later. In addition, the limiter 64 can impose restrictions not only on the command vector based on the command received by the steering device 80, but also on the command vector generated by the command generation unit 68.

[0037] The corrector 60 obtains interference information including the tide detected by the tide meter 29, the wind direction and wind speed detected by the wind direction and anemometer 25, and / or the tide and wind direction and wind speed in the port obtained from the port information providing device 32, estimates the interference force acting on the ship S based on the interference information, and corrects the command vector by applying a force to the command vector to overcome the interference force.

[0038] The thrust distribution calculator 62 calculates the thrust distribution to each of the plurality of propulsion devices 9 (mooring machine 10, front and rear propulsion machines 2, and transverse propulsion machines 3) in such a manner that the corrected command vector corresponds to the thrust vector. Here, the mooring machine 10 is regarded as a propulsion device 9 that outputs a thrust to propel the hull 5 in the berthing direction D2 by winding up the mooring rope R. The "thrust vector" is defined as a composite force that represents the thrust output from the plurality of propulsion devices 9 (mooring machine 10, front and rear propulsion machines 2, and transverse propulsion machines 3) by direction and magnitude. The thrust distribution calculation method using the thrust distribution calculator 62 will be described in detail later.

[0039] The output device 63 outputs the thrust distributed to each propulsion device 9 (fore and aft propulsion machine 2, transverse propulsion machine 3, mooring machine 10) obtained by the thrust distribution calculator 62 as an operation command to the corresponding propulsion controller group 9C (windlass controller 50, fore and aft propulsion controller 91, and transverse propulsion controller 92) after scaling, D / A conversion, exception processing, etc. Thus, a thrust in the tilting direction is applied to the hull 5 with a magnitude corresponding to the tilting angle of the joystick 81.

[0040] [Method of operating a boat] Here, use Figure 6 , a method of maneuvering a ship S when approaching or mooring the ship using the ship maneuvering system 20 of the above-mentioned structure will be described.

[0041] <Entering the port> The ship handling controller 6 starts port maneuvering when the ship S enters the port. In the port maneuvering, the ship handling controller 6 generates port maneuvering support information using information obtained from the instrument group 7 and the port information providing device 32, and displays it on the screen of the display device 83. Here, the ship handling controller 6 uses the specified shore start position P2 as the target position, and uses the information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32 to find the optimal route from the port entrance P1 to the shore start position P2 as the planned route. On the screen of the display device 83, as the port maneuvering support information, a port chart superimposed with the planned route consisting of multiple waypoints and the target position and the position of the own ship, the bow azimuth, the ship speed and other navigation information are displayed graphically. The shore starting position P2 is a position at a specified distance (for example, about 30 to 50 meters) away from the quay 30 of the berth. The front-to-back direction of the hull 5 of the ship S that arrives at the shore starting position P2 is roughly parallel to the extension direction of the quay 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "quay direction D1"), and the speed in the front-to-back direction is approximately zero.

[0042] The operator operates the joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 based on the port approach maneuvering support information displayed on the display device 83. The ship handling controller 6 obtains the command vector based on the tilting angle and tilting direction of the joystick 81. However, the ship S may also automatically perform port approach maneuvers. In this case, the ship handling controller 6 may also automatically generate the command vector based on the information obtained from the instrument group 7 and the port information providing device 32 and the planned route.

[0043] The ship handling controller 6 obtains a command vector corrected by applying a force to overcome the interference force to the command vector, and distributes the thrust to the front and rear thrusters 2 in such a way that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by synthesizing the thrust output from the front and rear thrusters 2. In port maneuvering, the thrust distributed to the transverse thruster 3 and the mooring machine 10 is zero. The ship handling controller 6 generates a thrust target value such that the distributed thrust is output, and outputs it to the front and rear thrust controller 91, and the front and rear thrust controller 91 controls the front and rear thrusters 2 to output a thrust corresponding to the thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains the thrust corresponding to the command vector and sails along the planned route.

[0044] <Shore handling> When the ship S reaches the shore starting position P2, the ship handling controller 6 starts the shore maneuvering. In the shore maneuvering, the ship handling controller 6 generates shore maneuvering support information using the information obtained from the instrument group 7 and the port information providing device 32, and displays it on the screen of the display device 83. In the shore maneuvering, the ship S is moved from the shore starting position P2 to the specified mooring starting position P3. The mooring starting position P3 is a position about several to several tens of meters away from the quay 30 of the berth. The front and rear directions of the hull 5 of the ship S that arrives at the mooring starting position P3 are roughly parallel to the quay direction D1, and the bow direction and lateral speed are roughly zero. On the interface of the display device 83, as the shore maneuvering support information, the port chart with the target position and the position of the own ship superimposed, the navigation information such as the bow azimuth and the ship speed, the berthing distance d, the image taken by the camera 28, etc. are displayed.

[0045] The operator operates the joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 based on the landing maneuvering support information displayed on the display device 83. The ship handling controller 6 obtains the command vector based on the tilting angle and tilting direction of the joystick 81. However, the ship S may also automatically perform the landing maneuvering. In this case, the ship handling controller 6 may also automatically generate the command vector based on the information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32.

[0046] The ship handling controller 6 obtains a command vector corrected by applying a force to overcome the disturbance force to the command vector, and distributes thrust to the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thrusters 3 in such a way that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by synthesizing the thrusts output from the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thrusters 3. In the approaching maneuver, the thrust distributed to the mooring machine 10 is zero. The ship handling controller 6 generates a thrust target value so as to output the thrusts distributed to the front and rear thrust controllers 91 and the transverse thrust controller 92, respectively, and outputs the thrust target value. The front and rear thrust controllers 91 control the front and rear thrusters 2 to output the thrust corresponding to the given thrust target value, and the transverse thrust controller 92 controls the transverse thruster 3 to output the thrust corresponding to the given thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains the thrust corresponding to the command vector and mainly moves transversely to the mooring start position P3.

[0047] <Mooring and maneuvering> When the ship S reaches the mooring start position P3, the mooring rope R is released from the stern mooring machine 10A and the bow mooring machine 10B, and the tip end of the mooring rope R is tied to the mooring column 35 installed on the quay 30. During this period, the ship handling controller 6 maintains the position of the ship S at the mooring start position P3 through the automatic bearing keeping function. The automatic bearing keeping function of the ship handling controller 6 performs PID calculation and the like for the deviation between the set bow bearing angle and the bow bearing angle from the compass 21, and gives it as a turning torque command to the thrust distribution calculation instead of the rotary dial 82, thereby operating the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thruster 3 in a manner to maintain the bearing of the bow.

[0048] After the tip ends of all the mooring cables R are tied to the mooring posts 35 provided on the quayside 30, the ship handling controller 6 starts mooring and maneuvering. The ship handling controller 6 generates mooring and maneuvering support information using information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32, and displays it on the screen of the display device 83. On the screen of the display device 83, as the shore-reaching maneuvering support information, a port chart with a superimposed target position or the position of the own ship, navigation information such as the bow azimuth and the ship speed, the berthing distance d, and an image captured by the camera 28 are displayed.

[0049] The operator recognizes the mooring maneuvering support information displayed on the display device 83, and operates the joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 of the maneuvering device 80. The joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 receive the operator's operation and input it to the maneuvering controller 6. However, the mooring maneuvering can also be performed automatically. In the case where the mooring maneuvering is performed automatically, the maneuvering controller 6 generates a command vector based on the information obtained from the instrument group 7 or the port information providing device 32, and the operator can use the maneuvering device 80 to correct the command vector generated by the maneuvering controller 6.

[0050] The acquirer 61 of the ship handling controller 6 acquires the propulsion command received by the operating device 80 such as the joystick 81, and generates a command vector. In addition, in moored ship maneuvering, in principle, a lateral thrust is applied to the ship S, and the ship S moves in the berthing direction D2. Therefore, when the propulsion command Uc is a thrust command, the command vector during moored ship maneuvering is a vector of a thrust corresponding to the propulsion command toward the berthing direction D2. In addition, when the propulsion command Uc is a speed command, the command vector during moored ship maneuvering is a vector of a speed corresponding to the propulsion command Uc toward the berthing direction D2.

[0051] In the mooring maneuver, the propulsion command Uc is limited by the limiter 64 of the maneuvering controller 6. For example, the limiter 64 may be configured to limit the propulsion command Uc when the approaching distance d is less than a pre-given limit distance. The limit distance may be the distance from the quay 30 to the mooring start position P3, or a distance shorter than the limit distance.

[0052] The limiter 64 is provided with information indicating the relationship between the approach distance d and the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim in advance, and the limiter 64 obtains the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim based on the information.

[0053] Figure 7 This is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the approach distance d and the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim when the propulsion instruction Uc is a thrust instruction. Figure 7 The propulsion instruction limit value Ulim in the example is a first value Up and constant when the approaching distance d is from 0 to the first threshold value dth1; it increases with the increase of the approaching distance d when the approaching distance d is from the first threshold value dth1 to the second threshold value dth2; it is a maximum instruction value Umax and constant when the approaching distance d is greater than the second threshold value dth2. The first value Up is greater than 0, which is equivalent to the thrust pushing the hull 5 against the quay 30.

[0054] Figure 8 This is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the approach distance d and the propulsion command limit value Ulim when the propulsion command Uc is a speed command in the lateral direction of the ship S (that is, the approach direction D2). Figure 8 The propulsion instruction limit value Ulim in the example is the first value Up when the approaching distance d is 0; when the approaching distance d is greater than 0 and less than the threshold dth, it increases with the increase of the approaching distance d; when the approaching distance d is greater than the threshold dth, it is the instruction maximum value Umax and is constant. The first value Up is greater than 0, which is equivalent to the speed of pushing the hull 5 toward the quay 30. Alternatively, the first value Up can also be 0.

[0055] The limiter 64 compares the propulsion command Uc with the calculated propulsion command limit value Ulim. If the propulsion command Uc is less than the propulsion command limit value Ulim, no limit is imposed on the propulsion command Uc (or a limit of zero is imposed). On the other hand, if the propulsion command Uc is greater than the propulsion command limit value Ulim, the limiter 64 imposes a limit on the propulsion command Uc and replaces the propulsion command Uc with the propulsion command limit value Ulim. That is, the propulsion command Uc is limited to be less than the propulsion command limit value Ulim regardless of the command value input.

[0056] As described above, the propulsion command Uc is limited by the limiter 64 , so that the propulsion command Uc is limited so that the ship S does not collide with the quay 30 even when the operation amount of the maneuvering device 80 is excessive due to an erroneous operation by the operator.

[0057] As described above, the command vector (ie, the propulsion command Uc) processed by the limiter 64 is corrected by applying a force to overcome the disturbance force by the corrector 60 .

[0058] The thrust distribution calculator 62 obtains the corrected command vector, and distributes the thrust to the plurality of propulsion devices 9 in such a manner that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by synthesizing the thrusts output from the plurality of propulsion devices 9. More specifically, the thrust distribution calculator 62 generates a thrust target value so as to output the thrusts respectively distributed to the hoist controller 50, the front and rear propulsion controller 91, and the lateral propulsion controller 92. The output device 63 outputs the generated thrust target value to each of the propulsion controller group 9C.

[0059] The winch controller 50 controls the winding force or winding speed of the mooring machine 10 to output a thrust corresponding to the assigned thrust target value. Specifically, the winch controller 50 controls the winding force or winding speed of the winch W to obtain the thrust target value by winding or unwinding the mooring rope R and adjusting the tension and rope length. The fore and aft propulsion controller 91 controls the fore and aft propulsion machines 2 to output a thrust corresponding to the assigned thrust target value. The lateral propulsion controller 92 controls the lateral propulsion machine 3 to output a thrust corresponding to the assigned thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains a thrust corresponding to the corrected instruction vector and mainly moves sideways until it reaches the shore.

[0060] In the thrust distribution in mooring maneuvering, the thrust distribution to the mooring machine 10 is prioritized. The permissible range of the tension of the mooring cable R is set in each mooring machine 10. At the start of mooring maneuvering, after the deflection of the mooring cable R is eliminated by the hoisting action of the mooring machine 10, the thrust is distributed to the mooring machine 10 so that the tension of the mooring cable R measured by the tension meter 52 is maintained within the permissible range. Here, the permissible range of tension is greater than 0 and less than a predetermined threshold value of the maximum winding force of the mooring machines 10A and 10B. The maximum winding force of the mooring machines 10A and 10B is a known value inherent to each of the mooring machines 10A and 10B. For each mooring machine 10A and 10B, a threshold value (permissible range) related to the tension of the mooring cable R can be set separately. Alternatively, the same threshold value (permissible range) related to the tension of the mooring cable R can be set for all the mooring machines 10A and 10B.

[0061] In the thrust distribution in mooring maneuvering, first, thrust is distributed to each mooring machine 10 so that the tension of each mooring rope R is maintained within an allowable range. Then, a synthetic vector (mooring machine thrust vector) of the thrust output by all the mooring machines 10 is obtained, and the shortfall obtained by subtracting the mooring machine thrust vector from the command vector is supplemented by the thrust output from the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thruster 3. When there is no shortfall, the thrust output from the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thruster 3 can be zero. By distributing the thrust in this way, the ship handling controller 6 causes the bow side mooring machine 10B and the stern side mooring machine 10A to reel in the mooring rope R in at least a part of the mooring maneuvering, and at the same time controls these propulsion devices 9 so that at least one of the front and rear thrusters 2 and the transverse thruster 3 outputs a thrust that reduces the tension of the mooring rope R.

[0062] In addition, in mooring maneuvers, it is not necessary to generate thrust using all the mooring machines 10 mounted on the ship S. For example, only one stern mooring machine 10A and one bow mooring machine 10B may generate thrust, and the remaining mooring machines 10 may be controlled to keep the tension of the mooring cable R constant so that the mooring cable R does not slacken and does not hinder the generated thrust.

[0063] [Variant 1] The limiter 64 of the propulsion equipment 9 obtains the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim based on the approaching distance d. However, the propulsion instruction limit value obtained based on the approaching distance d may be corrected by the approaching speed Vapp of the ship S.

[0064] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the approaching speed Vapp. Fig. 9As shown, the approaching speed Vapp is the approaching direction D2 component of the speed V of the ship S. The approaching speed Vapp can be obtained using the speed V of the ship S detected by the speedometer 22, the bow azimuth of the ship S detected by the compass 21, and the pre-stored hull model and quay wall information.

[0065] The limiter 64 of the propulsion control unit 69 corrects the propulsion command limit value Ulim so as to decrease as the speed Vapp of the hull 5 in the approaching direction D2 increases.

[0066] For example, when the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is corrected by the correction coefficient Kv, the corrected propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is expressed by the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim×correction coefficient Kv. The correction coefficient Kv is a value less than 1, and is inversely proportional to the difference ΔV between the approach speed Vapp and the prescribed approach speed threshold Vsafe. To the extent that the hull 5 moving at a speed less than the approach speed threshold Vsafe contacts the quay 30, the hull 5 is not damaged; if the hull 5 moving at a speed exceeding the approach speed threshold Vsafe collides with the quay 30, the hull 5 may be damaged. Fig.10 : is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the difference ΔV between the approach speed Vapp and the approach speed threshold Vsafe and the correction coefficient Kv. Fig.10 As shown in the example, the larger the difference ΔV between the approach speed Vapp and the approach speed threshold Vsafe, the smaller the value of the correction coefficient Kv. Therefore, the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corrected by the approach speed Vapp decreases as the difference ΔV between the approach speed Vapp and the approach speed threshold Vsafe increases. The limiter 64 can use the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corrected in this way to impose a limit on the propulsion instruction Uc.

[0067] [Variant 2] The limiter 64 of the above-mentioned propulsion device 9 calculates the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim based on the berthing distance d, but the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim calculated based on the berthing distance d can also be corrected by the interference force acting on the berthing direction D2 of the ship S (hereinafter referred to as "berthing interference force Fapp").

[0068] Fig.11 is a diagram illustrating the disturbance force Fapp. Fig.11As shown, the berthing disturbance force Fapp is the component of the berthing direction D2 of the disturbance force F acting on the ship S. The disturbance force F may include at least one of the fluid force applied by water to the hull 5 and the wind pressure applied by wind to the hull 5. The fluid force can be calculated based on the tide measured by the tidal flow meter 29 and the pre-stored hull model. Alternatively, the fluid force can be calculated based on the tide and tide level in the port included in the meteorological / ocean information and the pre-stored hull model. The wind pressure can be calculated based on the wind direction and wind speed measured by the wind direction and anemometer 25 and the hull model. Alternatively, the wind pressure can be calculated based on the wind speed, wind direction and pre-stored hull model in the port included in the meteorological / ocean information. The berthing disturbance force Fapp can be calculated using the fluid force and wind pressure, the bow azimuth of the ship S detected by the compass 21, and the pre-stored hull model and the shore information.

[0069] The limiter 64 of the propulsion control unit 69 obtains interference information including the wind direction, wind speed, and tidal current of the environment in which the hull 5 is located, and based on the interference information, estimates the interference force (the berthing interference force Fapp) acting on the hull 5 in the berthing direction D2, and corrects the propulsion instruction limit value according to the berthing interference force Fapp.

[0070] For example, when the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is corrected by the correction value Kf, the corrected propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is expressed by [propulsion instruction limit value Ulim - interference correction value Kf]. The interference correction value Kf is proportional to the berthing interference force Fapp. A positive interference correction value Kf represents an interference force that propels the movement of the ship S in the berthing direction D2, and a negative interference correction value Kf represents an interference force that hinders the movement of the ship S in the berthing direction D2 (i.e., promotes the movement in the offshore direction D3). The relationship between the berthing interference force Fapp and the interference correction value Kf is predetermined, and the limiter 64 obtains the interference correction value Kf based on the berthing interference force Fapp, and further, the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corrected by the interference correction value Kf can be obtained. In this way, the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corrected by the berthing interference force Fapp increases with the increase in the absolute value of the berthing interference force Fapp when the berthing interference force Fapp promotes the movement of the ship S in the offshore direction D3 (i.e., when the interference correction value Kf is a negative value). On the other hand, the propulsion command limit value Ulim corrected by the approaching interference force Fapp decreases as the absolute value of the approaching interference force Fapp increases when the approaching interference force Fapp promotes the movement of the ship S in the approaching direction D2 (i.e., when the interference correction value Kf is a positive value).

[0071] 〔Summarize〕 The first ship handling system 20 of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: A plurality of propulsion devices 9 mounted on the hull 5 include: propulsion engines 2 and 3, which output thrust to propel the hull 5 toward the shore direction D2; and a mooring machine 10, which outputs thrust to propel the hull 5 toward the shore direction D2 by winding up the mooring cable R; A distance meter 27, which detects the distance from the hull 5 to the shore 30 to be approached, i.e., the shore distance; a maneuvering device 80 that outputs a propulsion command Uc; and The control device 69 obtains the berthing distance d and the propulsion instruction Uc, and calculates the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corresponding to the berthing distance d based on the given relationship that the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim decreases as the berthing distance d decreases. When the propulsion instruction Uc output from the operating device 80 is greater than the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim, the propulsion instruction Uc is used as the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim, and the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion instruction Uc is distributed to the multiple propulsion devices 9, so as to control the multiple propulsion devices 9 in a manner that the distributed thrust is output from each of the multiple propulsion devices 9.

[0072] In the above-mentioned ship handling system 20, regardless of the value of the propulsion command Uc output by the maneuvering device 80 and obtained by the control device 69, the value of the propulsion command Uc is limited to be less than the propulsion command limit value Ulim. The propulsion command limit value Ulim becomes a value that becomes smaller as the hull 5 approaches the quay 30. Therefore, even if an erroneous operation of the maneuvering device 80 occurs when the hull 5 is close to the quay 30, the propulsion command Uc is limited to a sufficiently small value, thereby preventing the hull 5 from colliding with the quay 30.

[0073] The ship handling system 20 of the second aspect of the present disclosure is further provided with a speedometer 22 for detecting the speed V of the hull 5 in the ship handling system 20 of the first aspect, and the control device 69 corrects the propulsion command limit value Ulim to decrease as the speed Vapp of the hull 5 in the approaching direction D2 increases.

[0074] In the ship handling system 20 described above, the approaching speed Vapp of the ship 5 is considered in the propulsion command limit value Ulim, so the propulsion command Uc can be limited in a manner that more reliably prevents the ship 5 from colliding with the quay 30 .

[0075] In the ship maneuvering system 20 of the third item of the present disclosure, in the ship maneuvering system 20 of the first or second item, the control device 69 obtains interference information of the environment in which the hull 5 is located, estimates the interference force Fapp acting on the hull 5 in the berthing direction D2 based on the interference information, and corrects the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim according to the interference force Fapp. The interference information may include, for example, wind direction, wind speed, and tidal current.

[0076] In the above-mentioned ship handling system 20 , the propulsion command limit value Ulim takes into account the berthing interference force Fapp acting on the hull 5 , so that the propulsion command Uc can be limited in a manner that more reliably prevents the hull 5 from colliding with the quay 30 .

[0077] The ship handling system 20 of the fourth item of the present disclosure is further provided with a tension meter 52 for measuring the tension of the mooring cable R in the ship handling system 20 of any one of the first to third items, and the control device 69 distributes the thrust corresponding to the propulsion instruction to the plurality of propulsion devices 9 in such a manner that the tension of the mooring cable R measured by the tension meter 52 is maintained within a range greater than 0 and less than a prescribed threshold value of the maximum winding force of the mooring machine 10.

[0078] In the ship handling system 20, while the mooring machine 10 is performing the winding operation of the mooring rope R in order to bring the ship 5 to the shore, the tension range of the mooring rope R is maintained, thereby preventing overload from being applied to the mooring rope R.

[0079] The fifth item of the present disclosure is a method for maneuvering a ship S in which a plurality of propulsion devices 9 are mounted on a hull 5. The plurality of propulsion devices 9 include: propulsion engines 2 and 3, which output thrust to propel the hull 5 toward the shore direction D2; and a mooring machine 10, which outputs thrust to propel the hull 5 toward the shore direction D2 by winding up a mooring cable R. The method is characterized in that the method includes: Obtain the distance from the hull 5 to the shore 30 to be landed, i.e., the shore distance d; Obtaining a propulsion instruction Uc for the hull 5; Based on a given relationship that the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim decreases as the approaching distance d decreases, the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim corresponding to the approaching distance d is obtained, and the propulsion instruction Uc limited to be equal to or less than the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is obtained; distributing the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command Uc to the plurality of propulsion devices 9; and The plurality of propulsion devices 9 are controlled in such a manner that the distributed thrust is outputted from each of the plurality of propulsion devices 9 .

[0080] In the above-mentioned ship maneuvering method, regardless of the value of the propulsion command Uc initially obtained, the value of the propulsion command Uc is limited to be less than the propulsion command limit value Ulim. The propulsion command limit value Ulim becomes a value that becomes smaller as the hull 5 approaches the quay 30. Therefore, even if an erroneous operation of the maneuvering device 80 occurs when the hull 5 is close to the quay 30, the propulsion command Uc is limited to a sufficiently small value, thereby preventing the hull 5 from colliding with the quay 30.

[0081] The functions of the ship handling controller 6 disclosed in this specification can be performed using circuits or processing circuits including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), existing circuits, and / or combinations thereof that are configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. The processor includes transistors and other circuits, and can therefore be considered as a processing circuit or circuit. In the present disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the listed functions. The hardware may be the hardware disclosed in this specification, or it may be other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the listed functions. In the case where the hardware is considered to be a processor of a circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to constitute the hardware and / or the processor.

[0082] The above discussion of the present disclosure is presented for the purpose of illustration and description, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the methods disclosed in this specification. For example, in the aforementioned detailed description, various features of the present disclosure are summarized into one embodiment for the purpose of rationalizing the present disclosure, but several of the multiple features may also be combined. In addition, the multiple features included in the present disclosure may also be combined with alternative embodiments, structures or forms other than those discussed above.

Claims

1. A ship handling system, characterized in that: have: A plurality of propulsion devices mounted on the hull, including: a propulsion engine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore; and a mooring machine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore by winding up the mooring cable; A distance meter, which detects the distance from the hull to the shore wall, i.e., the shore distance; a steering device that outputs propulsion commands; and A control device obtains the berthing distance and the propulsion instruction, calculates the propulsion instruction limit value corresponding to the berthing distance based on a given relationship in which the propulsion instruction limit value decreases as the berthing distance decreases, and when the propulsion instruction output from the operating device is greater than the propulsion instruction limit value, uses the propulsion instruction as the propulsion instruction limit value, distributes the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion instruction to the multiple propulsion devices, and controls the multiple propulsion devices in a manner that the distributed thrust is output from each of the multiple propulsion devices.

2. The ship handling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A speedometer is also provided to detect the speed of the hull. The control device corrects the propulsion instruction limit value so as to decrease as the speed of the ship body in the approaching direction increases.

3. The ship handling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control device obtains disturbance information of the environment in which the ship is located, estimates the disturbance force acting on the ship in the berthing direction based on the disturbance information, and corrects the propulsion instruction limit value according to the disturbance force.

4. The ship handling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A tension meter for measuring the tension of the mooring cable is also provided. The control device distributes the thrust corresponding to the propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices so that the tension of the mooring cable measured by the tension meter is maintained in a range greater than 0 and less than a predetermined threshold value of the maximum winding force of the mooring machine.

5. A method for maneuvering a ship, comprising: mounting a plurality of propulsion devices on the ship; the plurality of propulsion devices comprising: A propulsion engine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore; and a mooring machine, which outputs a thrust to propel the hull toward the shore by winding up the mooring cable, wherein the ship maneuvering method comprises: Obtaining the distance from the hull to the shore wall, i.e., the shore distance; obtaining a propulsion command for the vessel; Based on a given relationship that the propulsion instruction limit value decreases as the approaching distance decreases, the propulsion instruction limit value corresponding to the approaching distance is obtained, and the propulsion instruction is limited to be equal to or less than the propulsion instruction limit value; distributing the thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices; and The plurality of propulsion devices are controlled in such a manner that the distributed thrust is outputted from each of the plurality of propulsion devices, respectively.

Images