Method for controlling RPM of ship engine on basis of control server and control server therefor

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a method of controlling a revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of a ship based on a control server.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling the revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine in a ship that uses the engine as a power source, and more particularly, to a method of controlling the RPM of an engine of a ship through a new component, that is, a control server, and a server for implementing the method.Background Art

[0002] Although the number of ships based on electric motors has increased recently, ships traditionally use an engine as a power source. In particular, a cargo ship, which is a type of ship that transports cargo, has a weight ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of tons, and due to the nature of its movement on water, it is difficult to introduce innovative technology to a method of changing (accelerating or decelerating) the engine speed.

[0003] For example, whereas the moving speed of an automobile used on land may be changed by a simple numerical input, it is difficult for a ship to freely change its current speed (i.e., the RPM of an engine in the ship) due to the ship's weight and the buoyancy properties of water as a medium of movement.

[0004] Furthermore, due to the above-mentioned characteristics, it is significantly difficult to build a new control system to add a certain function to the ship control functions, however, as there is a need to utilize ever-advancing electronic systems for ship control, various attempts have been made to add new or improved functions to the ship control functions.Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[0005] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method of controlling a revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of a ship based on a control server, and a control server for implementing the method.Solution to Problem

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes: selecting, based on an input for changing a revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of a ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM; receiving condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, and determining suitability of the received condition information; and transmitting, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

[0007] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a device includes: a communication unit configured to perform control to enable communication with an external device; a memory storing at least one program; and a processor configured to execute the at least one program to perform an operation, wherein the processor is further configured to select, based on an input for changing an RPM of an engine of the ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM, receive condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, determine suitability of the received condition information, and transmit, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

[0008] Another embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for executing the method.Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, by simply installing only a new module on a ship while using a related-art ship control system as is, an overriding control command that is compatible with the existing control system may be provided.

[0010] In addition, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an engine with an optimal revolutions per minute (RPM) that may improve the operational efficiency of the ship, while minimizing additional installation costs.Brief Description of Drawings

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of an engine-based ship to which the present disclosure may be applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating another example of an entire system of the ship of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a block diagram for describing an example of an overriding system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control server according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method according to the present disclosure. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes: selecting, based on an input for changing a revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of a ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM; receiving condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, and determining suitability of the received condition information; and transmitting, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

[0013] In the method, the detecting of the input may be performed by a control server that is additionally installed on the ship.

[0014] In the method, the determining of the suitability of the received condition information may include receiving the condition information from a bridge maneuvering system (BMS) that is connected to the engine and has received the selected RPM.

[0015] In the method, the condition information may include at least one of a current engine RPM of the ship, a target RPM for the ship, and status information about the engine.

[0016] In the method, based on the condition information including the status information, the status information may include at least one of: history information about whether a slow-down and a shut-down of the engine have occurred; information for indicating whether an inner state of the engine is a normal state; information about an input entity for an accelerator of the engine; information about whether an allowable RPM range for the engine has been complied with; and information about whether a deviation between the current RPM of the engine and an RPM to be achieved is greater than a preset value when a change is made from the current RPM to the RPM to be achieved.

[0017] In the method, based on the condition information including, as the status information, the information about the input entity for the accelerator of the engine, the input entity may be any one of a captain of the ship and a crew member of the ship.

[0018] In the method, based on the condition information including, as the status information, the information about whether the allowable RPM range for the engine has been complied with, the status information may include history information about an event where the engine has exceeded the preset allowable RPM range.

[0019] In the method, based on the condition information including, as the status information, the information for indicating whether the inner state of the engine is the normal state, the inner state of the engine may be any one of the normal state and an abnormal state.

[0020] In the method, the determining of the suitability of the received condition information may include, based on a lifespan of the engine not being affected, determining that the condition information is suitable.

[0021] In the method, the selecting of the RPM that is different from the current RPM may include selecting the different RPM based on collected weather information.

[0022] The method may be implemented by the control server performing communication with an interface device of the engine, and the method may further include continuously checking, by the control server and the interface device, a communication state through communication state check modules.

[0023] In the method, the communication state check modules may be included in the control server and the interface device, respectively.

[0024] In the method, the transmitting of the control command corresponding to the selected RPM may include, based on determining that the received condition information is not suitable, refraining from transmitting the control command.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a device includes: a communication unit configured to perform control to enable communication with an external device; a memory storing at least one program; and a processor configured to execute the at least one program to perform an operation, wherein the processor is further configured to select, based on an input for changing an RPM of an engine of the ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM, receive condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, determine suitability of the received condition information, and transmit, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

[0026] Another embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for executing the method.Mode for the Invention

[0027] As the present disclosure allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. The effects and features of the present disclosure and methods of achieving them will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be implemented in various forms.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals when described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and thus, their descriptions that are already provided will be omitted.

[0029] In the following embodiments, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish one component from another, and such components must not be limited by these terms.

[0030] In the following embodiments, the singular form is intended to include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0031] In the following embodiments, the terms "comprise," "include," "have," and the like specify the presence of stated features or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features or components.

[0032] When a certain embodiment may be differently implemented, particular operations may be performed differently from the sequence described herein. For example, two processes, which are successively described herein, may be substantially simultaneously performed, or may be performed in a process sequence opposite to a described process sequence.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of an engine-based ship to which the present disclosure may be applied.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that a ship 1 includes a wheelhouse 10, a control room 20, and an engine room 30. FIG. 1 illustrates only components necessary for the ship 1 to which the present disclosure is applied, but an actual ship 1 to which the present disclosure is applied may, of course, include other components in addition to those illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0035] The wheelhouse 10 is a physical space where the ship 1 is steered and managed, and the wheelhouse 10 includes a plurality of pieces of equipment and panels for efficiently managing and controlling the ship's operation. Referring to FIG. 1, a bridge display panel (BDP) unit, a thruster control panel, and a telegraph logger are arranged in the wheelhouse 10.

[0036] The BDP unit is a device that displays and manages various pieces of data in the wheelhouse of the ship. The BDP unit may visually provide various pieces of information about the ship's operation to a captain or crew member on board the ship, such that a crew member in the wheelhouse 10 may identify the ship's status in real time and promptly take necessary actions. The BDP unit may display, as engine-related information, revolutions per minute (RPM) information and conditions under which an override is possible. Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, the wheelhouse 10 may further include an additional display, which may be connected to a control server 400, which will be described below, to display various pieces of important data regarding a radar, a navigation system, engine status, speed, route information, and the like.

[0037] The thruster control panel is a device that controls thrusters of the ship 1. A thruster is mainly used for precise position adjustment or berthing of the ship 1, and may be used to finely adjust the direction of the ship 1. The thruster control panel is generally designed to be able to simultaneously control a plurality of thrusters (e.g., a bow thruster or a stern thruster).

[0038] The telegraph logger is a device that records engine commands and actual engine responses in the ship 1. When the captain or another crew member in the wheelhouse issues a specific command (e.g., to move ahead or astern, or to accelerate or decelerate) to the engine, this command is recorded in the telegraph logger, and the engine's actual response is also recorded in the telegraph logger. Information recorded in the telegraph logger may play an important role in helping the captain or a crew member maintain a log of the ship's operation and analyze the log when a problem occurs.

[0039] The control room 20 is a physical space where major systems of the ship 1 are controlled and monitored, and an engine, a generator, and various electrical systems of the ship 1 may be managed through the control room 20. Referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that a control display panel (CDP) unit and a governor control unit are arranged in the control room 20.

[0040] The CDP unit of FIG. 1 is a CDP that monitors and controls the status of various systems and pieces of equipment of the ship 1. By displaying various pieces of data in real time in the control room 20, the CDP unit enables crew members in the control room 20 to comprehensively identify the status of the ship 1. The CDP unit includes a plurality of monitors, and various pieces of information is displayed on each monitor, such as the ship's engine status, fuel consumption, electrical systems, fire alarm, or pump status. In addition, through this panel, a crew member working in the control room 20 may remotely control the major systems of the ship 1 or, when necessary, check an alarm and take appropriate actions.

[0041] The governor control unit of FIG. 1 is a panel that controls a governor, which adjusts the engine speed of the ship. The governor has a function of keeping the RPM of the engine constant or adjusting the RPM as necessary, and this function of the governor is essential for efficient engine operation, fuel consumption optimization, and overall power management.

[0042] In FIG. 1, the engine room 30 refers to a physical space where an engineer (crew member) on board the ship 1 may control and monitor an engine and a power system of the ship 1, and Fuel Injection Valve Actuator - Intelligent (FIVA-I), a multi-purpose controller (MPC), Exhaust gas Analyzer - Recorder 120 (EAR-120), a hydraulic valve, a power management system (PMS), a local operating panel (LOP), and an inductive sensor are arranged in the engine room 30.

[0043] The FIVA-I in the engine room 30 is a device that controls an electronic fuel injection valve. The FIVA-I may precisely adjust the amount of fuel entering each cylinder of the engine, thereby maintaining optimal combustion and maximizing engine efficiency. In "FIVA-I", the term "Intelligent" indicates that the FIVA-I may automatically adjust the optimal fuel injection according to engine operating conditions. That is, by controlling the fuel injection timing and amount for the engine, the FIVA-I plays an important role in increasing combustion efficiency and minimizing exhaust gas, thereby making it possible to optimize the performance of the engine of the ship 1, reduce the fuel consumption of the ship 1, and comply with environmental regulations.

[0044] The MPC and the MPC-10 in the engine room 30 refer to MPCs. The MPC and the MPC-10 are multi-purpose control devices that monitor and control various systems of the engine of the ship 1, and may monitor various parameters such as the temperature, pressure, or speed of the engine in real time, and automatically perform control or generate an alarm as necessary.

[0045] The PMS in the engine room 30 is a device that manages a power system of the ship 1. The PMS may monitor the power demand of the ship 1 and distribute the load of a generator evenly, thereby maintaining the stability of the power supply. In addition, the PMS may automatically adjust the operation or stoppage of the generator as necessary to prevent a power oversupply or a power shortage from occurring within the ship 1.

[0046] The LOP in the engine room 30 is a panel for on-site control of a specific engine system or device. By providing an interface that allows an engineer on board the ship 1 to directly manipulate a specific piece of equipment or system within the engine room 30 or to monitor the overall status, the LOP enables rapid manipulation of some systems of the ship 1, thereby improving the speed of maintenance and emergency responses.

[0047] The EAR-120 in the engine room 30 is a device that analyzes and records the exhaust gas of the engine of the ship 1. The EAR-120 may evaluate the engine's combustion state and emission level by monitoring, in real time, major components (e.g., NO x , SO x , or CO 2 ) in the exhaust gas. That is, the EAR-120 may help ensure that the values of various substances emitted from the ship 1 comply with environmental regulations, and may provide information to an engineer (crew member) on board the ship 1 to improve fuel efficiency by analyzing the engine's combustion efficiency.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the entire system of the ship described above with reference to FIG. 1.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 2, it may be seen that a ship to which a method of controlling the RPM of an engine according to the present disclosure is applied includes a bridge 10, the control room 20, and the engine room 30. In FIG. 2, the bridge 10, the control room 20, and the engine room 30 are considered to be the same as, or to refer to spaces included in, the wheelhouse 10, the control room 20, and the engine room 30 described above with reference to FIG. 1, and hereinafter, descriptions will be made with reference to FIG. 1, and redundant descriptions provided above with reference to FIG. 1 will be omitted.

[0050] The bridge 10 of FIG. 2 may include a BDP unit 11, a telegraph transmitter 13, and an overriding system 100. The BDP unit 11 has been described above with reference to FIG. 1, and the telegraph transmitter 13 refers to equipment for communication between the bridge 10 and the control room 20.

[0051] In FIG. 2, the overriding system 100 generates a control command for changing the engine's RPM and transmits the control command according to suitability, according to the present disclosure. The overriding system 100 may include an L2 switching hub 101, a firewall 103, and the control server 400.

[0052] The L2 switching hub 101 refers to a device that performs the function of a network gateway such that communication between the control server 400 and an H&R-M(Hub & RPM unit-Master) 24 is selectively switched, and according to an embodiment, the L2 switching hub 101 may be implemented in the form of software rather than hardware and included in the control server 400.

[0053] The firewall 103 refers to a device that performs the function of improving security by setting a network policy for the overriding system 100, and according to an embodiment, the firewall 103 may be implemented in the form of software rather than hardware and included in the control server 400. The firewall 103 may perform a firewall function that improves security.

[0054] The control server 400 is a server that performs the overall function of the overriding system 100, and the control server 400 may control the ship 1 by generating an overriding control command that is compatible with an existing control system, while still maintaining the existing control system necessary for driving and maintaining the ship 1. The function of the control server 400 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0055] Next, the control room 20 of FIG. 2 includes a CDP unit 21, a telegraph transmitter 22, and a bridge maneuvering system (BMS) 23. The CDP unit 21 is the same as that described above with reference to FIG. 1, and the telegraph transmitter 22 refers to equipment for communication between the bridge 10 and the control room 20, similar to the telegraph transmitter 13 in the bridge 10 described above.

[0056] In FIG. 2, the BMS 23 is an abbreviation for bridge maneuvering system and may collect data for controlling the operation of the ship 1 and generate a control command, and referring to FIG. 2, it may be seen that the BMS 23 includes the H&R-M 24, an H&R-S 25, a distributed central processing unit (D-CPU) unit 26, a control terminal block (CTB) unit 27, and a safety shutdown device (SHD) unit 28, but is not limited thereto. The H&R-M 24, the H&R-S 25, the D-CPU unit 26, the CTB unit 27, and the SHD unit 28 included in the BMS 23 may be physical modules or, according to an embodiment, may be logical modules.

[0057] For example, the H&R-M 24, the H&R-S 25, the D-CPU unit 26, the CTB unit 27, and the SHD unit 28 may each be an individually separated and implemented microprocessor. As another example, the H&R-M 24, the H&R-S 25, the D-CPU unit 26, the CTB unit 27, and the SHD unit 28 may be five logical modules, each with a different function, that are all processed by a single processor, and in this case, the H&R-M 24, the H&R-S 25, the D-CPU unit 26, the CTB unit 27, and the SHD unit 28 may be implemented as at least one application.

[0058] Although not illustrated in FIG. 2, the BMS 23 may further include a display panel and a telegraph.

[0059] In FIG. 2, the BMS 23 may be involved in the engine control of the ship 1. The BMS 23 may receive a command (CMD) for changing the engine's RPM from the overriding system 100 or, conversely, may receive status information about the engine from the overriding system 100. To communicate with the overriding system 100 and perform engine control, the BMS 23 may include a total of two checkers, an operational envelope checker and a communication checker, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 3.

[0060] In FIG. 2, the H&R-M 24 is a system that is connected to an engine speed sensor that senses the engine's RPM, so as to identify the operating state of the engine. In the present disclosure, the H&R-M 24 may, while communicating with the overriding system 100 of the bridge 10, generate necessary information when there is a control command to change the engine's RPM.

[0061] In FIG. 2, the H&R-S 25 is a system that is connected to an engine speed sensor that senses the engine's RPM, so as to identify the operating state of the engine, together with the H&R-M 24.

[0062] In FIG. 2, the D-CPU unit 26 is a system that performs a central processing role in the ship's control system. The D-CPU unit 26 may maintain the stability and efficiency of the entire system by collecting and processing data from various sensors, control devices, and systems in the ship. In detail, the D-CPU unit 26 may integrate various systems to allow multiple parts of the ship to efficiently interact with each other, so as to perform coordination among various systems such as an engine, a generator, or a power management system.

[0063] In FIG. 2, the CTB unit 27 may perform the function of a CTB unit that connects and distributes signals and power in the ship's control system. The CTB unit 27 serves as an important interface that connects the components of the control system to each other such that they may communicate with each other and receive power appropriately, and the CTB unit 27 may be included in and operate as part of a BMS 200, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. Because the CTB unit 27 performs the function of centrally managing the power and signals of various systems included in the ship, an engineer may easily disconnect or connect a specific device or circuit through the CTB unit 27 during maintenance work on a specific system of the ship. That is, the CTB unit 27 may contribute to improving the safety and reliability of the entire system.

[0064] In FIG. 2, the SHD unit 28 is a device that measures and displays, in real time, the shaft horsepower generated from a propulsion shaft, and may be referred to as a shaft horsepower display unit. An output value displayed on the SHD unit 28 represents the force used by the engine to turn a propeller.

[0065] The engine room 30 of FIG. 2 refers to a physical location or space, other than the bridge 10 and the control room 20 described above, from which a control command may be issued to the ship, and may include a local operating box 31, an emergency switchboard (ES) unit 33, and sensors 35. The local operating box 31 refers to a box-type panel that is arranged in various places on the ship and may, in exceptional cases, issue a control command directly to the ship when a control command cannot be issued from the bridge 10 or the control room 20. The ES unit 33 is an emergency switchboard unit and refers to a device that manages the ship's emergency power, and the sensors 35 refer to sensors connected to the H&R-M 24, the H&R-S 25, and the SHD unit 28.

[0066] FIG. 2 is a diagram comprehensively illustrating the connection relationships and communication architecture of all control systems included in the ship and the sub-modules included in those systems. In particular, the overriding system 100 is a system newly added to the bridge 10 and, while establishing a new communication channel with the H&R-M 24 separately from the BDP unit 11 and exchanging data, may perform a suitability determination for a control command to change the engine's RPM. The operation of the overriding system 100 as described above has the advantage that it may significantly improve the ship's operational efficiency while minimizing installation costs by using the existing ship system.

[0067] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a block diagram for describing an example of an overriding system according to the present disclosure.

[0068] Hereinafter, for convenience of descriptions, descriptions will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and redundant descriptions provided above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 will be omitted.

[0069] FIG. 3 illustrates a data flow among the control server 400, the BMS 200, and an engine 300.

[0070] The control server 400 of FIG. 3 may logically include an RPM optimizer 431 and a core software (S / W) 433.

[0071] The RPM optimizer 431 may derive an optimized RPM value for achieving an optimal speed in knots for the ship, based on a result of collecting / analyzing various pieces of basic data. For example, the RPM optimizer 431 may derive an optimized RPM value for achieving an optimal speed in knots for the ship, based on weather conditions around the currently operating ship and future weather information collected from a meteorological agency, automatic identification system (AIS) data, or the like. As another example, the RPM optimizer 431 may also derive an optimal speed in knots for the ship to satisfy regulations for a specific operating area (e.g., the Energy Transition Accelerator).

[0072] In FIG. 3, it may be seen that the RPM optimizer 431 has derived an optimized RPM value for the engine, referred to as "RPM 2".

[0073] The core S / W 433 refers to core software that manages the overall operation of the overriding system 100. That is, the core S / W 433 may be implemented as an application that is stored in a digital storage device to be called and executed by a processor, and may be driven when there is a need to change the engine's RPM.

[0074] The BMS 200 refers to a bridge maneuvering system and may interact with the overriding system 100 while in communication with it, and may generate and transmit, to the overriding system 100, information corresponding to a request from the overriding system 100. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the BMS 23 may include a total of two checkers, an operational envelope checker and a communication checker, to communicate with the overriding system 100 and perform engine control.

[0075] The BMS 200 may be understood as an interface device between the overriding system 100 and the engine 300, and to assist a process of the overriding system 100, the BMS 200 may perform the function of receiving a control command for the engine 300 or generating status information about the engine 300.

[0076] The engine 300 refers to a power source of the ship. Various sensors installed in the engine 300 may periodically or aperiodically transmit, to the BMS 200, raw data for generating status information about the engine 300.

[0077] An example of a method of changing an engine's RPM will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 in chronological order. Hereinafter, a user is considered to be a captain or a crew member on board the ship 1, who is an administrator having authority to access various systems of the ship 1.

[0078] First, in operation ①, the core S / W 433 may sense an input for changing the RPM of the ship's engine and request an RPM from the RPM optimizer 431. Here, the input for changing the RPM of the ship's engine may be in various forms. For example, the user may, through an input device of the overriding system 100, directly apply an input to change the engine's RPM to an RPM different from the current RPM. As another example, the core S / W 433 may detect a sudden change in weather information and, as a result of the detection, automatically generate a request to change the engine's RPM without a user input.

[0079] In operation ②, the RPM optimizer 431 may derive an optimized RPM value, which is different from the current RPM of the engine, considering the current situation (e.g., weather conditions), process the derived result into the form of a command (CMD), and transmit the command to the core S / W 433. The command (CMD) form may be processed according to the manufacturer of the engine 300. Here, the optimized value is considered to be "RPM 2". Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the core S / W 433 may transmit "RPM 2", which has been derived in operation ②, to the BMS 200.

[0080] In operation ③, the core S / W 433 may receive, from the BMS 200, condition information for changing the engine's RPM to "RPM 2". Here, the condition information refers to information that includes all conditions necessary to change the current RPM of the engine to "RPM 2".

[0081] The BMS 200 collects and stores various pieces of information about the engine to generate the condition information. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the condition information may include at least one of a main engine RPM of the ship, a set RPM of the ship, and status information about the engine. Here, the main engine RPM of the ship refers to the current RPM of the ship's engine, and the set RPM of the ship refers to a target RPM to which the current RPM is to be changed. Various pieces of information may be included in the status information about the engine.

[0082] In particular, as a first embodiment, when the condition information includes status information about the engine, the status information about the engine may include history information about whether a slow-down and a shut-down of the ship's engine have occurred. In this case, a total of four types of history information may be generated and included in the status information about the engine, depending on whether a slow-down or a shut-down of the engine has occurred.

[0083] As a second embodiment, when the condition information includes status information about the engine, the status information about the engine may include information for indicating whether an inner state of the engine is a normal state. The information for indicating whether the inner state of the engine is a normal state may be "RCS Normal", and the BMS 200 determines the state as one of two main types (a normal state or an abnormal state) based on sensing values from various sensors installed in the engine, and stores the determination result.

[0084] As a third embodiment, when the condition information includes status information about the engine, the status information about the engine may include information about an input entity for the engine's accelerator. To change the engine's RPM, it is necessary to apply an input to the engine's accelerator, and the input may be applied to the engine's accelerator by the captain in the wheelhouse 10 or by a crew member in the engine room. The status information about the engine according to the present disclosure may include information about the input entity for the accelerator, such as 'captain' or 'crew member'.

[0085] As a fourth embodiment, when the condition information includes status information about the engine, the status information about the engine may include information about whether an allowable RPM range for the engine has been complied with. The ship's engine has an allowable RPM range that is preset for safety. Information about whether there is a history of exceeding the allowable RPM range during the operation of the ship may also be included as part of the status information about the ship.

[0086] As a fifth embodiment, when the condition information includes status information about the engine, the status information about the engine may be information about whether a deviation between the engine's current RPM and an RPM to be achieved (i.e., the optimized value) is greater than a preset value. In the fifth embodiment, the status information about the engine refers to status information for performing an additional check to preserve the engine's lifespan, because, although the RPM derived by the RPM optimizer 431 is a theoretically optimized value, a great strain may be placed on the engine when the engine's RPM is suddenly changed in the actual ship. That is, the BMS 200 may include, as status information, information about whether a difference between a depth (force) that needs to be input to the engine's accelerator to change the RPM of the ship's engine to a target RPM, and the current depth of the accelerator is greater than a preset value.

[0087] The status information about the engine of the ship may include, as detailed information, at least some of the status information about the engine described above with reference to the first to fifth embodiments, and only when all the detailed information included in the status information about the engine is satisfied, it may be determined that the RPM change from the main engine RPM to the set RPM is suitable.

[0088] In operation ④, the core S / W 433 may perform a process of checking (verifying) the condition information received from the BMS 200 in operation ③.

[0089] When it is determined, in operation ④, that the condition information is suitable because it meets all preset criteria, in operation ⑤, the core S / W 433 may transmit, to the BMS 200, a control command for changing the RPM of the engine to "RPM 2", which has been determined in operation ②. In particular, when the condition information is determined to be suitable in operation ④, the ship's engine is considered to be able to accept the change in RPM.

[0090] On the other hand, when it is determined, in operation ④, that the condition information is not suitable, the control command for changing the RPM of the engine is rejected and discarded, and the engine maintains the current RPM for a certain period of time.

[0091] Operation ⊚ is a communication state check operation, during which communication checkers, which are respectively included in the overriding system 100 and the BMS 200, continuously check whether a data communication process between the core S / W 433 and the BMS 200 is performed seamlessly. The communication checker may check whether the ship is in an autonomous operation mode. Only when the ship is in the autonomous operation mode, the communication checker may generate an alarm associated with data communication between the control server 400 and the BMS 200. The above-described operation is to avoid generating an unnecessary alarm, because when the ship is in a manual operation mode, the control server 400 and the BMS 200 operate as separate pieces of equipment.

[0092] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control server according to the present disclosure.

[0093] Hereinafter, descriptions will be made with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 4, it may be seen that the control server 400 according to the present disclosure includes a communication unit 410, a processor 430, and a memory 450. Referring to FIG. 2, the control server 400 may be included in the overriding system 100, to implement a method according to the present disclosure.

[0095] The communication unit 410 may include one or more components that enable wired or wireless communication with an external device. For example, the communication unit 410 may implement short-range communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, perform 5th Generation (5G) communication with a terrestrial base station, or communicate with a global positioning system (GPS) satellite to allow the processor 430 to obtain orbital information about the GPS satellite or the latitude and longitude of the ship based on communication information. In particular, in the present disclosure, the communication unit 410 may perform the function of transmitting data processed by the processor 430 to the BMS 200, or receiving condition information from the BMS 200 and delivering the condition information to the processor 430, and according to an embodiment, the communication unit 410 may be an integrated module including the L2 switching hub 101, the firewall 103, and the communication checker described above.

[0096] The memory 450 is hardware that stores various pieces of data processed by the overriding system 100 and the processor 430, and may store a program for the processor 430 to perform processing and control. For example, the memory 450 may store the RPM optimizer 431 and the core S / W 433 described above, and then deliver them to the processor 430 when called by the processor 430. The memory 450 may include random-access memory (RAM) such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), a Blu-ray or other optical disk storage, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), or flash memory.

[0097] The processor 430 may control the overall operation of the control server 400. For example, by executing programs stored in the memory 450, the processor 430 may control operations of components included in the control server 400, such as an input unit (e.g., a keyboard or a mouse), a display (not shown), the communication unit 410, and the memory 450.

[0098] For example, when an input for changing the RPM of the ship's engine is detected, the processor 430 may select an RPM that is different from the current RPM, receive condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, determine the suitability of the received condition information, and, when it is determined that the received condition information is suitable, transmit a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

[0099] In a case in which the control server 400 is implemented as a physical device, the processor 430 may be implemented by using at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processing device (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and other electrical units for performing certain functions.

[0100] In addition, in the present disclosure, in a case in which the control server 400 is implemented in the form of an application (program) driven by an integrated data processing device, the processor 430 and the memory 450 included in the control server 400 may each be implemented in the form of a virtual machine that implements hardware (e.g., a DSP, a microcontroller, RAM, ROM, or an HDD) as software (e.g., a command script).

[0101] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method according to the present disclosure.

[0102] Because the method according to FIG. 5 may be implemented by the control server 400 described above with reference to FIG. 4, hereinafter, descriptions will be made with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0103] When an input for changing the RPM of the ship's engine is detected, the control server 400 may select an RPM that is different from the current RPM, and in particular, may select a currently optimal RPM through the RPM optimizer 431 (S510).

[0104] Once an optimal RPM is selected, the control server 400 may receive, from the BMS 200, condition information corresponding to the optimal RPM and determine the suitability of the optimal RPM (S530), and when it is determined that the optimal RPM is suitable (S550), the control server 400 may determine and accept a target RPM (S570).

[0105] According to the present disclosure, by simply installing only a new module on a ship while using a related-art ship control system as is, an overriding control command that is compatible with the existing control system may be provided.

[0106] In addition, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an engine with an optimal RPM that may improve the operational efficiency of the ship, while minimizing additional installation costs.

[0107] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be implemented as a computer program that may be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded in a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium may include a magnetic medium, such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium, such as a CD-ROM or a digital video disc (DVD), a magneto-optical medium, such as a floptical disk, and a hardware device specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, or flash memory.

[0108] In addition, the computer program may be specially designed and configured for the present disclosure or may be well-known to and usable by those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer program may include not only machine code, such as code made by a compiler, but also high-level language code that is executable by a computer by using an interpreter or the like.

[0109] Particular executions described herein are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. For the sake of brevity, related-art electronics, control systems, software and other functional aspects of the systems may not be described in detail. Furthermore, line connections or connection members between elements depicted in the drawings represent functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections by way of example, and in actual applications, they may be replaced or embodied with various suitable additional functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections. In addition, no item or component is essential to the practice of the present disclosure unless the item or component is specifically described as being "essential" or "critical".

[0110] The term "the" and other demonstratives similar thereto in the specification of the present disclosure (especially in the following claims) should be understood to include a singular form and plural forms. Furthermore, recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. Finally, the operations of the methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The present disclosure is not limited to the described order of the operations. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., 'and the like') provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the present disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise claimed. Also, numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine of a ship based on a control server, the method comprising: selecting, based on an input for changing the RPM of the engine of the ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM; receiving condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, and determining suitability of the received condition information; and transmitting, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the input is performed by the control server that is additionally installed on the ship.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the suitability of the received condition information comprises receiving the condition information from a bridge maneuvering system (BMS) that is connected to the engine and has received the selected RPM.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition information comprises at least one of a current engine RPM of the ship, a target RPM for the ship, and status information about the engine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, based on the condition information comprising the status information, the status information comprises at least one of: history information about whether a slow-down and a shut-down of the engine have occurred; information for indicating whether an inner state of the engine is a normal state; information about an input entity for an accelerator of the engine; information about whether an allowable RPM range for the engine has been complied with; and information about whether a deviation between the current RPM of the engine and an RPM to be achieved is greater than a preset value when a change is made from the current RPM to the RPM to be achieved.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, based on the condition information comprising, as the status information, the information about the input entity for the accelerator of the engine, the input entity is any one of a captain of the ship and a crew member of the ship.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, based on the condition information comprising, as the status information, the information about whether the allowable RPM range for the engine has been complied with, the status information comprises history information about an event where the engine has exceeded the preset allowable RPM range.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein, based on the condition information comprising, as the status information, the information for indicating whether the inner state of the engine is the normal state, the inner state of the engine is any one of the normal state and an abnormal state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the suitability of the received condition information comprises, based on a lifespan of the engine not being affected, determining that the condition information is suitable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the RPM that is different from the current RPM comprises selecting the different RPM based on collected weather information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented by the control server performing communication with an interface device of the engine, and the method further comprises continuously checking, by the control server and the interface device, a communication state through communication state check modules.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication state check modules are included in the control server and the interface device, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the control command corresponding to the selected RPM comprises, based on determining that the received condition information is not suitable, refraining from transmitting the control command.

14. A computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for executing the method of claim 1.

15. A control server for implementing a method of controlling a revolutions per minute (RPM) of a ship, the control server comprising: a communication unit configured to perform control to enable communication with an external device; a memory storing at least one program; and a processor configured to execute the at least one program to perform an operation, wherein the processor is further configured to select, based on an input for changing an RPM of an engine of the ship being detected, an RPM that is different from a current RPM, receive condition information for operating the ship at the selected RPM, determine suitability of the received condition information, and transmit, based on determining that the received condition information is suitable, a control command corresponding to the selected RPM.

Images