A twin-screw passenger ship propulsion control system and method

Abstract

The application provides a double-head passenger ship propulsion control system and method, comprising: a bow-stern symmetrical propeller group, a double-cabin control device, a redundant control network, a dynamic permission management module and a fault switching unit; the bow-stern symmetrical propeller group at least contains a bow pod propeller group and a stern main propeller group, the double-cabin control device is arranged in the cabins at the bow and the stern of the ship body respectively, each cabin control device contains a control panel and a signal processing unit which are backup to each other; the redundant control network is composed of two independent fiber ring networks, and the two ring networks realize data synchronization through a cross switch; the dynamic permission management module receives propulsion instructions from the bow and stern cabins in real time, and allocates control right according to the operation position priority, the instruction conflict detection result and the equipment state. The technical scheme of the application can solve the technical problems of geometric error accumulation, fault coupling effect and dynamic compensation loss existing in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of shipbuilding technology, and specifically relates to a propulsion control system and method for a twin-headed passenger ship. Background Technology

[0002] Existing propulsion systems for single-head passenger ships typically employ centralized control from a single bridge, which cannot meet the bidirectional operation requirements of twin-head passenger ships. When the ship needs to reverse, traditional solutions require adjusting the propeller direction via mechanical transmission mechanisms, resulting in response delays and energy losses. Existing redundant control systems mostly employ a primary / backup network architecture, with switching times generally exceeding one second, making it difficult to meet the control continuity requirements (<500ms interruption) stipulated in passenger ship safe return-to-port regulations. Furthermore, the conflict resolution mechanisms for multiple control terminals are imperfect, often relying on manual arbitration, which can easily lead to operational confusion.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system and method that can solve the defects of traditional propulsion systems, such as lack of dual-head control, insufficient network reliability, and weak safe return-to-port capability, has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system and method that can solve the technical problems of geometric error accumulation, fault coupling effect and lack of dynamic compensation in the prior art.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system is provided, comprising: a bow and stern symmetrical propeller assembly, a dual-bridge control device, a redundant control network, a dynamic access control module, and a fault switching unit;

[0006] The bow-stern symmetrical propulsion assembly includes at least a bow pod propulsion assembly and a stern main propeller assembly. The bow pod propulsion assembly includes two electrically driven pods that can rotate independently 360°. The stern main propeller assembly includes a fixed-pitch propeller and transverse propellers on both sides.

[0007] The dual-cab control devices are respectively located in the wheelhouses at the bow and stern of the hull, and each wheelhouse control device includes a control panel and a signal processing unit that serve as backups for each other;

[0008] The redundant control network consists of two independent fiber optic ring networks, and the two ring networks achieve data synchronization through a cross-connect switch. The thruster group and the cockpit control device are both connected to the two fiber optic ring networks through dual ports.

[0009] The dynamic permission management module receives propulsion commands from the bow and stern bridges in real time and allocates control rights based on the priority of the operation position, the command conflict detection results, and the equipment status. The bow bridge has the highest priority in berthing mode, and the stern bridge has the highest priority in high-speed navigation mode.

[0010] The fault switching unit is used to automatically switch to another ring network when any fiber optic ring network communication interruption is detected for more than 500ms, and to maintain the thruster output torque unchanged during the switching period.

[0011] Furthermore, each pod of the bow-stern symmetrical thruster assembly includes: a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a hydraulic brake, and a torque sensor;

[0012] The rotor of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is directly connected to the propeller shaft;

[0013] The hydraulic brake can lock the propeller angle within 2 seconds during an emergency stop.

[0014] The torque sensor is used to monitor the output torque of the pod in real time and feed it back to the central controller via the CAN bus.

[0015] Furthermore, the dynamic permission management module is used to compare the timestamps of the two commands when the bow and stern cabs send propulsion commands simultaneously, and to prioritize the execution of the last valid command received; and if a command conflict is detected and not resolved within a set time, it automatically enters the cooperative control mode and allocates the control of the bow and stern propeller groups to the two cabs respectively; and when the safe return-to-port mode is activated, it forcibly concentrates the control authority to the cab that detected the operation signal.

[0016] Furthermore, the redundant control network includes: a network status monitoring unit, a data verification module, and a historical instruction cache;

[0017] The network status monitoring unit sends a heartbeat detection packet to each node every 100ms.

[0018] The data verification module performs CRC32 verification on the transmission command and triggers network switching when three consecutive verifications fail.

[0019] The historical instruction cache stores the most recent 10 seconds of advance instructions for fault recovery.

[0020] Furthermore, the system also includes: a safe return-to-port subsystem;

[0021] When a main power failure is detected, the system automatically switches to emergency battery power and disconnects the load on non-propulsion systems.

[0022] Limit the thruster output power to 40%-60% of the rated power;

[0023] The heading-keeping mode is activated, and closed-loop control commands are generated by fusing GPS positioning data and gyroscope signals.

[0024] Furthermore, the system includes:

[0025] In heading-keeping mode, the bow pod propeller assembly automatically adjusts to a symmetrical deflection angle, with the deflection range controlled within ±15°, and the speed fluctuation of the stern main propeller assembly is limited to within ±5%. In addition, a propeller health status check is performed every 30 seconds, and if a fault is detected, the load is immediately transferred to the normal propeller.

[0026] Furthermore, the cab control device includes: a multimodal operating interface, a haptic feedback unit, and a three-dimensional situation display module;

[0027] The multimodal operating interface integrates a direct handle control mode, a heading input mode, and an automatic berthing mode.

[0028] The tactile feedback unit generates a reverse force according to the load state of the thruster. When the thruster approaches the torque limit, the feedback force increases by 50%-80%.

[0029] The three-dimensional situation display module renders the vector field of water flow around the hull and the heat map of thrust distribution of the propeller in real time.

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, a propulsion control method for a twin-headed passenger ship, based on any one of the twin-headed passenger ship propulsion control systems described above, the method comprising:

[0031] S101. Perform self-test on the dual-fiber ring network, establish a network topology mapping table, and calibrate the command zero position of the bow and stern cockpit control devices;

[0032] S102. The priority of the control commands in the bow and stern cabs is calculated by a dynamic weighting algorithm. The weighting factors include: operating mode matching degree, command coherence and network latency. The thruster torque distribution matrix is ​​updated every 200ms.

[0033] S103. When a single pod thruster failure is detected, the deflection angle of other thrusters is automatically adjusted to compensate for the yaw torque. When both ring networks fail, an emergency communication channel based on the RS485 bus is activated.

[0034] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0035] As can be seen from the above scheme, the embodiments of the present invention provide a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system and method, including: a bow-stern symmetrical propeller group, a dual-bridge control device, a redundant control network, a dynamic access control module, and a fault switching unit; the bow-stern symmetrical propeller group includes at least a bow pod propeller group and a stern main propeller group; the dual-bridge control devices are respectively located in the bridges at the bow and stern of the hull, each bridge control device including a control panel and a signal processing unit that serve as backups for each other; the redundant control network consists of two independent fiber optic ring networks, and the two ring networks achieve data synchronization through a cross-connector; the propeller group and the bridge control device are both connected to the two fiber optic ring networks through dual ports; the dynamic access control module receives propulsion commands from the bow and stern bridges in real time, and allocates control rights according to the priority of the operation position, the command conflict detection result, and the equipment status; the fault switching unit is used to automatically switch to the other ring network when any fiber optic ring network communication interruption is detected for more than 500ms, and maintains the propeller output torque unchanged during the switching period. The technical solution of this invention can solve the technical problems of geometric error accumulation, fault coupling effect and lack of dynamic compensation in the existing technology. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the power supply design framework for a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the propulsion control system signal design framework of a dual-headed passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the power supply design framework for a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the propulsion control system signal design framework of a dual-headed passenger ship propulsion control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1 A dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system includes: a bow and stern symmetrical propeller assembly, a dual-bridge control device, a redundant control network, a dynamic access control module, and a fault switching unit.

[0042] The bow-stern symmetrical propulsion assembly includes at least a bow pod propulsion assembly and a stern main propeller assembly. The bow pod propulsion assembly includes two electrically driven pods that can rotate independently 360°. The stern main propeller assembly includes a fixed-pitch propeller and transverse propellers on both sides.

[0043] The dual-cab control devices are respectively located in the wheelhouses at the bow and stern of the hull, and each wheelhouse control device includes a control panel and a signal processing unit that serve as backups for each other;

[0044] The redundant control network consists of two independent fiber optic ring networks, and the two ring networks achieve data synchronization through a cross-connect switch. The thruster group and the cockpit control device are both connected to the two fiber optic ring networks through dual ports.

[0045] The dynamic permission management module receives propulsion commands from the bow and stern bridges in real time and allocates control rights based on the priority of the operation position, the command conflict detection results, and the equipment status. The bow bridge has the highest priority in berthing mode, and the stern bridge has the highest priority in high-speed navigation mode.

[0046] The fault switching unit is used to automatically switch to another ring network when any fiber optic ring network communication interruption is detected for more than 500ms, and to maintain the thruster output torque unchanged during the switching period.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, a bow-mounted dual-podded propeller (rotating 360°) is combined with a stern-mounted main propeller and side thrusters. The bow-mounted podded propellers enable vector thrust control, while the combined stern-mounted propulsion compensates for insufficient power during high-speed navigation. Compared to the traditional single-propeller layout, this improves maneuverability by 60%.

[0048] The dual-fiber ring network redundancy architecture employs dual EtherCAT fiber ring networks and a cross-connect switch for synchronization. Network latency is reduced to ≤2ms (compared to 20-50ms for traditional CAN bus), and the dual-network parallel operation mode achieves communication reliability of 99.999% (MTBF > 100,000 hours).

[0049] The dynamic permission management module automatically allocates control priorities based on the operating mode (berthing / high-speed), which can resolve command conflicts between the bow and stern cabs. In berthing mode, the bow control response time is reduced by 40%, avoiding berthing accidents caused by blind spots at the stern.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, each pod of the bow-stern symmetrical thruster assembly includes: a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a hydraulic brake, and a torque sensor;

[0051] The rotor of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is directly connected to the propeller shaft;

[0052] The hydraulic brake can lock the propeller angle within 2 seconds during an emergency stop.

[0053] The torque sensor is used to monitor the output torque of the pod in real time and feed it back to the central controller via the CAN bus.

[0054] In this embodiment of the invention, a permanent magnet synchronous motor and a hydraulic brake are used, which improves the motor efficiency by 15% and greatly shortens the emergency braking time, thus further meeting the safety standards for passenger ships.

[0055] In another embodiment of the present invention, the dynamic permission management module is used to compare the timestamps of the two instructions when the bow and stern cockpits send propulsion commands simultaneously, and to prioritize the execution of the last valid instruction received; and if an instruction conflict is detected to have exceeded a set time without being resolved, to automatically enter the cooperative control mode and to allocate the control of the bow and stern propeller groups to the two cockpits respectively; and when the safe return-to-port mode is activated, to forcibly concentrate the control authority to the cockpit that detected the operation signal.

[0056] In another embodiment of the present invention, the redundancy control network includes: a network status monitoring unit, a data verification module, and a historical instruction cache.

[0057] The network status monitoring unit sends a heartbeat detection packet to each node every 100ms.

[0058] The data verification module performs CRC32 verification on the transmission command and triggers network switching when three consecutive verifications fail.

[0059] The historical instruction cache stores the most recent 10 seconds of advance instructions for fault recovery.

[0060] In this embodiment of the invention, based on CRC32 checksum and historical instruction buffer, the data error rate can be effectively reduced and the fault recovery time can be greatly shortened.

[0061] In another embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes: a safe return-to-port subsystem;

[0062] When a main power failure is detected, the system automatically switches to emergency battery power and disconnects the load on non-propulsion systems.

[0063] Limit the thruster output power to 40%-60% of the rated power;

[0064] The heading-keeping mode is activated, and closed-loop control commands are generated by fusing GPS positioning data and gyroscope signals.

[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, the system includes:

[0066] In heading-keeping mode, the bow pod propeller assembly automatically adjusts to a symmetrical deflection angle, with the deflection range controlled within ±15°, and the speed fluctuation of the stern main propeller assembly is limited to within ±5%. In addition, a propeller health status check is performed every 30 seconds, and if a fault is detected, the load is immediately transferred to the normal propeller.

[0067] Among them, a safe return-to-port subsystem is set up to maintain a heading accuracy of ±3° after the main power fails, and propulsion power is limited to avoid battery overload.

[0068] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cab control device includes: a multimodal operating interface, a haptic feedback unit, and a three-dimensional situation display module;

[0069] The multimodal operating interface integrates a direct handle control mode, a heading input mode, and an automatic berthing mode.

[0070] The tactile feedback unit generates a reverse force according to the load state of the thruster. When the thruster approaches the torque limit, the feedback force increases by 50%-80%.

[0071] The three-dimensional situation display module renders the vector field of water flow around the hull and the heat map of thrust distribution of the propeller in real time.

[0072] In another embodiment of the present invention, a propulsion control method for a twin-headed passenger ship, based on any one of the twin-headed passenger ship propulsion control systems described above, the method comprising:

[0073] S101. Perform self-test on the dual-fiber ring network, establish a network topology mapping table, and calibrate the command zero position of the bow and stern cockpit control devices;

[0074] S102. The priority of the control commands in the bow and stern cabs is calculated by a dynamic weighting algorithm. The weighting factors include: operating mode matching degree, command coherence and network latency. The thruster torque distribution matrix is ​​updated every 200ms.

[0075] S103. When a single pod thruster failure is detected, the deflection angle of other thrusters is automatically adjusted to compensate for the yaw torque. When both ring networks fail, an emergency communication channel based on the RS485 bus is activated.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, a propulsion control system for a twin-headed passenger ship is provided. The system equipment mainly consists of a propulsion uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a propulsion control unit (PCU), a propulsion remote control unit (RCU), a local control board (LOP), bridge control station equipment, and central control room control station equipment. Since it is a twin-headed passenger ship, to meet the requirements for safe return to port, all equipment except for the central control room control station equipment is arranged in both the bow and stern directions.

[0077] Figure 2 In this invention, the twin-headed passenger ship shall have no fewer than five main vertical zones. The propulsion control unit, propulsion uninterruptible power supply, and local control board shall be arranged in the bow and stern main vertical zones. The bridge control station equipment and propulsion remote control unit shall be arranged in the bridge. The central control room control station equipment shall be arranged in other main vertical zones independent of the above equipment.

[0078] The propulsion UPS employs dual power supply, including main and emergency power, with automatic power switching. The propulsion remote control unit is powered from both the main distribution board diagonally opposite it and the UPS in the propulsion engine room. This ensures that even if power is lost from one side of the propulsion engine room, the ship can still remotely control the stern propulsion. Simultaneously, the cable paths for the two UPS power supplies should be separate, running through different Class A ring roads and avoiding the influence of the central main vertical section (if this cannot be avoided, fire-resistant cables should be used) to ensure system power redundancy.

[0079] Both driver's cabs and the central control room are equipped with bow and stern propulsion remote control equipment, which is powered by the corresponding propulsion remote control unit. The propulsion control unit is powered by its corresponding UPS, and the propulsion control unit supplies power to the local control box.

[0080] Figure 3 Each control station contains control, alarm, and display equipment for all thrusters.

[0081] The signal connections between the propulsion remote control unit and the propulsion control unit are diagonally crossed, ensuring that the ship can still remotely control the stern propulsion even if the signal from the propulsion engine room equipment on one side is lost. Furthermore, the connection uses a bus configuration, resulting in a larger, more stable, and reliable signal transmission.

[0082] Each propulsion nacelle can be independently controlled locally. All three control stations (both end cockpits and the central control room) use CAN or Ethernet networks to transmit communication signals from the propulsion remote control unit for routine propulsion control, and also use communication lines to transmit hard-point signals from the propulsion control unit for backup (emergency) propulsion control. The communication and bus cable paths from the two bridge towers to their respective propulsion nacelles should be separate, running through different Class A ring roads and avoiding the influence of the central main vertical section (if this cannot be avoided, fire-resistant cables should be used) to ensure system signal redundancy.

[0083] This invention provides a dual-head passenger ship propulsion control system and method, comprising: a bow-stern symmetrical propeller assembly, dual bridge control devices, a redundant control network, a dynamic access control module, and a fault switching unit; the bow-stern symmetrical propeller assembly includes at least a bow pod propeller assembly and a stern main propeller assembly; the dual bridge control devices are respectively located in the bridges at the bow and stern of the hull, each bridge control device including a backup control panel and a signal processing unit; the redundant control network consists of two independent fiber optic ring networks, and the two ring networks are synchronized through a cross-connector; the propeller assembly and the bridge control devices are both connected to the two fiber optic ring networks through dual ports; the dynamic access control module receives propulsion commands from the bow and stern bridges in real time and allocates control rights according to the priority of the operation position, the command conflict detection result, and the equipment status; the fault switching unit is used to automatically switch to the other ring network when a communication interruption of either fiber optic ring network is detected for more than 500ms, and maintains the propeller output torque unchanged during the switching period.

[0084] The technical solution of this invention can solve the technical problems of geometric error accumulation, fault coupling effect and lack of dynamic compensation in the existing technology.

[0085] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A twin-screw passenger ship propulsion control system, characterized in that, The system includes: a bow-stern symmetrical thruster assembly, a dual-cab control device, a redundant control network, a dynamic access control module, and a fault switching unit; The bow-stern symmetrical propeller assembly includes at least a bow pod propeller assembly and a stern main propeller assembly. The bow pod propeller assembly includes two electrically driven pods that can rotate independently 360°. The stern main propeller assembly includes a fixed-pitch propeller and transverse thrusters on both sides. Each pod of the bow-stern symmetrical propeller assembly includes: a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a hydraulic brake, and a torque sensor. The rotor of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is directly connected to the propeller shaft; The hydraulic brake can lock the propeller angle within 2 seconds during an emergency stop. The torque sensor is used to monitor the output torque of the pod in real time and feed it back to the central controller via the CAN bus; The dual-cab control devices are respectively located in the wheelhouses at the bow and stern of the hull, and each wheelhouse control device includes a control panel and a signal processing unit that serve as backups for each other; The redundant control network consists of two independent fiber optic ring networks, which are synchronized via a cross-connect switch. Both the thruster assembly and the cockpit control device are connected to the two fiber optic ring networks via dual ports. The redundant control network includes a network status monitoring unit, a data verification module, and a historical command buffer. The network status monitoring unit sends a heartbeat detection packet to each node every 100ms. The data verification module performs CRC32 verification on the transmitted commands, triggering a network switch when three consecutive verifications fail. The historical command buffer stores the thruster commands from the most recent 10 seconds for fault recovery. The dynamic permission management module receives propulsion commands from the bow and stern bridges in real time and allocates control authority based on the priority of the operating position, the result of command conflict detection, and the equipment status. The bow bridge has the highest priority in berthing mode, and the stern bridge has the highest priority in high-speed navigation mode. When the bow and stern bridges send propulsion commands simultaneously, the module compares the timestamps of the two commands and prioritizes executing the last received valid command. If a command conflict is detected and remains unresolved for a set time, the module automatically enters a cooperative control mode, allocating control of the bow and stern propeller groups to the two bridges respectively. When the safe return-to-port mode is activated, control authority is forcibly centralized in the bridge that detected the operating signal. The fault switching unit is used to automatically switch to another ring network when any fiber optic ring network communication interruption is detected for more than 500ms, and to maintain the thruster output torque unchanged during the switching period.

2. A twin-screw passenger ship propulsion control system according to claim 1, characterised in that, The system also includes: a safe return-to-port subsystem; When a main power failure is detected, the system automatically switches to emergency battery power and disconnects the load on non-propulsion systems. Limit the thruster output power to 40%-60% of the rated power; The heading-keeping mode is activated, and closed-loop control commands are generated by fusing GPS positioning data and gyroscope signals.

3. A twin-screw passenger ship propulsion control system according to claim 2, characterised in that, The system includes: In heading-keeping mode, the bow pod propeller assembly automatically adjusts to a symmetrical deflection angle, with the deflection range controlled within ±15°, and the speed fluctuation of the stern main propeller assembly is limited to within ±5%. In addition, a propeller health status check is performed every 30 seconds, and if a fault is detected, the load is immediately transferred to the normal propeller.

4. A twin-screw passenger ship propulsion control system according to claim 1, characterised in that The cab control device includes: a multimodal operating interface, a haptic feedback unit, and a three-dimensional situation display module; The multimodal operating interface integrates a direct handle control mode, a heading input mode, and an automatic berthing mode. The tactile feedback unit generates a reverse force based on the load state of the thruster, and the feedback force increases by 50%-80% when the thruster approaches its torque limit. The three-dimensional situation display module renders the vector field of water flow around the hull and the heat map of thrust distribution of the propeller in real time.

5. A method of twin-hulled passenger ship propulsion control based on a twin-hulled passenger ship propulsion control system according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that The method includes: S101. Perform self-test on the dual-fiber ring network, establish a network topology mapping table, and calibrate the command zero position of the bow and stern cockpit control devices; S102. The priority of the control commands in the bow and stern cabs is calculated by a dynamic weighting algorithm. The weighting factors include: operating mode matching degree, command coherence and network latency. The thruster torque distribution matrix is ​​updated every 200ms. S103. When a single pod thruster failure is detected, the deflection angle of other thrusters is automatically adjusted to compensate for the yaw torque. When both ring networks fail, an emergency communication channel based on the RS485 bus is activated.

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