Methods for controlling the tension of tethers

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method for controlling mooring tension while suppressing mooring coiling. The method controls the tension of the mooring rope on a flying object attached to a ship by the mooring rope. When the mooring tension detected by a sensor that detects the tension of the mooring rope is less than a threshold, the ship moves in the direction of mooring tension recovery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method for controlling the tension of a tether. Background Technology

[0002] Regarding the tension adjustment of the tether, a linear component used to connect and tether flying objects such as kites, balloons, and deployable wings to structures on land or at sea, Patent Document 1 discloses a friction-driven roller winch that controls the tension by winding and releasing the tether.

[0003] Prior art literature Patent documents Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-006736. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The problem that the invention aims to solve When a boat is equipped with a winch system to control the tension of the mooring line, the tension of the mooring line decreases as the boat moves, and the mooring line may become tangled. In contrast, tension can be maintained by winding up the mooring line, but this will cause the kite to descend lower, which may impair the kite's flight stability.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to restore the tension of the tether while suppressing the winding of the tether.

[0006] Methods for solving problems This application discloses a method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope, which is a method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope on a flying object attached to a ship by a mooring rope. When the tension of the mooring rope detected by a sensor that detects the tension of the mooring rope is less than a threshold, the ship moves in the direction in which the tension of the mooring rope is restored.

[0007] This application discloses a method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope, which is a method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope attached to a flying object on a ship. When the difference between the mooring rope pull-out length detected by a sensor that detects the pull-out length of the mooring rope and the distance between the ship and the flying object exceeds a threshold, the ship is moved in the direction of restoring the mooring rope tension.

[0008] The direction of movement can also be determined based on the position information of the flying object and the ship, and by the azimuth angle between the ship and the flying object.

[0009] The location information of the aircraft and the ship can also be obtained via GPS.

[0010] Invention Effects According to this disclosure, it is possible to restore tether tension while suppressing tether winding, thereby suppressing the decrease in flight stability of flying objects such as kites. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the various devices used in the tension control method S10 for tying ropes.

[0012] Figure 2 To extract Figure 1 A diagram representing a portion of the whole.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the controller 50.

[0014] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the tension control method S10 for the tethered rope.

[0015] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the tension control method S20 for the tethered rope. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The following is an example of an application to a kite that floats in the air based on the principle of a kite, as one example of a flying body. This disclosure can be applied to other types of flying bodies, such as enclosed balloons, deployable wings, etc.

[0017] 1. Example of method 1 Figures 1-4 A diagram is shown to illustrate the tension control method S10 of the tether involved in Example 1. Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the various equipment present. Figure 2 In order to focus on Figure 1 A partial diagram (winch 20, tether 30, kite 40), Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the controller 50. Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the tension control method S10 for the tethered rope.

[0018] For example, in order to implement the tension control method S10 for the tether, Figure 1 As shown, it includes a boat 10, a winch 20, a mooring rope 30, a kite 40, and a controller 50.

[0019] 1.1. Ship Boat 10 is a device for mooring kite 40 to a desired location on the sea or water, and is configured to be movable on the sea or water. The more specific manner of boat 10 is not particularly limited, as long as it is capable of moving on water.

[0020] In addition to the various well-known equipment commonly used to navigate the ship, the vessel 10 is equipped with a GPS receiver 12, a winch 20, and a controller 50.

[0021] GPS receiver 12 is a receiver for the Global Positioning System, capable of knowing the longitude and latitude of its location. This GPS receiver 12 is mounted on the ship 10, thereby enabling the acquisition of the ship's location information.

[0022] 1.2. Winch Also Figure 2 As shown, the winch 20 is a device for pulling out and winding up the tether 30, which is connected to the kite 40 and used to tether the kite 40 in the air. Therefore, the winch 20 of this embodiment has: a spool 22 that winds up and stores the tether 30; and a friction drive roller 24 disposed between the spool 22 and the kite 40, which winds the tether 30 and is driven to rotate. Furthermore, the tether 30 is wound on pulleys 26 between the spool 22 and the friction drive roller 24, and between the friction drive roller 24 and the kite 40. In the winch 20, one end of the tether 30 wound on the circumference of the spool 22 is pulled out from the spool 22, passes through the pulley 26, and is wound several times on the circumference of the friction drive roller 24 before being further connected to the kite 40 via other pulleys 26.

[0023] Furthermore, a tension sensor 28 for measuring the tension of the tether 30 is disposed between the friction drive roller 24 and the kite 40. This allows the tension of the tether 30 holding the kite 40 to be obtained. The tension sensor 28 can be any known sensor, and its configuration is not particularly limited, but it is preferably configured to output the measurement result as a signal.

[0024] 1.3. Tying the rope As is known, the tether 30 is a rope-like component used to tie the kite 40.

[0025] 1.4. Kite The kite 40 is one type of flying object, and is a device that floats in the air based on the so-called kite principle. As described above, in this method, an example of using a kite as a flying object is illustrated, but balloons, spread wings, etc., can also be used instead of kites. The kite 40 is connected to and secured to one end of the tethering rope 30 (the end opposite to the end on the winch 20 side).

[0026] A GPS receiver 42 is installed on the kite 40. The GPS receiver 42 is a receiver of the Global Positioning System and can determine the longitude and latitude of its location. Since the GPS receiver 42 is installed on the kite 40, the kite's location information can be obtained.

[0027] 1.5. Controller The controller 50 is the controller for each process of the tether tension control method S10 of this method. In this method, it is configured on the boat 10, but there is no particular limitation; it can also be configured on the winch 20 or the kite 40.

[0028] In this embodiment, the controller 50 is a controller that acquires at least position information from the GPS receiver 12 of the boat 10, position information from the GPS receiver 42 of the kite 40, and tension information from the tension sensor 28, and controls the movement of the boat. However, it is not necessary for the controller to be used solely for this purpose; it is also possible for the controller to have other functions for controlling the boat 10.

[0029] The controller 50 is not particularly limited in its form, but typically it can be constructed by a computer. Figure 3 An example of the structure of a computer 50, which serves as a controller 50, is shown schematically.

[0030] The computer 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, which functions as a processor; RAM (Random Access Memory) 52, which functions as a working area; ROM (Read-Only Memory) 53, which serves as a storage medium; a receiving unit 54, which serves as an interface for receiving information into the computer 50, whether via wired or wireless means; and an output unit 55, which serves as an interface for sending information from the computer 50 to the outside, whether via wired or wireless means.

[0031] GPS receiver 12, GPS receiver 42 and tension sensor 28 are connected to receiver 54 in a signal-exchanging manner, and can acquire position information and tension information through signals. The ship's movement control device is connected to output unit 55 in a signal-exchanging manner, and can control the movement of ship 10.

[0032] The computer 50 stores a computer program that executes the various processes of control performed in the mooring rope tension control method S10 of this mode as specific instructions. In the computer 50, the CPU 51, RAM 52, and ROM 53, as hardware resources, work in conjunction with the computer program. Specifically, the CPU 51 performs its function by executing the computer program recorded in the ROM 53 in the RAM 52, which functions as a working area, based on the position information and the tension information of the mooring rope 30 obtained via the receiving unit 54. The information obtained or generated by the CPU 51 is stored in the RAM 52. Then, based on the obtained results, a movement command is sent to the ship via the output unit 55 as needed.

[0033] Next, the specific control measures will be explained.

[0034] 1.6. Methods for controlling the tension of the tethering rope In the mooring tension control method S10 of this approach, the movement of the boat is controlled based on the obtained position information and the tension of the mooring rope. In this approach, such control is performed by the controller 50. Figure 4 The flowchart shown illustrates each process. The controller 50 collects information from each device and performs calculations based on the program stored in the controller 50 as described above, and controls each device according to the results, thereby executing these processes.

[0035] [Get kite location information] In the process of obtaining kite location information S11, the latitude and longitude of kite 40 are obtained from GPS receiver 42.

[0036] [Get ship location information] In the process of obtaining the ship's location information S12, the latitude and longitude of the ship 10 are obtained from the GPS receiver 12.

[0037] [Azimuth Calculation] In the process of calculating the azimuth angle S13, the azimuth angle connecting the kite 40 obtained in the process of obtaining kite position information S11 and the ship 10 obtained in the process of obtaining ship position information S12 is calculated.

[0038] [The movement of the bow] During the process of moving the bow of the ship in S14, the ship is moved in such a way that the bow of the ship 10 is consistent with the azimuth calculated in the process of calculating the azimuth in S13.

[0039] [Obtaining Rope Tension] In the process of acquiring the tether tension S15, the tension of the tether 30 is acquired from the tension sensor 28.

[0040] [judge] In the judgment process S16, it is determined whether the tension of the tether 30 obtained in the tether tension acquisition process S15 is above a threshold. The threshold is not particularly limited as long as it is a value that can enable the kite 40 to fly continuously and stably. For example, it can be a tension that increases the possibility of the tether 30 detaching from the pulley 26.

[0041] Here, if the tension is above the threshold, the kite 40 is considered to be able to fly stably, and therefore, the judgment is "yes", and the tension control of the tether S10 ends. However, the tension control of the tether S10 will be executed again after a predetermined time to maintain the stable flight of the kite 40.

[0042] On the other hand, if the tension is below the threshold, kite 40 may have difficulty flying stably. Therefore, the judgment is "no", and the process moves to "moving the boat process S17".

[0043] [The movement of the ship] During the movement of the boat in process S17, the boat moves. The direction of the boat's bow was determined in process S14, so it is sufficient to continue moving forward in this process S17. As a result, the tension of the lowered mooring rope 30 can be increased by the movement of the boat 10. Then, the process of obtaining the mooring rope tension described above is repeated from process S15.

[0044] 1.7. Effects, etc. When the boat and kite approach each other, the tether slackens, and the tether tension decreases. This results in a possibility that the tether may detach from the winch pulley or other components, causing tangling. If the tether is reeled in to restore tension, as mentioned earlier, there is a possibility that the kite will fall. Therefore, in this method, the azimuth angle is calculated based on the values ​​from the GPS receivers mounted on the kite and the boat, and the boat is controlled to point its bow towards the azimuth angle. Furthermore, if the tether tension sensor value is lower than the value at which detachment from the pulley is possible, the boat is moved towards the bow direction to restore the tether tension. This method prevents the tether from being reeled in above the desired height, thus preventing the kite from dropping and maintaining stable flight, such as preventing the kite from falling.

[0045] 2. Example of method 2 In Example 2, a rope length measuring device is provided instead of the tension sensor 28 in Example 1. Other structures can be considered in the same way as in Example 1, therefore, descriptions are omitted here.

[0046] 2.1. Rope Length Measuring Device The tether length measuring device measures the length of the tether 30 pulled out from the spool 22 at that time. The specific method of this device is not particularly limited; for example, the following devices can be cited.

[0047] • The distance between the laser displacement meter and the outermost circumference of the rope wound on the spool is measured using sensors such as laser displacement meters.

[0048] • Mark the tether beforehand and photograph it with a camera to measure the tether's delivery speed and calculate the tether length.

[0049] • Pre-determine the relationship between the number of rotations of the spool and the length of the tie rope, and calculate the length of the tie rope by obtaining the number of rotations of the spool.

[0050] 2.2. Tension control of the tethering rope In the mooring tension control method S20 of this embodiment, the movement of the boat is controlled based on the obtained position information and the pulled-out length of the mooring line. In this embodiment, such control is performed by a controller 50 (however, a mooring line length measuring device is connected instead of a tension sensor). Based on... Figure 5 The flowchart shown illustrates each process. Controller 50 collects information from each device and performs calculations based on the program stored in controller 50 as described above, and controls each device according to the results, thereby executing these processes.

[0051] [Get kite location information] In the process of obtaining kite location information S21, the latitude and longitude of kite 40 are obtained from GPS receiver 42.

[0052] [Get ship location information] In the process of obtaining the ship's position information S22, the latitude and longitude of the ship 10 are obtained from the GPS receiver 12.

[0053] [Calculation of azimuth and distance between kite and boat] In the process S23 of calculating the azimuth angle and the distance between the kite and the boat, the azimuth angle and the distance between them are calculated based on the position information of the kite 40 obtained in the process S21 of obtaining the kite position information and the position information of the boat 10 obtained in the process S22 of obtaining the boat position information.

[0054] [The movement of the bow] During the process of moving the bow of the boat in S24, the boat is moved in a manner that makes the bow of the boat 10 consistent with the azimuth angle obtained in the process of calculating the azimuth angle and the distance between the kite and the boat in S23.

[0055] [Obtaining the rope length] In the process of obtaining the rope length S25, the length of the rope 30 pulled out is obtained from the rope length measuring device described above.

[0056] [judge] In the judgment process S26, based on the previously obtained "distance between the boat and the kite" and "length of the tether pulled out", a judgment is made as to whether the difference between "length of the tether pulled out" and "distance between the kite and the boat" is below a threshold. If "distance between the kite and the boat" < "length of the tether pulled out", the tension of the tether decreases. If "length of the tether pulled out" - "distance between the kite and the boat" exceeds a certain level (threshold) and becomes larger, the kite 40 may not be able to maintain stable flight. Therefore, it is judged whether the current situation is below the threshold. The specific threshold is not particularly limited as long as it is a value that can maintain the flight stability of the kite. For example, values ​​that increase the possibility of the tether 30 detaching from the pulley 26 can be listed.

[0057] Here, if the difference is below the threshold, the kite 40 is considered to be able to fly stably, and therefore, the judgment is "yes", ending the tether tension control S20. However, the tether tension control S20 will be executed again after a predetermined time to maintain the stable flight of the kite 40.

[0058] On the other hand, if the difference is higher than the threshold, it may be difficult to achieve stable flight of kite 40. Therefore, the judgment is "no", and the process moves to "moving the boat process S27".

[0059] [The movement of the ship] During the movement of the boat in process S27, the boat is moved. The direction of the boat's bow was determined in process S24, so it is sufficient to continue moving forward in this process S27. As a result, the tension of the mooring rope 30, which can be lowered by the movement of the boat 10, is increased. Then, the process of obtaining kite position information, as described above, is repeated from S21.

[0060] 2.3. Effects, etc. In this example, it achieves the same effect as that described in Example 1.

[0061] 3. Other The aircraft using the tether tension control method disclosed herein can be used as a high-altitude platform in the air, for example, for wind power generation, solar power generation, communication relay, meteorological observation, experimental base, etc.

[0062] In addition to longitude and latitude, the location information of a kite can also include altitude. Altitude can be obtained using a known altimeter.

[0063] Symbol Explanation 10…boat; 12…GPS receiver; 20…winch; 30…tether; 40…kite (flying object); 50…controller.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope, comprising a method for controlling the tension of the mooring rope on a flying body attached to a ship by the mooring rope, wherein, When the tension of the mooring line detected by a sensor that monitors the tension of the mooring line is less than a threshold, the boat is moved in the direction in which the tension of the mooring line is restored.

2. A method for controlling the tension of a mooring rope, comprising a method for controlling the tension of the mooring rope on a flying body attached to a ship by the mooring rope, wherein, When the difference between the distance between the boat and the flying body, obtained from the mooring length detected by a sensor that detects the mooring length, exceeds a threshold, the boat is moved in the direction in which the tension of the mooring is restored.

3. The tension control method for the tether as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The direction of movement is determined by the azimuth angle between the aircraft and the ship, based on the position information of the aircraft and the ship.

4. The tension control method for the tether as described in claim 3, wherein, The position information of the flying object and the position information of the ship are obtained through GPS.

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