Sail folding and unfolding device

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic sail folding and unfolding device. The sail folding and unfolding device is installed on a main deck of a ship and mainly comprises a driving module, a transmission module, an execution module, an adjusting module, a supporting module and an intelligent control module. According to the automatic sail folding and unfolding device, the problems that in the prior art, the sail folding and unfolding efficiency is low, the storage space is large, and the sail angle is not flexible to adjust are solved, automatic folding and unfolding, compact storage and real-time wind direction tracking of the sail are achieved, the wind energy utilization efficiency is improved, and the ship energy utilization efficiency and operation flexibility are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Technical Field This invention belongs to the technical field of marine auxiliary power equipment, specifically relating to a sail launching and retracting device for ships. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of green shipping technologies, the demand for wind-assisted propulsion for ships is increasing. Traditional sail systems mostly adopt fixed or manually operated structures, which have the following drawbacks: the operation of raising and lowering the sails depends on manual labor, resulting in low efficiency and high labor intensity; the sails occupy a large amount of deck space when being lowered, affecting other ship operations; sail angle adjustment requires manual intervention and cannot be dynamically optimized according to real-time wind direction, resulting in low wind energy utilization; the structure is complex, maintenance costs are high, and it is difficult to adapt to complex ship operating conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide an automatic sail launching and retracting device to solve the problems of low sail launching and retracting efficiency, large storage space, and inflexible sail angle adjustment in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution, comprising: a sail launching and retracting module, a sail adjustment module, and an intelligent control module; the sail launching and retracting module includes a launching and retracting drive module and a launching and retracting transmission module; the launching and retracting transmission module includes a launching and retracting reducer, a launching and retracting pinion, and a sector gear, the launching and retracting reducer being connected to the launching and retracting pinion, the launching and retracting pinion meshing with the sector gear of the sail; the sail adjustment module includes an adjustment drive module and an adjustment transmission module; the adjustment transmission module includes a rotary reducer, a rotary pinion, a toothed outer ring, and an inner ring that meshes with the outer ring, the rotary pinion meshing with the teeth on the outer ring, the inner ring rotating relative to the outer ring; the intelligent control module includes a wind direction sensor, a rotation angle sensor, a controller, and a frequency converter, the wind direction sensor being electrically connected to the controller, the controller being connected to both the launching and retracting drive module and the adjustment drive module. Furthermore, the large sector gear is an incomplete gear, and its tooth profile covers the range of rotation of the sail from lying flat to standing upright at 90°. Furthermore, the inner ring connects to the bracket, and the outer ring connects to the base. Furthermore, the sail is made of lightweight composite material, with its root fixedly connected to a fan-shaped toothed ring. When lying flat, it fits against the main deck, and when standing upright, it is perpendicular to the plane of the main deck. Furthermore, the rotary pinion meshes with the outer ring, which can drive the bracket to rotate within the range of 0° to 180°.

[0005] Furthermore, the controller obtains the wind direction angle from the wind direction sensor and the sail angle from the slewing angle sensor. The controller determines the adjustment angle between the current wind direction and the sail normal. If the adjustment angle deviates from the optimal wind angle, the controller adjusts the operation of the adjustment module through the frequency converter.

[0006] Furthermore, the controller also detects the rate of change of the adjustment angle within the transformation cycle. If the rate of change is greater than a preset value, the wind direction angles obtained within the transformation cycle are sorted, and the average angle of the group with the largest wind direction angle is taken. The controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate to the average angle, and then the controller controls the sail raising and lowering transmission module to rotate 30°. Next, the controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate by the corresponding angle according to the current wind direction angle, and controls the raising and lowering transmission module to rotate downward by another 30°. Finally, based on the sail surface angle obtained by the rotation angle sensor, the sail is rotated to the erection and lowering position and the sail is laid down on the deck.

[0007] Furthermore, a millimeter-wave radar is installed on the mast of the sail, directly opposite the sail lowering position. When the sail lowering and raising transmission module rotates 60°, the millimeter-wave radar is activated to detect whether there are any obstacles at the sail lowering position. If there are obstacles, a voice prompt is issued and the operation of the sail lowering and raising module is paused. If there are no obstacles, the sail lowering and raising module will perform the sail lowering operation.

[0008] Furthermore, the adjustment angle is less than or equal to 15°.

[0009] Compared with existing technologies, this invention features automated sail deployment and retrieval: through the cooperation of a variable frequency motor and a reducer, combined with the limiting transmission of a fan-shaped gear ring, the sail is automatically raised and lowered from a horizontal position to an upright position without manual intervention; compact storage: the fan-shaped gear ring only covers a 90° rotation range, and when the sail is horizontal, it fits perfectly against the main deck or the support frame on the main deck, significantly reducing storage space and not affecting other ship operations; dynamic sail adjustment: the wind direction sensor detects the wind direction in real time, and the intelligent control module adjusts the slewing mechanism to dynamically adjust the sail angle according to the wind direction, maximizing wind energy utilization efficiency, and automatically retracting the sail in stages when encountering wind clusters with unpredictable wind directions, reducing sail retraction resistance. Millimeter-wave radar is used to detect whether there are personnel or other obstacles under the sail during retraction, ensuring the safety of the automatic sail lowering. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the invention in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or portions. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sail launching and taking down device in the horizontal position according to the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view (showing the meshing position relationship between the retractable pinion and the sector gear ring); Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the sail launching and retracting mechanism in the upright position; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A top view (showing the meshing position relationship between the retractable pinion and the sector gear ring); Figure 5 This is a magnified view of a section of the adjustment module.

[0011] The following are the annotations in the attached drawings: 1-Retractor / extractor motor; 2-Retractor / extractor brake; 3-Retractor / extractor reducer; 4-Retractor / extractor pinion; 5-Sector gear; 6-Bracket; 7-Pin; 8-Sail; 9-Slewing bearing; 10-Base; 11-Slewing motor; 12-Slewing brake; 13-Retractor / extractor reducer; 14-Slewing pinion; 15-Outer ring (toothed); 16-Roller; 17-Inner ring. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The embodiment of the present invention shown includes: a sail deployment / retraction module, a sail adjustment module, and an intelligent control module. The sail deployment / retraction module includes: a deployment / retraction drive module and a deployment / retraction transmission module. The deployment / retraction drive module includes: a deployment / retraction motor 1 and a deployment / retraction brake 2. The deployment / retraction motor 1 is a variable frequency speed-regulating motor. The output shaft of the deployment / retraction motor 1 is connected to the input shaft of the deployment / retraction reducer, providing controllable driving force and allowing adjustment of the speed to achieve rapid deployment / retraction of the sail. The deployment / retraction brake 2 is located at the tail of the deployment / retraction motor and is a fail-safe type; it is in a braking state when power is cut off, maintaining the sail's attitude. The deployment / retraction transmission module includes: a deployment / retraction reducer 3, a deployment / retraction pinion 4, and a sector gear 5. The deployment / retraction reducer 3 is connected to the deployment / retraction pinion 4, and the deployment / retraction pinion 4 meshes with the sector gear 5 of the sail. The sector gear 5 is an incomplete gear, and its tooth profile covers the sail's rotation range from lying flat to standing upright at 90°. The sail is made of lightweight composite material, and its base is fixedly connected to a large sector gear 5. When lying flat, it conforms to the main deck; when upright, it is perpendicular to the main deck plane. A pin 7 is connected to the center hole of the large sector gear 5, and the pin 7 is fixedly connected to the sail 8. The pin 7 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 6, and the sail is hinged to the bracket 6 via the pin 7. The pin 7 is made of high-strength alloy steel and is installed in the bearing seat hole of the bracket 6 via a self-lubricating bearing to reduce frictional loss. The take-up and launch reducer 3 has a large speed ratio, such as greater than or equal to 1000 rpm. The take-up and launch reducer can adopt various arrangement types, such as a single-stage bevel gear with a right-angle shaft, a single-stage parallel shaft gear, and multi-stage planetary gears.

[0014] The sail adjustment module includes an adjustment drive module and an adjustment transmission module. The adjustment drive module includes a rotary motor 11 and a rotary brake 12, with the same structure as the launch and retraction drive module. The adjustment transmission module includes a rotary reducer 13, a rotary pinion 14, a toothed outer ring 15, and an inner ring 17 that meshes with the outer ring. The rotary pinion 14 meshes with the teeth on the outer ring 15, and the inner ring 17 rotates relative to the outer ring 15. The inner ring 17 is connected to a bracket 6, and the outer ring 15 is connected to a base 10. The rotary pinion 14 meshes with the teeth on the outer ring 15, driving the bracket to rotate within a range of 0° to 180°. Rollers are installed between the inner ring 17 and the outer ring 15 to allow them to rotate relative to each other. The base 10 is mounted on the main deck of the ship.

[0015] The intelligent control module includes a wind direction sensor, a rotation angle sensor, a controller, and a frequency converter. The wind direction sensor is electrically connected to the controller, which is connected to both the sail deployment / retraction drive module and the adjustment drive module. A millimeter-wave radar is installed on the mast of the sail, directly opposite the sail lowering position. When the sail deployment / retraction drive module rotates 60°, the millimeter-wave radar activates to detect any obstacles at the sail lowering position. If an obstacle is found, a voice prompt is issued, and the sail deployment / retraction module pauses its operation. If no obstacle is found, the sail deployment / retraction module proceeds with lowering the sail.

[0016] The sail launching and retracting device in this embodiment is installed on the main deck of the ship. The sail launching and retracting process is as follows: When the sail needs to be deployed, the frequency converter receives the start command from the controller and drives the launch motor 1 to rotate at low speed. At the same time, the launch brake 2 is energized and released. After being decelerated and torque-increased by the launch reducer 3, the launch pinion 4 is driven to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise through the output shaft of the reducer 3 (see...). Figure 1 The small gear 4 meshes with the large sector gear 5, driving the large sector gear 5 to rotate counterclockwise around the pin 7, thereby causing the sail 8 to move from a flat position ( Figure 1 Gradually rise to an upright position ( Figure 3 When the large sector gear 5 rotates to its limit position, i.e., the angle between the sail mast and the main deck is 90°, the retraction brake 2 is engaged and in a braking state, the retraction motor 1 stops rotating, and the sail is fully deployed. When it is necessary to retract the sail, the frequency converter controls the retraction motor 1 to rotate in the reverse direction, the retraction pinion 4 to rotate counterclockwise, and the large sector gear 5 to rotate clockwise, causing the sail 8 to fall from an upright position to a lying position, resting against the deck.

[0017] The sail angle adjustment process is divided into two cases: sail angle adjustment during sail use and sail angle adjustment during sail furling. 1. Sail angle adjustment during normal sail use: The controller obtains the wind direction angle from the wind direction sensor and the sail surface angle from the rotation angle sensor. The controller determines the adjustment angle between the current wind direction angle and the sail surface angle. If the adjustment angle deviates from the optimal wind angle, such as: the optimal wind angle ≤ 15°, the controller adjusts the operation of the adjustment module through the frequency converter. For example, if the sail angle needs to be increased, the adjustment module drives the bracket 5 to rotate clockwise around the vertical axis until the sail surface normal is aligned with the wind direction, achieving dynamic sail adjustment. However, when the controller detects the rate of change of the adjustment angle within the change cycle, if the rate of change is greater than a preset value, the wind direction angles obtained within the change cycle are sorted, and the average angle of the largest group of wind direction angles is taken. For example, if a group consists of 50-100 wind direction angle data, the controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate to this average angle to enter emergency sail furling adjustment. 2. Emergency sail adjustment during storms: The controller controls the sail raising / lowering transmission module to rotate 30°. Then, based on the current wind direction, the controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate by the corresponding angle, and then controls the raising / lowering transmission module to rotate downwards by another 30°. Finally, based on the sail angle obtained from the rotation angle sensor, the sail is rotated to the erect / lower position and laid flat on the deck. A millimeter-wave radar is installed on the sail mast, directly opposite the lowered sail position. When the raising / lowering transmission module rotates 60°, the millimeter-wave radar activates to detect any obstacles at the lowered sail position. If an obstacle is found, a voice prompt is issued and the raising / lowering module's operation is paused. If no obstacle is found, the raising / lowering module proceeds with the lowering sail operation.

[0018] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although numerous exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be understood and construed as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An intelligent dynamic sail deployment and recovery device, characterized in that, include: Sail deployment and recovery module, sail adjustment module, and intelligent control module; The sail deployment and recovery module includes a deployment and recovery drive module and a deployment and recovery transmission module; The take-up and release transmission module includes a take-up and release reducer, a take-up and release pinion, and a sector gear. The take-up and release reducer is connected to the take-up and release pinion, and the take-up and release pinion meshes with the sector gear of the sail. The sail adjustment module includes an adjustment drive module and an adjustment transmission module; The transmission adjustment module includes a rotary reducer, a rotary pinion, a toothed outer ring, and an inner ring that meshes with the outer ring. The rotary pinion meshes with the teeth on the outer ring, and the inner ring rotates relative to the outer ring. The intelligent control module includes a wind direction sensor, a slewing angle sensor, a controller, and a frequency converter. The wind direction sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is connected to the retraction drive module and the adjustment drive module, respectively.

2. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The large sector gear is an incomplete gear, and its tooth profile covers the range of sail rotation from lying flat to standing upright at 90°.

3. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner ring connects to the bracket, and the outer ring connects to the base.

4. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sail is made of lightweight composite material and is fixedly connected to a fan-shaped toothed ring at its base. When lying flat, it fits against the main deck, and when standing upright, it is perpendicular to the plane of the main deck.

5. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary pinion meshes with the outer ring, which can drive the bracket to rotate within the range of 0° to 180°.

6. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller obtains the wind direction angle from the wind direction sensor and the sail angle from the slewing angle sensor. The controller determines the adjustment angle between the current wind direction and the normal to the sail surface. If the adjustment angle deviates from the optimal wind angle, the controller adjusts the action of the adjustment module through the frequency converter.

7. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controller also detects the rate of change of the adjustment angle during the transformation cycle. If the rate of change is greater than a preset value, the wind direction angles obtained during the transformation cycle are sorted, and the average angle of the group with the largest wind direction angle is taken. The controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate to the average angle. Then the controller controls the sail raising and lowering transmission module to rotate 30°. Next, the controller controls the sail adjustment module to rotate by the corresponding angle according to the current wind direction angle, and controls the raising and lowering transmission module to rotate downward by another 30°. Finally, based on the sail surface angle obtained by the rotation angle sensor, the sail is rotated to the erection and lowering position and laid down on the deck.

8. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A millimeter-wave radar is installed on the mast of the sail, directly opposite the sail lowering position. When the sail lowering and raising transmission module rotates 60°, the millimeter-wave radar is activated to detect whether there are any obstacles at the sail lowering position. If there are obstacles, a voice prompt is issued and the operation of the sail lowering and raising module is paused. If there are no obstacles, the sail lowering and raising module will perform the sail lowering operation.

9. The sail launching and retracting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The adjustment angle is less than or equal to 15°.

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