Control of marine vessel propulsion system

A control system with individually controllable blades and optimization algorithms optimizes cyclorotor propellers for marine vessels, enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency by maximizing thrust and torque while minimizing undesirable factors.

JP2025010023AInactive Publication Date: 2025-01-20ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024104654
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-06-30
Filing Date
2024-06-28
Publication Date
2025-01-20
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing marine vessel propulsion systems lack a control system capable of producing desired forces and torques via a simple steering device like a joystick, limiting their operational flexibility and efficiency.

Method used

Implementing a control system with individually controllable blades and a controller that determines optimal control parameters for cyclorotor propellers using optimization algorithms to maximize hydrodynamic efficiency and achieve desired thrust and torque, while minimizing undesirable factors such as vibration and noise.

Benefits of technology

The system enhances operational flexibility and efficiency by optimizing thrust and torque production, reducing undesirable factors, and extending the lifespan of the propulsion system through precise control of cyclorotor propellers.

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Abstract

To provide a method for controlling a marine vessel propulsion system.SOLUTION: A propulsion system includes a cyclo rotor propeller, an actuator device, and a controller. The propulsion system includes: receiving a request with at least one force request and / or at least one torque request by the controller; determining of a set value of control parameters based on the request by the controller; and controlling the cyclo rotor propeller based on the received value by the actuator device receiving the set value of the control parameters from the controller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a marine vessel propulsion system. [Background technology]

[0002] A marine vessel may move relative to the water around it using thrust from a propulsion system that includes, for example, one or more cyclorotor propellers with blades extending from the propeller vertically and at an inclined angle. Such a propulsion system would benefit from a control system capable of generating the desired force and / or torque requested by a user via a simple steering device such as a joystick. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. The dependent claims define some embodiments.

[0004] Several example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a seagoing vessel. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a propulsion system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a propeller trajectory. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example function. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example function. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an example function. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example function. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example function. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] The following embodiments are illustrative. Although the specification may refer to "an," "one," or "some" embodiment(s) in some places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s) or that a feature applies only to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "including" should be understood not to limit the described embodiment / example to only those features referred to, and such embodiments may also include features / structures not specifically mentioned. Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and the like may be used to describe various elements, but the structural elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] The method embodiments and examples described herein may be implemented in any cyclorotor propulsion system having individually controllable blades.

[0008] It should be noted that although the figures illustrate various embodiments, they are simplified diagrams showing only some structural and / or functional entities. The connections shown in the figures may refer to logical or physical connections. It is clear to those skilled in the art that the described devices and / or systems may also have functions and structures other than those shown in the figures and text. It should be understood that the details of some functions, structures and signaling used for measurement and / or control are irrelevant to the actual invention. Therefore, they need not be described in more detail here.

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a marine vessel 100 (the marine vessel is partially shown in FIG. 1 ) having a propulsion system 102 with one or more propulsion subsystems 104, 104′. Marine vessels may include transport vessels and passenger ships, and the term marine vehicle or vessel may generally refer to any ship designed for waterborne transportation, for example. Transport vessels may include, for example, cargo ships and container ships. Additionally, marine vessels may refer to fishing vessels, service vessels such as tugboats and supply ships, and warships. Furthermore, marine vessels may be used as ferries and submarines. It is clear to those skilled in the art that marine vessels may comprise any number of the illustrated elements, other equipment, other functions, and other structures that are not illustrated. They are well known to those skilled in the art and are not relevant to the actual invention, as are the protocols used. Therefore, they need not be described in more detail here.

[0010] In the illustrated example, the propulsion subsystems 104, 104' are cyclorotor propellers that may be capable of generating both cycloidal and trochoidal trajectories depending on the advance rate of the propeller. Advance rate may be understood as the ratio of free stream fluid velocity to the tip speed of the propeller. Each exemplary propulsion subsystem 104, 104' comprises a propeller wheel 106, 106' and at least two blades 108, 108' that may extend from the wheel 106, 106' perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the wheel 106, 106'. The blades 108, 108' are rotatably attached to the propeller wheel 106, 106'. The blades 108, 108' of the propulsion subsystems 104, 104' may be rotatably and individually controllable relative to the propeller wheel 106, 106', such that a desired blade position and / or speed may be obtained completely independently for the blades 108, 108'. Alternatively, the blades 108, 108' may be jointly controllable and coupled to the propeller wheels 106, 106', e.g., mechanically through suitable joints and / or gears, so that a desired blade position and / or speed may be obtained for the blades 108, 108'. For example, the blades 108, 108' may be coupled to achieve a constant phase difference between the rotation of the individual blades.

[0011] 1, the wheel engine system 120 may be common to multiple propulsion subsystems 104, 104' through mechanical power transmission. Alternatively, each or some of the propulsion subsystems 104, 104' may have a separate wheel engine system 120.

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates an example where the propulsion system 102 includes one cyclorotor propeller wheel 106 having individually controllable blades 108. That is, the propulsion system 102 may correspond to one of the propulsion subsystems 104, 104′. Additionally, the exemplary propulsion system 102 includes an actuator device 110 and a controller 112. The actuator device 110 is operatively coupled to the blades 108 and configured to rotate the blades. The controller 112 may be common to the propulsion subsystems 104, 104′ (see FIG. 1), or the controller 112 may include multiple sub-controllers, one sub-controller for each propulsion subsystem 104, 104′ (such a possibility is illustrated in FIG. 2, but the controller 112 of FIG. 2 may also exist for multiple cyclorotor propellers).

[0013] According to one embodiment, the controller 112 comprises one or more memories 116 containing computer program code and one or more processors 114. The one or more memories 116 and the computer program code cause the controller 112, using the one or more processors 114, to determine values ​​for a set of control parameters.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the control device 112 then communicates the values ​​of the set of control parameters to the actuator device 110, which sets the at least two blades 108, for example, to a blade position and a blade speed based on the values ​​of the set of control parameters determined by the control device 112. The actuator device 110 may comprise an electric motor device AR for each blade of the at least two blades 108, where the electric motor device AR is operatively coupled to the respective blade 108. The electric motor device AR may be configured to rotate the respective blade 108 about its longitudinal axis, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 2. The electric motor device AR may comprise a regulator, a gearbox, and an electric motor (blade motor), which rotates the blade to which it is mechanically coupled, for example, according to the values ​​of the control parameters received from the control device 112. The functions of the propeller wheel 106 and the at least two blades 108 described in FIG. 2 may also be correspondingly applied to the propeller wheel 106′ and the blades 108′ of FIG. 1.

[0015] The control device 112 may also control the drive 118 of the wheel engine system 120. The wheel engine system 120 may include an engine (motor), which may include an electric engine, e.g., a combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, or a gas engine, and potentially a mechanical gearbox. The configuration of the drive 118 may depend on the type of engine. If the wheel engine system 120 includes one or more electric engines (electric motors), the drive 118 may include, for example, an electric drive configured to control the electric engine(s). The control device 112 may send commands to the drive 118, which may then control the rotation speed and / or direction of rotation of the engine of the wheel engine system 120. The wheel engine system 120 may rotate the propeller wheel 106, for example, directly or through a gearbox. However, the details of the wheel engine system are not relevant to the actual invention, and the person skilled in the art is familiar with the various wheel engine systems 120 themselves. Therefore, they do not need to be described in more detail here. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 2, each of the propulsion subsystems 104, 104' may have its own wheel engine system 120.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of trochoidal and epicycloidal orbits of a cyclorotor propeller.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 3, the trajectory of the cyclorotor propeller illustrated at the top is a trochoidal trajectory. A trochoidal trajectory may be used, for example, during transit movement of a vessel. A trochoidal trajectory corresponds to a forward coefficient (forward rate, forward parameter) value greater than 1 (λ>1). The forward coefficient is a function of the forward speed (forward speed of the vessel) V a Rotational tip speed V r The trajectory of the cyclorotor propeller illustrated below is an epicycloidal trajectory. An epicycloidal trajectory may be used, for example, during bollard pulling operations of a vessel. An epicycloidal trajectory corresponds to a forward advance coefficient value less than 1 (λ<1).

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a control method for a marine vessel propulsion system including a cyclorotor propeller, an actuator device, and a controller.

[0019] Referring to Figure 4, in block 401, a request is received by the controller. The request comprises at least one force request and / or at least one torque request. The at least one force request may comprise, for example, a thrust request. Additionally, the request may comprise a mode request. The mode request may be understood to comprise information of a mode of the marine vessel, such as, for example, a transit mode, a bollard pull mode, or a rudder mode. The request may be received, for example, from a bridge of the marine vessel. The bridge may comprise a steering device, such as a manual joystick or rudder, to which a user may communicate the request.

[0020] In block 402, values ​​of a set of control parameters are determined by the controller based on the request. The set of control parameters comprises at least one thrust magnitude parameter and at least one thrust direction parameter. The at least one thrust magnitude parameter can be, for example, a rotational speed of the cyclorotor propeller and / or an eccentricity of the cyclorotor propeller. The at least one thrust direction parameter can be, for example, a yaw angle of the cyclorotor propeller and / or an offset angle of the attack angle of the cyclorotor propeller. In one example, the values ​​of the control parameters are determined by using an optimization method constrained by the received request and a predefined set of constraints for the control parameters using standard algorithms for constrained optimization.

[0021] In one example, the optimization method comprises maximizing a hydrodynamic efficiency of a cyclorotor propeller, which may be expressed as: E = f(ε, rpm, ψ), where E represents the hydrodynamic efficiency, f represents a mathematical function, ε represents the eccentricity, rpm represents the rotational speed, and ψ represents the yaw angle. The mathematical function f can be expressed as, for example,

[0022]

number

[0023] can be a polynomial function of the form f is the degree of the polynomial function, w for i=1,...,d 0 , w ε,i , w rpm,i , w ψ,i , and w for j, k, l = 1, ..., d c,j,k,l are the coefficients. The order and coefficients of the efficiency equation may be determined based on acceptable accuracy during the mathematical modeling process, for example, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, lab experiments, and / or sea trials. For a cyclorotor propeller, the fourth order polynomial (d f =4) may be accurate enough to model energy efficiency.

[0024] The received thrust request may be formulated as a thrust vector generated by the cyclorotor propeller and written as: Thrust x =g x (ε,rpm,ψ), Thrust y =g y (ε,rpm,ψ), Here, Thrust x is the forward component of the thrust vector, and y is the transverse component of the thrust vector, and g x and g y is a mathematical function. Similar to the mathematical function f that corresponds to energy efficiency, g x and g y can be a polynomial function, for example:

[0025]

number

[0026] where d g is the degree of the polynomial function, i=1,...,d g About m 0 , n 0 , m ε,i , m rpm,i , m ψ,i , n ε,i , n rpm,i , n ψ,i , and j, k, l = 1, ..., d g About m c,j,k,l , n c,j,k,l is the coefficient. For a cyclorotor propeller, a fifth-order polynomial (d g =5) usually has good accuracy for mathematical modeling of thrust vectors.

[0027] The optimization problem formulated above is a function of the mathematical functions f, g used to model the energy efficiency and thrust. x , and g y The optimization problem is non-convex and non-linear due to the fact that the optimization problem is solved by the linear regression function. Optimization methods that can be used to solve the optimization problem include, for example, sequential quadratic programming (SQP), interior point (IP) methods, and genetic algorithms. Sequential quadratic programming can be understood as an iterative method that solves a non-linear programming problem by iteratively solving a sequence of quadratic subproblems. Interior point methods can be understood as solving an optimization problem by finding a solution inside a feasible region. Genetic algorithms are population-based stochastic search algorithms inspired by the process of natural selection. However, the details of the optimization methods are not relevant to the actual invention, and those skilled in the art are familiar with various optimization methods as such. Therefore, they need not be described in more detail here.

[0028] The predetermined set of constraints for the control parameters may comprise upper and lower bound constraints for the control parameters, which may be expressed as the following equations: ε L ≦ε≦ε U , rmp L ≦rpm≦rpm U , ψ L ≦ψ≦ψ U , where the superscripts L and U denote lower and upper bound constraints, respectively. The predefined set of constraints may also comprise other constraints to prevent determining unfeasible values ​​for the set of control parameters, e.g., one for eccentricity. If the request comprises a modal request, the predefined set of constraints for the control parameters may also depend on the modal request. Maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller may comprise determining a value of an operating condition parameter, such as a current vessel speed. Maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller may also comprise obtaining a feasible thrust value corresponding to the received request and the determined operating condition parameter from a predefined feasibility solution set. The feasible thrust value may comprise a maximum value of a thrust magnitude parameter and / or a feasible value of a thrust direction parameter.

[0029] In block 403, the cyclorotor propeller is controlled based on the control parameter values ​​by the actuator device, which receives values ​​of the set of control parameters from the controller. Values ​​of the control parameters may be determined and the cyclorotor propeller may be controlled based on these values, for example, at least once per revolution of the cyclorotor propeller. Alternatively, values ​​of the control parameters may be determined and the cyclorotor propeller may be controlled based on these values ​​when the blade position changes, for example, by a predetermined amount.

[0030] The predetermined set of constraints may also include constraints or feasible values ​​for other factors, aspects, or characteristics of the cyclorotor propeller, such as, for example, vibration of the cyclorotor propeller, noise generated by the cyclorotor propeller, or cavitation of the cyclorotor propeller.

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a control method, where the requirements comprise at least a thrust magnitude requirement and a thrust direction requirement, and the predetermined feasible solution set is a first feasible solution set. M and thrust angle Thrust angle or via the forward component Thrust as described above. x and the lateral component Thrust y The relationship between these representations can be expressed as the following equation:

[0032]

number

[0033] Here, cos represents the cosine function and sin represents the sine function.

[0034] 5, in block 501, a maximum feasible thrust magnitude corresponding to the operating condition parameter value and thrust direction requirement is obtained from the first feasible solution set. The maximum feasible thrust value may be used as a further constraint in maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller, for example, expressed as the following equation: Thrust M ≦min(Thrust max ,Thrust req ), Here, Thrust max represents the magnitude of the maximum achievable thrust obtained, and Thrust reqrepresents the thrust magnitude demand. In block 502, a first rotational speed value, a first eccentricity value, and a first yaw angle value are determined based on at least the thrust direction demand, the thrust magnitude demand, the obtained maximum achievable thrust magnitude, and a predetermined set of constraints, whereby the first rotational speed value, the first eccentricity value, and the first yaw angle value maximize the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller. The first rotational speed value, the first eccentricity value, and the first yaw angle value may be determined, for example, by maximizing an objective function f using a standard algorithm for constrained optimization, as described in more detail above. In block 503, the first rotational speed value, the first eccentricity value, and the first yaw angle value are set as values ​​of a set of control parameters.

[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of determining a first feasible solution set for use in the control method illustrated above with FIG.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 6, in block 601, a thrust direction range and a plurality of thrust direction values ​​are determined. The thrust direction range may be a range of 0°-360° (0-2π rad) or less. The thrust direction values ​​may be, for example, equally spaced angle values ​​within the range. In block 602, a maximum feasible thrust magnitude value is determined for each thrust direction value of the determined plurality of thrust direction values ​​based on at least the thrust direction value, the value of the operating condition parameter, and a predetermined set of constraints. The maximum feasible thrust magnitude may be determined, for example, by using a standard algorithm for constrained optimization, as described in more detail above. In block 603, the plurality of thrust direction values ​​and the value of the operating condition parameter are stored in a first feasibility solution set. In block 603, a maximum feasible thrust magnitude value corresponding to the thrust direction value and the value of the operating condition parameter is also stored for each thrust direction value of the plurality of thrust direction values ​​in the first feasibility solution set.

[0037] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a control method, where the demand comprises at least a sway force demand, a surge force demand, and a yaw torque demand, and the predetermined feasible solution set is a second feasible solution set.

[0038] 7, in block 701, a current available power is determined. In block 702, a set of feasibility constraints corresponding to the current available power and the values ​​of the operating condition parameters is obtained from the second feasibility solution set. The set of feasibility constraints comprises a maximum feasible sway force, a minimum feasible sway force, a maximum feasible surge force, a minimum feasible surge force, a maximum feasible yaw torque, and a minimum feasible yaw torque. In block 703, a second rotational speed value, a second eccentricity value, and a second yaw angle value are determined based on at least the sway force requirement, the surge force requirement, the yaw torque requirement, the obtained set of feasibility constraints, and the predetermined set of constraints, whereby the second rotational speed value, the second eccentricity value, and the second yaw angle value maximize the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclo-rotor propeller. The second rotation rate value, the second eccentricity value, and the second yaw angle values ​​may be determined, for example, by maximizing the objective function f using standard algorithms for constrained optimization, as described in more detail above. The predetermined set of constraints may comprise at least upper and lower bound constraints for the rotation rate, upper and lower bound constraints for the eccentricity, and upper and lower bound constraints for the yaw angle. In block 704, the second rotation rate value, the second eccentricity value, and the second yaw angle values ​​are set as values ​​of the set of control parameters.

[0039] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of determining a second feasible solution set for use in the control method illustrated above with FIG.

[0040] 8, in block 801, the cyclorotor propeller power consumption and the cyclorotor thrust are determined. In block 802, a set of feasibility constraints comprising a maximum achievable sway force, a minimum achievable sway force, a maximum achievable surge force, a minimum achievable surge force, a maximum achievable yaw torque, and a minimum achievable yaw torque are determined based on the determined cyclorotor propeller power consumption, the determined cyclorotor propeller thrust, the current available power, the value of the operating condition parameters, and a predefined set of constraints. In block 803, the current available power and the value of the operating condition parameters are stored in a second feasibility solution set. In block 803, a set of feasibility constraints corresponding to the current available power and the operating condition parameters are also stored in the second feasibility solution set.

[0041] In one example, the optimization method comprises minimizing a cyclorotor propeller factor constrained by the received requirements and another predefined set of constraints for the control parameters, the cyclorotor propeller factor may be understood as an undesirable factor or aspect, such as, for example, vibration of the cyclorotor propeller, noise generated by the cyclorotor propeller, cavitation of the cyclorotor propeller, or another factor of the cyclorotor propeller that would be beneficial to minimize.

[0042] Maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller may allow to calculate optimal values ​​of control parameters that may be requested by the marine vessel's controller by an automatic controller or by means of a joystick, while achieving maximum efficiency in terms of power consumption. Minimizing the undesirable factors of the cyclorotor propeller may allow to calculate optimal values ​​of control parameters that may be requested by the marine vessel's controller by an automatic controller or by means of a joystick, while reducing, for example, the wearing functioning of the cyclorotor propeller. Using a predetermined feasibility solution set may improve the performance of controlling the marine vessel's propulsion system. The predetermined feasibility solution set may prevent oscillations and instability during operation, thus increasing the lifespan of the propulsion system. Additionally, the predetermined feasibility solution set may serve as an advisory option for the marine vessel's operator to allow him to be continually aware of the capabilities of the propulsion system in the current operating conditions.

[0043] 9 is a simplified block diagram illustrating some units for an apparatus 900 configured to perform at least some of the functions described above for controlling the propulsion of a marine vessel, e.g., according to Figures 1 to 8 and any combination thereof. In the illustrated example, the apparatus 900 comprises one or more interface (IF) entities 901, such as one or more user interfaces, and one or more processing entities 902 connected to the various interface entities 901 and to one or more memories 903.

[0044] The one or more interface entities 901 are entities for receiving and transmitting information, such as a communications interface comprising hardware and / or software for achieving communications connectivity according to one or more communications protocols, or for achieving storage and fetching of data, or for providing user interaction via one or more user interfaces, such as those described above in the description of the example illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.

[0045] The processing entity 902 is capable of performing calculations and is configured to implement at least some of the functions / operations described above, e.g., according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof, using corresponding algorithms 904 stored in memory 903. The entity 902 may include one or more processors, controllers, control units, microcontrollers, etc., that are configurable to perform the embodiments / examples / implementations or operations described above, e.g., according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof. Typically, a processor is a central processing unit, but the processor entity 902 may be an additional computing processor or a multi-core processor or microprocessor.

[0046] The memory 903 can be used to store computer program code, i.e. algorithms 904 for implementing the functions / operations described above, for example according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof. The memory 903 can also be used to at least temporarily store other possible information required for one or more functions / operations described above, for example according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof. The memory 903 can comprise a data buffer, which can at least temporarily store measurement data and / or information received as user input, for example.

[0047] In summary, the methods described herein, for example, according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof, may be configured as a computer or processor, or a microprocessor such as a single chip computer element, including at least a memory for providing storage areas used for arithmetic operations and an arithmetic processor for performing arithmetic operations, or as a chipset or one or more logic gates. For example, according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof, each or some or one of the algorithms for the functions / operations described above may be included in one or more computer processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs) and / or other hardware components that will be and / or have been programmed by downloading computer program code (one or more algorithms) to perform one or more functions of one or more embodiments / examples.

[0048] An embodiment provides a computer program embodied on any client-readable distribution / data storage medium or memory unit(s) or article(s) of manufacture, comprising program instructions executable by one or more processors / computers, which instructions, when loaded into an apparatus (device, equipment), constitute an entity providing the corresponding function or at least a part of the corresponding function. The program, also called a program product, including software routines, program fragments constituting a "program library", applets, and macros, may be stored in any medium, including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and downloaded to the apparatus. In other words, each or some or one of the algorithms for one or more functions / operations described above, for example, according to any of Figures 1-8 and any combination thereof, may be included in an element comprising one or more arithmetic logic units, some special registers, and control circuitry.

[0049] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the concept of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. The present invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above, but may be modified within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for controlling a marine vessel propulsion system, the propulsion system comprising a cyclorotor propeller, an actuator arrangement, and a controller, the method comprising: receiving, by the controller, a request including at least one force request and / or at least one torque request; determining, by the controller, values ​​of a set of control parameters based on the request; receiving values ​​of the set of control parameters from the control device, and controlling the cyclo-rotor propeller based on the received values ​​by the actuator device; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of control parameters comprises at least one thrust magnitude parameter including at least one of rotation rate and eccentricity, and at least one thrust direction parameter including at least one of yaw angle and offset angle.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining values ​​for the set of control parameters is performed using an optimization method constrained by the received request and a predetermined set of constraints for the set of control parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the optimization method comprises maximizing a hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller.

5. maximizing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclorotor propeller comprises: determining a value of an operating condition parameter comprising at least a current vessel speed; obtaining, from a predetermined feasible solution set, feasible thrust values ​​corresponding to said requirements and the determined values ​​of said operating condition parameters; The method of claim 4 comprising:

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the requirements include at least a thrust magnitude requirement and a thrust direction requirement, and the predetermined feasible solution set is a first feasible solution set.

7. Determining values ​​of the set of control parameters comprises: obtaining a maximum feasible thrust magnitude corresponding to the operating condition parameter values ​​and the thrust direction requirement from the first feasible solution set; determining a first rotational speed value, a first eccentricity value, and a first angle value based on at least the thrust direction requirement, the thrust magnitude requirement, the obtained maximum achievable thrust magnitude, and the predetermined set of constraints, where the first angle value is a first yaw angle value or a first offset angle value, and the first rotational speed value, the first eccentricity value, and the first angle value maximize the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclo-rotor propeller; setting the first rotational speed value, the first eccentricity value, and the first angle value as values ​​of the set of control parameters; The method of claim 6 comprising:

8. The method comprises: determining a thrust direction range and a number of thrust direction values ​​within the thrust direction range; determining, for each thrust direction value of the determined plurality of thrust direction values, a maximum achievable thrust magnitude value based on at least the thrust direction value, values ​​of the operating condition parameters, and a predetermined set of the constraints; storing the plurality of thrust direction values ​​and values ​​of the operating condition parameter in the first feasible solution set; storing, for each thrust direction value among the plurality of thrust direction values ​​in the first feasible solution set, a value of the maximum feasible thrust magnitude determined corresponding to the thrust direction value and the value of the operating condition parameter; The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining the first feasible solution set by:

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the requirements include at least a sway force requirement, a surge force requirement, and a yaw torque requirement, and the predetermined feasible solution set is a second feasible solution set.

10. Determining values ​​of the set of control parameters comprises: Determining current available power; obtaining a set of feasibility constraints corresponding to the values ​​of the operating condition parameters and the current available power from the second feasibility solution set, where the set of feasibility constraints includes a maximum achievable sway force, a minimum achievable sway force, a maximum achievable surge force, a minimum achievable surge force, a maximum achievable yaw torque, and a minimum achievable yaw torque; determining a second rotational speed value, a second eccentricity value, and a second angle value based on at least the sway force requirement, the surge force requirement, the yaw torque requirement, the obtained set of feasibility constraints, and the predetermined set of constraints, where the second angle value is a second yaw angle value or a second offset angle value, and the second rotational speed value, the second eccentricity value, and the second angle value maximize the hydrodynamic efficiency of the cyclo-rotor propeller; setting the second rotational speed value, the second eccentricity value, and the second angle value as values ​​of the set of control parameters; The method of claim 9 comprising:

11. The method comprises: determining the power consumption of the cyclorotor propeller and the power generated by the cyclorotor propeller; determining the set of feasibility constraints based on the power consumption of the cyclorotor propeller, the power generated by the cyclorotor propeller, the current available power, values ​​of the operating condition parameters, and the predetermined set of constraints; storing values ​​of the current available power and the operating condition parameters in the second feasibility solution set; and storing the set of feasibility constraints corresponding to the current available power and values ​​of the operating condition parameters in the second feasibility solution set; The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the second feasibility solution set by:

12. The method of any one of claims 5 to 11, further comprising displaying the predetermined feasibility solution set as a feasibility map to a user of the propulsion system via a user interface.

13. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the request further comprises a mode request, and the predetermined set of constraints on the control parameters is determined based on the mode request.

14. 5. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein the optimization method comprises minimizing a factor of the cyclorotor propeller.

15. 1. A propulsion system for a marine vessel comprising a cyclorotor propeller, an actuator device, and a control device, the controller comprising one or more memories containing computer program code and one or more processors; the one or more memories and the computer program code are configured, using the one or more processors, to cause at least the controller to receive requests, including at least one force request and / or at least one torque request, and determine values ​​of a set of control parameters based on the requests; the actuator device is configured to at least control the cyclorotor propeller based on values ​​of the set of control parameters received from the controller. Propulsion systems for marine vessels.

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