Photovoltaic panel inclination adaptive adjustment device and method for unmanned sailboat

Abstract

The application discloses a photovoltaic panel inclination angle self-adaptive adjusting device and method for unmanned sailboat, and relates to the technical field of unmanned sailboat, which comprises a supporting plate, a base, a pitch adjusting mechanism, a supporting arm, an azimuth rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a photovoltaic panel and a sensing and control unit, the base is fixedly arranged below the supporting plate through a shell, the lower end of the supporting arm is rotatably connected with the top of the base through the pitch adjusting mechanism, and the pitch adjusting mechanism adjusts the pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel. The lifting mechanism is arranged above the supporting arm, and comprises a linear guide assembly and an electric push rod, the lower end of the lifting mechanism is rotatably connected with the upper end of the supporting arm through the azimuth rotating mechanism, the upper end of the lifting mechanism is fixedly connected with the bottom of the back plate of the photovoltaic panel, the azimuth rotating mechanism adjusts the roll angle of the photovoltaic panel, and the lifting mechanism adjusts the height of the photovoltaic panel. The application can automatically adjust the posture of the photovoltaic panel for the sailboat application, can actively track the sun and compensate the posture of the ship body under complex sea conditions, and improves the efficiency and reliability of the photovoltaic power generation of the sailboat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned vessel equipment technology, specifically to a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device and method for unmanned sailboats. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned sailing vessels are autonomous maritime platforms primarily propelled by wind, supplemented by electric propulsion and energy management systems. They feature long endurance, low power consumption, and low maintenance costs, and are widely used in tasks such as ocean-atmosphere observation, environmental monitoring, fisheries, and waterway patrol. To adapt to long-duration missions in the open ocean, these platforms typically require: reliable power supply, stable attitude against wind and waves, long-duration autonomous navigation, and remote operation and maintenance within limited deck area and strict weight constraints. Affected by sea state, wind field, and navigation strategy, unmanned sailing vessels experience significant heel, pitch, and bow roll during navigation, and the superstructure, such as sails and masts, can dynamically obstruct deck equipment, placing higher demands on platform power supply and equipment layout. To meet the power needs of sensors, communication, and actuators, small unmanned sailing vessels are generally equipped with photovoltaic arrays as their primary energy source.

[0003] However, due to factors such as ocean waves, sailboats experience significant attitude disturbances (including heeling and pitching) during navigation. The photovoltaic panels installed on the deck of unmanned vessels continuously deviate from the optimal angle facing the sun as the vessel's attitude and course change, resulting in a far from ideal angle of sunlight incidence. Over time, this leads to low power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic panels, failing to adequately meet the power demands of onboard equipment such as sensors and communication systems, limiting the sailboat's range, and accelerating the depletion of battery storage. Currently, most common solar panel installation methods are fixed (parallel to the deck or at a fixed tilt angle). This method is simple and reliable, but it cannot adjust the orientation of the panels according to changes in the sun's position and altitude. When combined with the sailboat's own rolling and tilting, as well as the dynamic shading of sunlight by the mast, sails, and other superstructures, the actual angle of incidence of the photovoltaic panels often deviates from the optimal range over a long period, resulting in a significant reduction in photovoltaic power generation per unit area. For example, when the angle between the photovoltaic panel and the sunlight exceeds 30°, the energy it obtains is only about 87% of that when it is directly facing the sun (as can be seen from the cosine law). If the angle between the photovoltaic panel and the sunlight exceeds 60°, it drops to less than 50%. Long-term exposure to sunlight at a non-perpendicular angle will seriously affect the power generation efficiency.

[0004] To improve solar energy utilization, some automatic solar tracking devices are being used in land-based photovoltaic power plants or on large ships. These systems typically employ dual-axis tracking brackets or gimbals, using motors to drive the photovoltaic panels to rotate in sync with the sun's movement. However, existing technologies still have shortcomings: Firstly, traditional dual-axis tracking structures are mostly designed for land use, resulting in large size, heavy weight, and high power consumption, making it difficult to meet the strict weight, space, and power consumption constraints of small sailboats; their resistance to salt spray, water, and shock is also often insufficient, making them unsuitable for long-term use in marine environments. Secondly, existing tracking control strategies are mostly limited to a single approach: either relying on photosensitive sensors to track the direction of light (which is prone to inaccuracy during severe hull rolling and cannot predict changes in solar radiation); or relying on open-loop drives based on astronomical calculations (which do not consider rapid changes in hull attitude); lacking real-time compensation for instantaneous changes in sailboat attitude. Furthermore, some systems neglect direct optimization of the photovoltaic panel output, relying solely on the internal MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) of the photovoltaic panel to electrically optimize the operating point, but MPPT cannot correct the fundamental problems caused by poor light incidence or shading. Therefore, in scenarios like sailboats where space is limited and attitude disturbances are significant, existing solutions struggle to achieve stable and efficient solar energy utilization. Thus, there is an urgent need for an automatic attitude adjustment technology for photovoltaic panels used on sailboats, capable of actively tracking the sun and compensating for the effects of hull attitude under complex sea conditions, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and reliability of photovoltaic power generation on unmanned sailboats. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention aims to propose a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats. This device addresses the problems of fixed installation of photovoltaic panels on unmanned sailboats, which prevents them from actively adjusting to changes in the sun's position and the boat's attitude; the significant impact of mast / sail obstruction; and the lack of safety limits and retraction under high wind and wave conditions.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: An adaptive tilt adjustment device for photovoltaic panels for unmanned sailboats includes a support plate, a base, a pitch adjustment mechanism, a support arm, an azimuth rotation mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a photovoltaic panel, and a sensing and control unit. The support plate is fixedly embedded in the deck of the unmanned sailboat, and the base is fixedly installed below the support plate through a shell.

[0007] The lower end of the support arm is rotatably connected to the top of the base through the pitch adjustment mechanism. The pitch adjustment mechanism drives the robotic arm to swing longitudinally relative to the base, thereby adjusting the pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel.

[0008] The lifting mechanism is located above the support arm. The lifting mechanism includes a linear guide assembly and an electric push rod. The linear guide assembly includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The lower part of the inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and slides linearly with the inner wall of the outer sleeve.

[0009] The lower end of the outer sleeve is rotatably connected to the upper end of the support arm via an orientation rotation mechanism, and the upper end of the inner sleeve is fixedly connected to the bottom of the back plate of the photovoltaic panel. The orientation rotation mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to swing laterally relative to the base, thereby adjusting the roll angle of the photovoltaic panel.

[0010] The electric push rod is fixedly installed inside the outer sleeve. The actuator of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the back plate of the photovoltaic panel. The electric push rod drives the photovoltaic panel to rise or fall relative to the base, thereby adjusting the height of the photovoltaic panel.

[0011] The sensing and control unit includes a light sensing module, an attitude and positioning module, an environmental monitoring module, and a control and power module. The light sensing module includes multiple light sensors arranged regularly on a photovoltaic panel. The attitude and positioning module includes an inertial measurement unit, an electronic compass, and a GNSS positioning system. The control and power module includes an embedded controller and a power management system.

[0012] Furthermore, the support plate is a square metal plate with a square groove on its upper surface that is compatible with the photovoltaic panel. The lifting mechanism can gather the back plate of the photovoltaic panel into the square groove of the support plate, so that the back plate of the photovoltaic panel is embedded in the square groove of the support plate.

[0013] Furthermore, a circular hole is provided at the center of the support plate, and the outer shell is a metal cylindrical structure with a closed bottom and an open top. The outer shell is arranged vertically below the support plate, and the upper end of the outer shell passes through the inner side of the circular hole and is fixedly connected to the support plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the base is fixed to the bottom of the outer shell, and the upper port of the outer shell is provided with an elastic sealing sheet made of rubber. The outer sleeve passes through the center of the elastic sealing sheet, and its outer wall is fixedly and sealed to the elastic sealing sheet. The outer edge of the elastic sealing sheet is fixedly and sealed to the top of the base, thus sealing the internal space of the outer shell.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner wall of the outer sleeve is provided with two guide grooves, which are symmetrically arranged about the axis of the outer sleeve. The cross-section of the guide grooves is square or dovetail-shaped.

[0016] The outer wall of the inner sleeve is provided with two linear guide rails that match the guide groove. The two linear guide rails are located in the two guide grooves and slide linearly with the outer sleeve. The main body of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the lower part of the outer sleeve.

[0017] Furthermore, the pitch adjustment mechanism includes a fixed support, a movable support, and a servo motor. The fixed support is fixed to the top of the base, the movable support is located on one side of the fixed support and rotates with it, and the top of the movable support is fixedly connected to the lower end of the support arm.

[0018] A servo motor is installed inside the fixed bracket, and its output end is fixedly connected to the movable bracket via a pitch shaft. The pitch shaft is arranged horizontally. In operation, the servo motor drives the movable bracket to rotate forward or backward.

[0019] Furthermore, the orientation rotation mechanism includes a fixed support ear 2, a movable support ear 2, and a servo motor 2. The fixed support ear 2 is fixed to the upper end of the support arm, the movable support ear 2 is located on one side of the fixed support ear 2 and rotates with it, and the top of the movable support ear 2 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the outer sleeve.

[0020] Servo motor 2 is installed inside fixed bracket 2, and its output end is fixedly connected to movable bracket 2 through azimuth rotating shaft. The azimuth rotating shaft and pitch rotating shaft are arranged in a non-plane perpendicular manner. In the working state, servo motor 2 drives movable bracket 2 to rotate forward or reverse.

[0021] Another objective of this invention is to propose an adaptive adjustment method for the tilt angle of photovoltaic panels for unmanned sailboats.

[0022] An adaptive tilt angle adjustment method for photovoltaic panels on unmanned sailboats, based on the aforementioned adaptive tilt angle adjustment device for photovoltaic panels on unmanned sailboats, includes the following steps: Step 1: Initialize the system and acquire the current geographical location data, ship attitude data and environmental monitoring data. The photovoltaic panel outputs voltage, current and power. The sensing and control unit outputs the current azimuth angle, current pitch angle and current height data of the photovoltaic panel. The light intensity or light direction information is output by the light sensor module. Step 2: Calculate the solar altitude angle at the current moment based on the acquired data. β sun and solar azimuth α sun ; Step 3: Calculate the target attitude of the photovoltaic panel based on the attitude and the pitch angle output by the positioning module. i ship Roll angle F ship and heading angle ψ ship And combined with the solar altitude angle β sun and solar azimuth α sunThe solar direction vector is calculated; The control and power module transforms the solar direction vector from the geographic coordinate system to the ship's coordinate system, obtaining the projection component of the solar direction vector in the ship's forward direction. S x,ship , the projected component of the starboard direction of the hull S y,ship Projection component in the vertical direction of the hull S z,ship Based on this, the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel is calculated. target and target pitch angle i target ; The target azimuth angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, target Let be the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the direction of the ship's movement, and atan2(y, x) be the two-parameter arctangent function; The target pitch angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, i target The target pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the horizontal plane of the ship's hull; S x,ship The component along the direction of the ship's movement. S y,ship This is the component along the starboard side of the hull. S z,ship This is the component along the vertical upward direction of the hull; Step 4: Decision-making and setting of target height for photovoltaic panel lifting. h current This is the current height of the photovoltaic panel. h nominal This is the recommended working height under normal operating conditions. h max The maximum height allowed by the lifting mechanism. Dh The allowable height increment for a single lift. f shadow This is the occlusion determination function, which reflects the degree of occlusion. T shadow The threshold for determining occlusion. d shadow For occlusion indicator variables; d shadow This can be represented as a piecewise function as follows: When the occlusion determination function satisfies f shadow ≥ T shadowAt that time, it was assumed that there were shading areas on the photovoltaic panels, and the shading indicator variable was used. d shadow It takes the value 1, otherwise it takes the value 0; where, f shadow It can be calculated based on the output of the light sensor, the geometric occlusion model, or a combination of both. If the photovoltaic panels are obstructed, to reduce the obstruction, it is necessary to consider increasing the height by one increment from the current height. Dh However, it must not exceed the maximum height. h max ; The formula for calculating the improved candidate height is: In the formula, h up To improve the candidate height, h current Current altitude; Considering both shading and non-shading scenarios, firstly, the target height of the photovoltaic panel is defined as... h target Target height h target The calculation formula is expressed as: Among them, the occlusion indicator variable d shadow Used to indicate whether there is currently an obstruction; If there is an obstruction, that is d shadow =1, then the target height h target Get the improved candidate height h up ; If there is no obstruction, that is =0, then the target height is the recommended working height. h nominal ; Step 5: When the photovoltaic panel is unobstructed, the ambient wind speed, and the ship's attitude are all within a safe range, and based on the photovoltaic panel's attitude adjusted to the target azimuth and pitch angles, the target azimuth and pitch angles of the photovoltaic panel are optimized and fine-tuned based on the power feedback, which is an indicator of the photovoltaic panel's output power.

[0023] Step 6, Safety retraction control under extreme conditions: When the environmental monitoring module detects that the wind speed exceeds the preset safety threshold, or the attitude and positioning module detects that the hull roll angle and pitch angle exceed the allowable range, the control and power module adjusts the attitude and height of the photovoltaic panel through commands to put it into the safety retraction mode. When the ambient wind speed and hull attitude return to a safe range, and the control and power module issues a release protection command, the control and power module unlocks and re-executes the adaptive adjustment process of steps one to five, restoring the photovoltaic panels from the retracted mode to their normal working attitude and height.

[0024] Furthermore, in step two, the solar altitude angle β sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, lat The latitude of the location d sun The solar declination angle, oh hour Solar hour angle; Sun azimuth α sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, α sun This is the solar azimuth angle.

[0025] Furthermore, in step five, the steps for optimizing and fine-tuning the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel are as follows: First, set target,0 The current target azimuth angle is obtained through geometric calculation; D >0 represents a single azimuth fine-tuning step size, then the trial azimuth angles along the positive and negative directions are defined as follows: ; set up P 0 represents the azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel. target,0 Output power at that time, setting P 1 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time, setting P 2 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time ΔP min >0 is the minimum power increment threshold for determining a significant power increase; Define two increments as shown in the following equation: According to power increment ΔP 1 and ΔP Based on the relationship between the magnitudes of two numbers, fine-tune the target azimuth angle; let the fine-tuned target azimuth angle be... target,1 ,but target,1 Write it as a piecewise function as follows:

[0026] When the power increase in both trial directions is less than the threshold ΔP min When the test power in one direction increases significantly and is not lower than that in another direction, the target azimuth is adjusted by one step along that direction. D ; The same method was used to optimize and fine-tune the target's pitch angle.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention achieves high equivalent irradiance even under complex sea conditions and partial shading by combining the calculation of the current sun position and illumination direction of the unmanned sailboat with the attitude compensation of the hull.

[0028] 2. The present invention sets a limiting and convergence strategy based on the shielding geometry and wind and wave threshold, which takes into account both power generation benefits and structural safety, and is suitable for unmanned sailboats that are exposed to the marine environment for a long time.

[0029] 3. The device has a lightweight structure, is sealed and corrosion-resistant, can operate with low power consumption, and is easy to integrate with shipboard energy management systems. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a side view of a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 yes Figure 4 The present invention is a cross-sectional view along the AA direction.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the base, pitch adjustment mechanism, support arm, azimuth rotation mechanism and lifting mechanism of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the assembly after the support arm has been removed.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the assembly of the support arm, movable lug 1, fixed lug 2 and related parts of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 This is an initial state diagram of a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the raised state of a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to the present invention.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a tilt state diagram of a photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to the present invention.

[0039] Figure 10 This is the usage state of the unmanned sailboat equipped with the photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device of the present invention. Figure one .

[0040] Figure 11 This is the usage state of the unmanned sailboat equipped with the photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0041] The diagram shows: 1. Support plate; 11. Square groove; 2. Base; 21. Outer shell; 22. Elastic sealing sheet; 3. Pitch adjustment mechanism; 31. Fixed support lug 1; 32. Movable support lug 1; 33. Servo motor 1; 34. Pitch pivot; 4. Support arm; 5. Azimuth rotation mechanism; 51. Fixed support lug 2; 52. Movable support lug 2; 53. Servo motor 2; 54. Azimuth pivot; 6. Lifting mechanism; 61. Electric push rod; 62. Outer sleeve; 63. Inner sleeve; 631. Linear guide rail; 7. Photovoltaic panel; 81. Hull; 82. Sail; 83. Keel; 84. Counterweight; 85. Rudder. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings: Example 1, combined with Figure 1 to Figure 9 An adaptive tilt adjustment device for photovoltaic panels used on unmanned sailboats includes a support plate 1, a base 2, a pitch adjustment mechanism 3, a support arm 4, an azimuth rotation mechanism 5, a lifting mechanism 6, a photovoltaic panel 7, and a sensing and control unit. The deck surface of the unmanned sailboat has a square mounting opening. The support plate 1 is fixedly embedded in the deck of the unmanned sailboat. The bottom of the outer edge of the support plate 1 is fixedly and sealed to the deck of the unmanned sailboat. The base 2 is fixedly installed below the support plate 1 through a shell 21.

[0043] The base 2, pitch adjustment mechanism 3, support arm 4, and azimuth rotation mechanism 5 are all located inside the outer shell 21. The photovoltaic panel 7 is located above the support plate 1, and its bottom is movably connected to the azimuth rotation mechanism 5 through the lifting mechanism 6. The lifting mechanism 6 can drive the photovoltaic panel 7 to rise and fall relative to the support plate 1, adjust the height of the photovoltaic panel 7 to reduce the obstruction of the photovoltaic panel 7 by the unmanned sailboat's sails, masts, and other structures, and realize the folding or lowering of the photovoltaic panel 7 in bad sea conditions to improve safety.

[0044] Specifically, the support plate 1 is a square metal plate. The upper surface of the support plate 1 has a square groove 11 that matches the back plate of the photovoltaic panel 7. The lifting mechanism 6 can retract the support plate 1 into the inside of the square groove 11 to reduce wind load and structural impact, and to provide safety protection for the photovoltaic panel 7. In addition, a circular hole is provided in the center of the support plate 1. The outer shell 21 is a metal cylindrical structure with a closed bottom and an open top. The outer shell 21 is vertically arranged below the support plate 1, and its upper end passes through the inner side of the circular hole and is fixedly connected to the support plate 1.

[0045] The lifting mechanism 6 is located above the support arm 4. The lifting mechanism 6 includes a linear guide assembly and an electric push rod 61. The linear guide assembly includes an outer sleeve 62 and an inner sleeve 63. The lower part of the inner sleeve 63 is located inside the outer sleeve 62 and slides linearly with the inner wall of the outer sleeve 62. Both the outer sleeve 62 and the inner sleeve 63 are hollow metal rods. The inner sleeve 63 is inserted into the outer sleeve 62, and its upper end is located outside the outer sleeve 62. The outer sleeve 62 and the inner sleeve 63 form a sleeve-type guide structure, which restricts the photovoltaic panel 7 above the lifting mechanism 6 to move smoothly in the vertical direction and improves its resistance to lateral loads. The lifting mechanism 6 is equipped with a mechanical limit structure and / or a limit switch to limit the minimum and maximum heights.

[0046] The base 2 is fixed to the bottom of the outer shell 21. The upper port of the outer shell 21 is provided with a rubber elastic sealing sheet 22. An outer sleeve 62 passes through the center of the elastic sealing sheet 22, and its outer wall is fixedly and sealingly connected to the elastic sealing sheet 22. The outer edge of the elastic sealing sheet 22 is fixedly connected to the top of the base 2, thus sealing the internal space of the outer shell 21 and forming a sealed cavity to achieve waterproof sealing. This cavity is used to accommodate some transmission and electrical components and provides a waterproof cable passage structure. If necessary, reinforcing ribs or embedded parts can be provided on the outside of the outer shell 21 to improve the overall connection rigidity and fatigue resistance of the base 2, outer shell 21, and deck.

[0047] The inner wall of the outer sleeve 62 is provided with two guide grooves, which are symmetrically arranged about the axis of the outer sleeve 62. The cross-section of the guide grooves is square or dovetail-shaped. The outer wall of the inner sleeve 63 is provided with two linear guide rails 631 that match the guide grooves. The two linear guide rails 631 are located in the two guide grooves and slide linearly with the outer sleeve 62. The main body of the electric push rod 61 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the outer sleeve 62.

[0048] The photovoltaic panel 7 is located above the surface of the support plate 1. The electric push rod 61 is fixedly installed inside the outer sleeve 62 and is coaxially arranged with the outer sleeve 62 and the inner sleeve 63. The actuator of the electric push rod 61 is fixedly connected to the center position of the bottom of the back plate of the photovoltaic panel 7. The electric push rod 61 drives the photovoltaic panel 7 to rise or fall relative to the base 2, thereby adjusting the height of the photovoltaic panel 7. The motor of the electric push rod 61 is a servo motor. The signal end of the servo motor is connected to the sensing and control unit. The motor of the electric push rod 61 is equipped with an encoder or angle detection element. By obtaining the rotation angle of the output shaft of the electric push rod 61, the extension and retraction of the electric push rod 61 can be precisely controlled to balance the thrust, positioning accuracy and self-locking performance.

[0049] The sensing and control unit precisely controls the extension and retraction length of the electric push rod 61 through command signals, causing the inner sleeve 63 to generate axial displacement relative to the outer sleeve 62, thereby driving the photovoltaic panel 7 to achieve precise lifting and height adjustment.

[0050] The support arm 4 is a rigid metal connector. The lower end of the support arm 4 is rotatably connected to the top of the base 2 through the pitch adjustment mechanism 3. The pitch adjustment mechanism 3 drives the mechanical arm to swing longitudinally relative to the base 2, thereby adjusting the pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel 7 and realizing the forward or backward tilt adjustment of the photovoltaic panel 7 relative to the hull of the unmanned sailboat.

[0051] Specifically, the pitch adjustment mechanism 3 includes a fixed support lug 31, a movable support lug 32, and a servo motor 33. Both the fixed support lug 31 and the movable support lug 32 are cylindrical metal shells with one end closed and the other end open. The open ends of the fixed support lug 31 and the movable support lug 32 are opposite to each other and rotate coaxially. The bottom of the outer circumference of the fixed support lug 31 is fixedly connected to the top of the base 2, and the outer circumference of the movable support lug 32 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the support arm 4.

[0052] In addition, servo motor 33 is installed inside the fixed bracket 31. The output end of servo motor 33 is fixedly connected to movable bracket 32 ​​through pitch shaft 34. The pitch shaft 34 is arranged horizontally and is coaxial with the fixed bracket 31 and movable bracket 32. The other end of the pitch shaft 34 is fixedly connected to the closed end of movable bracket 32. The output end of servo motor 33 drives movable bracket 32 ​​to rotate through pitch shaft 34.

[0053] In operation, servo motor 33 drives movable lug 32 and support arm 4 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise relative to fixed lug 31 and base 2. The signal terminals of servo motor 33 and servo motor 53 are connected to the sensing and control unit. The sensing and control unit precisely controls the rotation direction and angle of the output shafts of servo motor 33 and servo motor 53 through command signals. At the same time, servo motor 33, servo motor 53 and electric push rod 61 are respectively equipped with encoders or angle detection elements to obtain the real-time values ​​of azimuth and pitch angles of photovoltaic panel 7 and feed them back to the sensing and control unit to realize closed-loop control of azimuth and pitch angles.

[0054] The lower end of the outer sleeve 62 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the support arm 4 through the azimuth rotation mechanism 5. The upper end of the inner sleeve 63 is fixedly connected to the bottom center of the support plate 1. The azimuth rotation mechanism 5 drives the lifting mechanism 6 to swing laterally relative to the base 2, adjusting the roll angle of the photovoltaic panel 7, so as to adjust the photovoltaic panel 7 to tilt left or right relative to the hull of the unmanned sailboat.

[0055] Specifically, the orientation rotation mechanism 5 includes a fixed support ear 2 51, a movable support ear 2 52, and a servo motor 2 53. The fixed support ear 2 51 is fixed to the upper end of the support arm 4, and the movable support ear 2 52 is located on one side of the fixed support ear 2 51 and rotates with it. The top of the movable support ear 2 52 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the outer sleeve 62.

[0056] Servo motor 2 53 is installed inside the fixed bracket 2 51. Its output end is fixedly connected to the movable bracket 2 52 through the azimuth rotating shaft 54. The azimuth rotating shaft 54 ​​and the pitch rotating shaft 34 are arranged in a perpendicular manner. In the working state, servo motor 2 53 drives the movable bracket 2 52 to rotate forward or backward.

[0057] The sensing and control unit includes a light sensing module, an attitude and positioning module, an environmental monitoring module, and a control and power supply module. The light sensing module includes multiple light sensors arranged in a regular array on the surface of the photovoltaic panel to detect the direction of sunlight and the area of ​​sunlight distributed on the photovoltaic panel, providing a shading determination function. f shadow The attitude positioning module provides input. It includes an inertial measurement unit, an electronic compass, and a GNSS positioning system, and is used to output the pitch angle, roll angle, heading angle, latitude and longitude of the unmanned sailboat, and the current time.

[0058] The environmental monitoring module, installed on the hull of the unmanned sailboat, includes wind speed and direction sensors, acceleration sensors, and raindrop sensors. It monitors wind speed, hull vibration, and rainfall, providing a basis for judging extreme operating conditions. The control and power module includes an embedded controller and power management system. It connects to the light sensing module, attitude and positioning module, environmental monitoring module, and control servo motors 33, 53, and 61. It performs data acquisition, solar position calculation, target attitude calculation, closed-loop control of the pitch adjustment mechanism 3, azimuth rotation mechanism 5, and lifting mechanism 6, and implements safety protection strategies. The control and power module uses... T ctrl To control the cycle, the tilt angle and height of the photovoltaic panels are periodically adjusted to achieve adaptive adjustment of the photovoltaic panels.

[0059] Example 2, combined with Figure 1 to Figure 11 An unmanned sailboat includes a hull 81, a counterweight 84, a rudder 85, and a sail 82. The deck surface of the hull 81 is equipped with two photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment devices as described in Embodiment 1. The sail 82 is vertically mounted above the middle of the hull 81 via a mast. The lower end of the mast passes through the deck of the hull 81 and is connected to the output end of a drive device located inside the hull 81. The drive device is communicatively connected to the shipboard control system and adjusts the attitude of the sail 82 in real time according to the unmanned sailboat's heading to provide driving force for the unmanned sailboat.

[0060] The counterweight lead block 84 has a spindle-shaped structure and is arranged horizontally and longitudinally below the hull 81. The upper surface of the counterweight lead block 84 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the hull 81 by the keel 83. The rudder 85 is located at the lower rear of the hull 81 and is used to adjust the sailing direction of the hull 81. The deck of the hull 81 has square mounting holes with the same number and corresponding positions as the photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device. The support plate 1 covers the corresponding square mounting holes on the deck and is fixedly and sealed with deck bolts. The outer shell 21 and its internal structure are located inside the hull. The photovoltaic panel 7 is located above the deck of the hull 81, which can realize adaptive adjustment of height and angle attitude, thereby improving the utilization rate of solar energy and ensuring navigation safety. The unmanned sailboat equipped with the photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device realizes the three-degree-of-freedom adaptive adjustment function of photovoltaic panel height increase, azimuth angle and pitch angle.

[0061] Example 3: A method for adaptive adjustment of photovoltaic panel tilt angle for unmanned sailboats, based on the unmanned sailboat equipped with the aforementioned adaptive photovoltaic panel tilt angle adjustment device in Example 2. The adaptive adjustment method includes the following steps: Step 1: Initialize the system and acquire the current geographical location data, ship attitude data and environmental monitoring data. The photovoltaic panel outputs voltage, current and power. The sensing and control unit outputs the current azimuth angle, current pitch angle and current height data of the photovoltaic panel. The light intensity or light direction information is output by the light sensor module. Step 2: Calculate the solar altitude angle at the current moment based on the acquired data. β sun and solar azimuth α sun .

[0062] The solar altitude angle β sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, lat The latitude of the location d sun The solar declination angle, oh hour Solar hour angle; Sun azimuth α sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, α sun This is the solar azimuth angle.

[0063] Step 3: Calculate the target attitude of the photovoltaic panel based on the attitude and the pitch angle output by the positioning module. i ship Roll angle F ship and heading angle ψ ship And combined with the solar altitude angle β sun and solar azimuth α sun The solar direction vector is calculated; The control and power module transforms the solar direction vector from the geographic coordinate system to the ship's coordinate system, obtaining the projection component of the solar direction vector in the ship's forward direction. S x,ship , the projected component of the starboard direction of the hull S y,ship Projection component in the vertical direction of the hull S z,ship Based on this, the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel is calculated. target and target pitch angle i target ; The target azimuth angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, target Let be the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the direction of the ship's movement, and atan2(y, x) be the two-parameter arctangent function; The target pitch angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, i target The target pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the horizontal plane of the ship's hull; S x,ship The component along the direction of the ship's movement. S y,ship This is the component along the starboard side of the hull. S z,ship This is the component along the vertical upward direction of the hull; Step 4: Decision-making and setting of target height for photovoltaic panel lifting. h current This is the current height of the photovoltaic panel. h nominal This is the recommended working height under normal operating conditions. h max The maximum height allowed by the lifting mechanism. Dh The allowable height increment for a single lift. f shadow This is the occlusion determination function, which reflects the degree of occlusion. T shadow The threshold for determining occlusion. d shadow For occlusion indicator variables; d shadow This can be represented as a piecewise function as follows: When the occlusion determination function satisfies f shadow ≥ T shadow At that time, it was assumed that there were shading areas on the photovoltaic panels, and the shading indicator variable was used. d shadow It takes the value 1, otherwise it takes the value 0; where, f shadow It can be calculated based on the output of the light sensor, the geometric occlusion model, or a combination of both. If the photovoltaic panel 7 is obstructed, in order to reduce the obstruction to the photovoltaic panel 7, it is necessary to consider increasing the height by one step from the current height. Dh However, the height of photovoltaic panel 7 must not exceed the maximum height. h max ; The formula for calculating the improved candidate height is: In the formula, h upTo improve the candidate height, h current Current altitude; Considering both shading and non-shading scenarios, firstly, the target height of the photovoltaic panel is defined as... h target Target height h target The calculation formula is expressed as: Among them, the occlusion indicator variable d shadow Used to indicate whether there is currently an obstruction; If there is an obstruction, that is d shadow =1, then the target height h target Get the improved candidate height h up ; If there is no obstruction, that is =0, then the target height is the recommended working height. h nominal ; Step 5: When the photovoltaic panel is unobstructed and the ambient wind speed and ship attitude are within a safe range, based on the photovoltaic panel's attitude adjusted to the target azimuth and pitch angles, the attitude of the photovoltaic panel is fine-tuned based on power feedback with the output power of the photovoltaic panel as the indicator. Specifically, the steps for fine-tuning the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel are as follows: First, set target,0 The current target azimuth angle is obtained through geometric calculation; D >0 represents a single azimuth fine-tuning step size, then the trial azimuth angles along the positive and negative directions are defined as follows: ; set up P 0 represents the azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel. target,0 Output power at that time, setting P 1 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time, setting P 2 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time ΔP min >0 is the minimum power increment threshold for determining a significant power increase; Define two increments as shown in the following equation: According to power increment ΔP 1 and ΔP Based on the relationship between the magnitudes of two numbers, fine-tune the target azimuth angle; let the fine-tuned target azimuth angle be... target,1 ,but target,1 Write it as a piecewise function as follows:

[0064] When the power increase in both trial directions is less than the threshold ΔP min When the test power in one direction increases significantly and is not lower than that in another direction, the target azimuth is adjusted by one step along that direction. D ; The same method was used to optimize and fine-tune the target's pitch angle.

[0065] Step Six: Safe Retraction Control under Extreme Operating Conditions. When the environmental monitoring module detects that the wind speed exceeds the preset safety threshold, or the attitude and positioning module detects that the ship's roll angle or pitch angle exceeds the allowable range, the control and power module adjusts the attitude and height of the photovoltaic panels via commands to bring them into a safe retraction mode. The photovoltaic panel retraction control logic includes: adjusting the target pitch angle... i target Set the target azimuth angle to a safe angle that is close to horizontal or slightly close to the deck. target Set the direction with the smallest windward area for the photovoltaic panel, and set the target height. h target The minimum height is set so that the lifting mechanism lowers the photovoltaic panel to the lowest position. After the actuator with angle and height detection completes its operation according to the target value, the self-locking function of the actuator keeps the photovoltaic panel in the retracted state and stops further tracking and control.

[0066] When the ambient wind speed and hull attitude return to a safe range, and the control and power module issues a release protection command, the control and power module unlocks and re-executes the adaptive adjustment process of steps one to five, restoring the photovoltaic panel from the retracted mode to its normal working posture and working height.

[0067] For any parts not mentioned in this invention, existing technologies can be used or referenced.

[0068] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0069] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0070] Of course, the above description is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the examples given above. Any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats, characterized in that, It includes a support plate, a base, a pitch adjustment mechanism, a support arm, an azimuth rotation mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a photovoltaic panel, and a sensing and control unit. The support plate is fixedly embedded in the deck of the unmanned sailboat, and the base is fixedly installed below the support plate through a shell. The lower end of the support arm is rotatably connected to the top of the base through the pitch adjustment mechanism. The pitch adjustment mechanism drives the mechanical arm to swing longitudinally relative to the base to adjust the pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel. The lifting mechanism is located above the support arm. The lifting mechanism includes a linear guide assembly and an electric push rod. The linear guide assembly includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The lower part of the inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and slides linearly with the inner sidewall of the outer sleeve. The lower end of the outer sleeve is rotatably connected to the upper end of the support arm through an orientation rotation mechanism, and the upper end of the inner sleeve is fixedly connected to the bottom of the back plate of the photovoltaic panel. The orientation rotation mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to swing laterally relative to the base to adjust the roll angle of the photovoltaic panel. The electric push rod is fixedly installed inside the outer sleeve. The actuator of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the back panel of the photovoltaic panel. The electric push rod drives the photovoltaic panel to rise or fall relative to the base, thereby adjusting the height of the photovoltaic panel. The sensing and control unit includes a light sensing module, an attitude and positioning module, an environmental monitoring module, and a control and power module. The light sensing module includes multiple light sensors arranged regularly on a photovoltaic panel. The attitude and positioning module includes an inertial measurement unit, an electronic compass, and a GNSS positioning system. The control and power module includes an embedded controller and a power management system.

2. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate is a square metal plate with a square groove on its upper surface that is adapted to the photovoltaic panel. The lifting mechanism can gather the photovoltaic panel into the square groove of the support plate.

3. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 1, characterized in that, A circular hole is provided at the center of the support plate. The outer shell is a metal cylindrical structure with a closed bottom and an open top. The outer shell is arranged vertically below the support plate, and its upper end passes through the inner side of the circular hole and is fixedly connected to the support plate.

4. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base is fixed to the bottom of the outer shell, and the upper port of the outer shell is provided with an elastic sealing sheet made of rubber. The outer sleeve passes through the center of the elastic sealing sheet, and its outer wall is fixedly and sealed to the elastic sealing sheet. The outer edge of the elastic sealing sheet is fixedly and sealed to the top of the base, thus sealing the internal space of the outer shell.

5. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the outer sleeve is provided with two guide grooves, which are symmetrically arranged about the axis of the outer sleeve. The cross-section of the guide groove is square or dovetail-shaped. The outer wall of the inner sleeve is provided with two linear guide rails that match the guide groove. The two linear guide rails are located in the two guide grooves and slide linearly with the outer sleeve. The main body of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the lower part of the outer sleeve.

6. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pitch adjustment mechanism includes a fixed support, a movable support, and a servo motor. The fixed support is fixed to the top of the base, and the movable support is located on one side of the fixed support and rotates with it. The top of the movable support is fixedly connected to the lower end of the support arm. A servo motor is installed inside the fixed bracket, and its output end is fixedly connected to the movable bracket via a pitch shaft. The pitch shaft is arranged horizontally. In operation, the servo motor drives the movable bracket to rotate forward or backward.

7. The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to claim 6, characterized in that, The orientation rotation mechanism includes a fixed support ear 2, a movable support ear 2, and a servo motor 2. The fixed support ear 2 is fixed to the upper end of the support arm, and the movable support ear 2 is located on one side of the fixed support ear 2 and rotates with it. The top of the movable support ear 2 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the outer sleeve. Servo motor 2 is installed inside fixed bracket 2, and its output end is fixedly connected to movable bracket 2 through azimuth rotating shaft. The azimuth rotating shaft and pitch rotating shaft are arranged in a non-plane perpendicular manner. In the working state, servo motor 2 drives movable bracket 2 to rotate forward or reverse.

8. A method for adaptive adjustment of the tilt angle of photovoltaic panels for unmanned sailboats, characterized in that, The photovoltaic panel tilt angle adaptive adjustment device for unmanned sailboats according to any one of claims 1-7 includes the following steps: Step 1: Initialize the system and acquire the current geographical location data, ship attitude data and environmental monitoring data. The photovoltaic panel outputs voltage, current and power. The sensing and control unit outputs the current azimuth angle, current pitch angle and current height data of the photovoltaic panel. The light intensity or light direction information is output by the light sensor module. Step 2: Calculate the solar altitude angle at the current moment based on the acquired data. β sun and solar azimuth α sun , Step 3: Calculate the target attitude of the photovoltaic panel based on the attitude and the pitch angle output by the positioning module. θ ship Roll angle Φ ship and heading angle ψ ship And combined with the solar altitude angle β sun and solar azimuth α sun The solar direction vector is calculated; The control and power module transforms the solar direction vector from the geographic coordinate system to the ship's coordinate system, obtaining the projection component of the solar direction vector in the ship's forward direction. S x,ship , the projected component of the starboard direction of the hull S y,ship Projection component in the vertical direction of the hull S z,ship Based on this, the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel is calculated. target and target pitch angle θ target ; The target azimuth angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, target Let be the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the direction of the ship's movement, and atan2(y, x) be the two-parameter arctangent function; The target pitch angle is calculated using the following formula: In the formula, θ target The target pitch angle of the photovoltaic panel relative to the horizontal plane of the ship's hull; S x,ship The component along the direction of the ship's movement. S y,ship This is the component along the starboard side of the hull. S z,ship This is the component along the vertical upward direction of the hull; Step 4: Decision-making and setting of target height for photovoltaic panel lifting. h current This is the current height of the photovoltaic panel. h nominal This is the recommended working height under normal operating conditions. h max The maximum height allowed by the lifting mechanism. Δh The allowable height increment for a single lift. f shadow This is the occlusion determination function, which reflects the degree of occlusion. T shadow The threshold for determining occlusion. δ shadow For occlusion indicator variables; δ shadow This can be represented as a piecewise function as follows: When the occlusion determination function satisfies f shadow ≥ T shadow At that time, it was assumed that there were shading areas on the photovoltaic panels, and the shading indicator variable was used. δ shadow It takes the value 1, otherwise it takes the value 0; where, f shadow It can be calculated based on the output of the light sensor, the geometric occlusion model, or a combination of both. If the photovoltaic panels are obstructed, to reduce the obstruction, it is necessary to consider increasing the height by one increment from the current height. Δh However, it must not exceed the maximum height. h max ; The formula for calculating the improved candidate height is: In the formula, h up To improve the candidate height, h current Current altitude; Considering both shading and non-shading scenarios, firstly, the target height of the photovoltaic panel is defined as... h target Target height h target The calculation formula is expressed as: Among them, the occlusion indicator variable δ shadow Used to indicate whether there is currently an obstruction; If there is an obstruction, that is δ shadow =1, then the target height h target Get the improved candidate height h up ; If there is no obstruction, that is =0, then the target height is the recommended working height. h nominal ; Step 5: When the photovoltaic panel is unobstructed, the ambient wind speed, and the ship's attitude are all within a safe range, based on the photovoltaic panel's attitude adjusted to the target azimuth and target pitch angles, and using power feedback with the photovoltaic panel's output power as an indicator, the target azimuth and target pitch angles of the photovoltaic panel are optimized and fine-tuned. Step 6, Safety retraction control under extreme conditions: When the environmental monitoring module detects that the wind speed exceeds the preset safety threshold, or the attitude and positioning module detects that the hull roll angle and pitch angle exceed the allowable range, the control and power module adjusts the attitude and height of the photovoltaic panel through commands to put it into the safety retraction mode. When the ambient wind speed and hull attitude return to a safe range, and the control and power module issues a release protection command, the control and power module unlocks and re-executes the adaptive adjustment process of steps one to five, restoring the photovoltaic panels from the retracted mode to their normal working attitude and height.

9. The method for adaptive adjustment of photovoltaic panel tilt angle for unmanned sailboats according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step two, the solar altitude angle β sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, lat The latitude of the location δ sun The solar declination angle, ω hour Solar hour angle; Sun azimuth α sun The calculation formula is as follows: In the formula, α sun This is the solar azimuth angle.

10. A method for adaptive adjustment of photovoltaic panel tilt angle for unmanned sailboats according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step five, the steps for optimizing and fine-tuning the target azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel are as follows; First, set target,0 The current target azimuth angle is obtained through geometric calculation; Δ >0 represents a single azimuth fine-tuning step size, then the trial azimuth angles along the positive and negative directions are defined as follows: ; set up P 0 represents the azimuth angle of the photovoltaic panel. target,0 Output power at that time, setting P 1 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time, setting P 2 represents the photovoltaic panel at the test azimuth angle. Output power at that time ΔP min >0 is the minimum power increment threshold for determining a significant power increase; Define two increments as shown in the following equation: According to power increment ΔP 1 and ΔP Based on the relationship between the magnitudes of two numbers, fine-tune the target azimuth angle; let the fine-tuned target azimuth angle be... target,1 ,but target,1 Write it as a piecewise function as follows: ; When the power increase in both trial directions is less than the threshold ΔP min At the same time, keep the original target azimuth unchanged; When the test power in one direction increases significantly and is not lower than that in another direction, adjust the target azimuth angle by one step along that direction. Δ ; The same method was used to optimize and fine-tune the target's pitch angle.

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