Ship propulsion systems

Abstract

This invention provides a ship propulsion system that smoothly performs heel control and trim support control according to the ship's navigation conditions, thereby improving stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, and other factors. [Solution] The ship's propulsion system includes a trim angle adjustment unit that adjusts the trim angle of each of the propulsion units on both the left and right sides, and a control unit that controls the trim angle adjustment unit. The control unit is capable of performing trim support control, which adjusts the trim angle to a trim support angle set according to the ship's speed, and heel control, which adjusts the trim angle to a heel suppression angle set according to the ship's roll inclination in order to suppress the ship's roll inclination. When preset conditions are met, the control unit performs heel control in addition to trim support control, adjusting the trim angle adjustment unit to a heel suppression angle set based on the trim support angle of the propulsion unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a marine vessel propulsion system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques for automatically controlling marine vessel propulsion systems have been proposed to improve the stability, acceleration performance, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, and the like of marine vessels during navigation.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration related to heel control for controlling the heel angle of a marine vessel. In this configuration, when it is determined that the marine vessel is not turning according to the steering angle of the steering mechanism of the marine vessel, a difference is generated in the left and right lift forces of the marine vessel, thereby increasing the heel angle of the marine vessel in the direction corresponding to the steering angle of the steering mechanism.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Meanwhile, in marine vessels, not only heel control but also other controls may be executed according to the navigation state of the marine vessel. For example, during acceleration or cruising, trim support control may be performed to adjust the trim angle to an optimal position according to the vessel speed and the rotational speed of the propulsion unit. Such heel control and trim support control may be executed individually or may be executed simultaneously. Accordingly, it is desired to smoothly execute heel control and trim support control according to the navigation state of the marine vessel, so as to improve the stability, acceleration performance, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, and the like. This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a ship propulsion system that can smoothly perform heel control and trim support control according to the ship's navigation conditions, thereby improving stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To address the above issues, this disclosure adopts the following characteristics. (1) A propulsion system for a ship according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a drive source and a propulsion unit that generates thrust by power transmitted from the drive source, each having at least one propulsion unit on each side in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the ship, a trim angle adjustment unit for adjusting the trim angle of each of the propulsion units on both the left-right directions with respect to the ship, and a control unit for controlling the trim angle adjustment unit, wherein the control unit is capable of performing trim support control, which causes the trim angle adjustment unit to adjust the trim angle so that it becomes a trim support angle set according to a preset ship speed or propulsion unit rotation speed, and heel control, which causes the trim angle adjustment unit to adjust the trim angle so that it becomes a heel suppression angle set according to the roll inclination of the ship in order to suppress the roll inclination of the ship, and when preset conditions are met, the control unit performs heel control in addition to trim support control, causing the trim angle adjustment unit to adjust to the heel suppression angle set with respect to the trim support angle of the propulsion unit.

[0007] (2) In the propulsion system for a ship according to the embodiment of (1) above, the system further comprises a heel angle detection unit for detecting the heel angle, which is the inclination of the hull in the roll direction, and the control unit may perform heel control when the heel angle is equal to or greater than a preset heel angle reference value.

[0008] (3) A propulsion system for a ship according to the embodiment of (1) or (2) above, further comprising a steering angle detection unit for detecting the steering angle of the propulsion machine around the steering axis with respect to the hull, wherein the control unit may perform heel control when it is determined that the ship is moving in a straight line based on the detected value of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit.

[0009] (4) In the propulsion system of a ship according to the embodiment of (3) above, the control unit is: If it is determined that the vessel is turning based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit, the execution of the trim support control and the heel control may be stopped.

[0010] (5) A propulsion system for a ship according to any one of the embodiments described in (1) to (4) above, further comprising a trim angle operation unit which operates the trim angle adjustment unit by external input, wherein the control unit may stop the execution of the heel control when it receives an operation input from the trim angle operation unit while it is executing both the trim support control and the heel control.

[0011] (6) In the propulsion system of a ship according to the embodiment of (5) above, the control unit may, while in a state where it has stopped the execution of the heel control after receiving an operation input from the trim angle operation unit, set the system to a state in which the heel control can be executed when a preset return condition is met.

[0012] (7) In a ship propulsion system according to any one of the embodiments described in (1) to (6) above, when the control unit performs the trim support control, it may set the trim support angles of the propulsion machines on both sides in the left-right direction to the same value.

[0013] (8) In a ship propulsion system according to any one of the embodiments of (1) to (7) above, when the control unit performs heel control, it may set the heel suppression angle of the propulsion unit on one side in the left-right direction to a value greater than the trim support angle, and set the heel suppression angle of the propulsion unit on the other side in the left-right direction to a value less than the trim support angle.

[0014] (9) A propulsion system for a ship according to any one of the embodiments described in (1) to (8) above may further include an intermediate member provided between the hull and the propulsion machine, which increases the rearward inclination angle of the propulsion machine in the direction of propulsion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the embodiment of (1), when preset conditions are met, heel control is performed in addition to trim support control, and the trim angle adjustment unit adjusts to a heel suppression angle set based on the trim support angle of the propulsion engine. As a result, when preset conditions are met, heel control is performed in addition to trim support control, thereby automatically adjusting the trim angle while suppressing the heel angle of the vessel. Therefore, heel control and trim support control can be smoothly performed according to the navigation conditions of the vessel, resulting in good stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc.

[0016] According to the embodiment of (2), heel control is performed when the heel angle is greater than or equal to a preset heel angle reference value. This makes it possible to suppress the heel angle when the ship is moving in a straight line and the heel angle is large, thereby improving the ship's stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc.

[0017] According to the embodiment of (3), heel control can be performed when it is determined that the vessel is moving in a straight line based on the detected steering angle. As a result, when the vessel is moving in a straight line, as per the preset conditions, heel control can be performed smoothly, resulting in improved stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc.

[0018] According to the aspect (4), when it is determined that the vessel is turning based on the detected value of the steering angle, execution of the trim support control and the heel control is stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the turning performance from being impaired by the heel control or the trim support control when the vessel is turning.

[0019] According to the aspect (5), when an operation input from the trim angle operation unit is received while the heel control is being executed, the execution of the heel control is stopped. Accordingly, when the operator of the vessel manually performs an operation of the trim angle, by stopping the execution of the heel control, it is possible to prevent the operator who has performed the trim angle operation from feeling a sense of discomfort.

[0020] According to the aspect (6), in a state where the execution of the heel control is stopped upon receiving the operation input from the trim angle operation unit, the heel control is made executable when a preset return condition is satisfied. Accordingly, after the manual trim angle operation by the vessel operator stops the execution of the heel control, it is possible to shift to a standby state in which the heel control can be executed when the preset return condition is satisfied.

[0021] According to the aspect (7), when the trim support control is executed, the trim support angles of the propulsion units on both sides in the left-right direction are set to the same value. Accordingly, the trim angle can be effectively adjusted for the vessel in a straight traveling state.

[0022] According to the aspect (8), when the heel control is executed, the heel suppression angle of the propulsion unit on one side in the left-right direction is set to a value larger than the trim support angle, and the heel suppression angle of the propulsion unit on the other side in the left-right direction is set to a value smaller than the trim support angle. Accordingly, when the heel angle of the vessel is large, the heel angle can be favorably suppressed.

[0023] (9) According to the aspect, an intermediate member is provided between the hull and the propulsion device, wherein the intermediate member increases the inclination angle of the propulsion device rearward in the propulsion direction. As a result, the propulsion device can be inclined more greatly toward the rear in the propulsion direction of the vessel, and the trim angle can be made larger in the negative direction. Therefore, when the heel angle of the vessel is large, the heel angle can be suppressed more effectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a plan view of the vessel according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a functional block diagram of the propulsion system of the vessel. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the propulsion device of the propulsion system. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of trim support control, heel control, hump control, and bogen control executed according to the vessel speed in the propulsion system. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a state where trim support control is performed in the propulsion system. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of set values of trim support angles in trim support control, heel control, and hump control executed according to the vessel speed in the propulsion system. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a state where heel control is performed while the vessel is inclined to the port side. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a state where heel control is performed while the vessel is inclined to the starboard side. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing an execution method of heel control during execution of trim support control. [Figure 10] It is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the propulsion system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions of front, back, up, down, left, and right will correspond to the orientation of the vessel 1. In this case, arrow FR in the figure indicates the front of the vessel 1, arrow UP indicates the top of the vessel 1, and arrow LH indicates the left side of the vessel 1. The center line CL indicates the center position of the vessel 1 in the left-right direction (width direction).

[0026] Figure 1 is a plan view of the vessel according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the vessel's propulsion system. As shown in Figure 1, the ship 1 comprises a hull 2 ​​and a propulsion system 20 provided on the hull 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the propulsion system 20 comprises a plurality of thrusters 3, an operating unit 7, a detection unit 6 (see Figure 2), and a control unit 8 (see Figure 2).

[0027] (propulsion machine) As shown in Figure 1, the propulsion system 3 includes a right propulsion system 3a located on the right side of the stern 2b, straddling the centerline CL, and a left propulsion system 3b located on the left side of the stern 2b, straddling the centerline CL. The two propulsion systems 3 (right propulsion system 3a and left propulsion system 3b) are located on both the left and right sides of the stern 2b of the hull 2, straddling the centerline CL. In other words, the vessel 1 of this embodiment is a so-called twin-propulsion small vessel. In the following description, unless it is necessary to distinguish between the propulsion systems 3a and 3b, they will be referred to collectively as the propulsion system 3.

[0028] Figure 3 is a side view of the propulsion system's thruster. As shown in Figure 3, the propulsion system 3 is, for example, an outboard motor. The propulsion system 3 comprises a casing 31, a drive source 32, a drive shaft 33, a propulsion unit 34, and a shift switching mechanism 35. The casing 31 is attached to a bracket 22 located at the stern 2b via a rudder shaft 36 (swivel shaft) that extends vertically. The propulsion unit 3 is mounted to the hull 2 ​​so as to be rotatable around the rudder shaft 36 by the operation of a rudder actuator 41 (see Figure 2).

[0029] The drive source 32 is, for example, an internal combustion engine. The drive source 32 is housed in the upper part of the casing 31 with the crankshaft aligned vertically. The power (engine speed) of the drive source 32 is set based on the opening of the throttle valve. The throttle valve is driven by the operation of the throttle actuator 42 (see Figure 2). The drive source 32 may also be an electric motor. The drive shaft 33 transmits power generated by the drive source 32 to the propulsion unit 34 via the shift switching mechanism 35. The drive shaft 33 extends vertically within the casing 31. The upper end of the drive shaft 33 is connected to the drive source 32.

[0030] The propulsion unit 34 comprises a propeller shaft 341 and a propeller 342. The propeller shaft 341 is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the casing 31 around an axis along the longitudinal direction. The front end of the propeller shaft 341 is connected to the shift switching mechanism 35 within the casing 31. The propeller 342 is mounted at the rear end of the propeller shaft 341, protruding outward from the casing 31. The propeller 342 rotates integrally with the propeller shaft 341.

[0031] The shift switching mechanism 35 includes a drive gear 351, a forward gear 352, a reverse gear 353, and a clutch 354. The drive gear 351 is located at the lower end of the drive shaft 33. The drive gear 351 is rotatable integrally with the drive shaft 33. The forward gear 352 and the reverse gear 353 are rotatably mounted on the propeller shaft 341, facing each other in the front-rear direction with the drive gear 351 in between. The forward gear 352 and the reverse gear 353 can mesh with the drive gear 351. The forward gear 352 and the reverse gear 353 rotate in opposite directions as the drive gear 351 rotates.

[0032] The clutch 354 switches the power connection or disconnection between the forward gear 352 or the reverse gear 353 and the propeller shaft 341. The clutch 354 is rotatably mounted integrally with the propeller shaft 341. The clutch 354 is movably mounted along the propeller shaft 341 in the forward and backward directions by the operation of the shift actuator 43. By selectively engaging with the forward gear 352 and the reverse gear 353, the clutch 354 switches the rotation direction of the propeller shaft 341 and the propeller 342, thereby switching the propulsion direction of the ship 1.

[0033] The propulsion unit 3 is supported by a bracket 22 attached to the stern 2b of the hull 2, so as to be rotatable around a support shaft 38 that extends in the left-right direction. This allows the propulsion unit 3 to rotate (oscillate) around the support shaft 38 with respect to a reference plane Fv. Here, the reference plane Fv is a virtual plane that lies along the vertical plane passing through the central axis of the support shaft 38 when the hull 2 ​​is simply floating on the water surface. Here, the trim angle θt is defined as the angle at which the direction in which the steering shaft 36 of the propulsion unit 3 extends is inclined in the longitudinal direction around the support shaft 38 with respect to the reference plane Fv. In this embodiment, the trim angle θt is expressed as positive (forward) when the lower end of the propulsion unit 3 moves away from the stern 2b, and negative (negative) when the lower end of the propulsion unit 3 moves towards the stern 2b.

[0034] The thruster 3 has an adjustable trim angle θt via a trim angle adjustment unit 45. The trim angle adjustment unit 45 uses an actuator (not shown) to rotate the thruster 3 around the support shaft 38 within a preset angular range. The thruster 3 is restricted from rotating in the positive and negative directions by abutting against a stopper (not shown) provided on the bracket 22. In this embodiment, the bracket 22 is attached to the mounting surface 2f formed on the stern 2b via an intermediate member 37. The intermediate member 37 is sandwiched between the bracket 22 and the mounting surface 2f. The intermediate member 37 is formed in a wedge shape, with its thickness gradually decreasing in the front-rear direction from top to bottom. As a result, the bracket 22 is positioned at a greater rearward inclination compared to when it is directly attached to the mounting surface 2f without using the intermediate member 37. This configuration allows the propulsion unit 3 to be set to a larger negative rotation angle (rotation range).

[0035] (Operation unit) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the control unit 7 is provided to allow the operator to input controls for steering the vessel 1. In this embodiment, the control unit 7 includes, for example, a steering angle input unit 71, a thrust input unit 72, a trim angle control unit 73, and an operation input unit 74.

[0036] The steering angle input unit 71 is located in the cockpit of the hull 2. The steering angle input unit 71 is, for example, a steering wheel that is rotatable in a reciprocating manner. The steering angle input unit 71 receives external input from the operator when changing the course of the vessel 1 (hull 2). That is, the steering angle input unit 71 receives operation by the operator to change the direction (steering angle) of the propulsion engine 3 around the steering axis 36. The steering angle is the angle of inclination of the propulsion engine 3 with respect to the centerline CL in a plan view. In this embodiment, the steering angle of the propulsion engine 3 when the course of the vessel 1 is in the straight direction is set as the reference value (0°). In addition to the steering wheel, the steering angle input unit 71 may also be a joystick, or it may be mounted as a switch on the operation input unit 74, etc.

[0037] The thrust input unit 72 is located in the cockpit of the hull 2. The thrust input unit 72 is, for example, a throttle lever. The thrust input unit 72 receives external input from the operator when changing the thrust of the propeller 3 or the shift position of the propeller 3. The thrust input unit 72 is configured to be able to move back and forth by rotation or sliding. The thrust input unit 72 can move back and forth within an operating area that has three shift areas: forward position F, neutral position N, and reverse position R. When the thrust input unit 72 is in the forward position F, the propeller 3 exerts thrust to move the ship 1 forward. When the thrust input unit 72 is in the reverse position R, the propeller 3 exerts thrust to move the ship 1 backward. When the thrust input unit 72 is in the neutral position N, the drive gear 351 shown in Figure 3 is disconnected from the forward gear 352 and the reverse gear 353, and the propeller 3 does not exert thrust to propel the ship 1.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, a trim angle control switch is provided near the thrust input section 72 as a trim angle control section 73. The operator of the ship 1 can change the trim angle θt of the propulsion unit 3 by manually operating the trim angle control switch (trim angle control section 73).

[0039] The operation input unit 74 receives various operations on the vessel 1. The operation input unit 74 is configured to be manually operated by the operator, for example, an MFD (Multi Function Display). The operation input unit 74 may also be an external device such as a portable terminal connected to the vessel 1 by wire or wireless connection.

[0040] (Detection unit) The detection unit 6 shown in Figure 2 detects the state (navigation state) of the vessel 1. In this embodiment, the detection unit 6 includes a position sensor 61, a ship speed sensor 62, a steering angle sensor (steering angle detection unit) 63, an inertia sensor 64, a trim operation sensor 65, a trim angle sensor 66, and an actual steering angle sensor 67. It has. The position sensor 61 detects the position of the thrust input unit 72. The position sensor 61 outputs a detection signal based on the position of the thrust input unit 72 to the control unit 8.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the ship speed sensor 62 detects the ship speed V of the vessel 1. The ship speed sensor 62 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) and calculates the ship speed V based on positioning signals from positioning satellites. The ship speed sensor 62 may also be an acoustic or electromagnetic sensor that detects the ship speed (water speed) V of the vessel 1. The ship speed sensor 62 may also estimate the ship speed V based on the engine speed. The ship speed sensor 62 outputs a signal representing the detected ship speed V to the control unit 8.

[0042] The steering angle sensor 63 detects the amount of operation (steering instruction angle) caused by the rotational operation of the steering angle input unit 71. The steering angle sensor 63 outputs a detection signal based on the steering instruction angle of the steering angle input unit 71 to the control unit 8.

[0043] The inertial sensor 64 detects the tilt of the hull 2 ​​in the roll direction, i.e., the heel angle θh. The inertial sensor 64 can also detect the tilt of the hull 2 ​​in the pitch direction, etc. The inertial sensor 64 outputs detection signals based on the detected tilt of the hull 2 ​​in the roll direction to the control unit 8.

[0044] The trim operation sensor 65 detects whether or not an operation input has been made to the trim angle operation switch, which is the trim angle operation unit 73. The trim operation sensor 65 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 8 indicating whether or not an operation input has been detected.

[0045] The trim angle sensor 66 is provided in the trim angle adjustment unit 45. The trim angle sensor 66 detects the actual trim angle θt adjusted by the trim angle adjustment unit 45. The trim angle sensor 66 outputs a detection signal indicating the detected trim angle θt to the control unit 8.

[0046] The actual steering angle sensor 67 is provided on the steering actuator 41. The actual steering angle sensor 67 detects the actual steering angle of the thruster 3 and outputs it to the control unit 8.

[0047] (Control Unit) The control unit 8 comprehensively controls the operation of the ship 1 (propulsion unit 3). The control unit 8 is one or more electronic control units provided by the ship 1. The control unit 8 is realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software) stored in a storage unit 80 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or SOC (System On Chip), or by the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0048] The control unit 8 includes a storage unit 80, an acquisition unit 81, a determination unit 82, and a drive processing unit 83.

[0049] The memory unit 80 stores programs and various data necessary for the navigation of the ship 1, such as trim support control, heel control, hump control, and wedge control. The acquisition unit 81 acquires the detection results of the various sensors of the detection unit 6. The determination unit 82 determines the state of the ship 1 based on the information obtained by the acquisition unit 81 and the information stored in the storage unit 80.

[0050] The drive processing unit 83 controls the operation of various actuators based on the determination result from the determination unit 82 and the information stored in the storage unit 80 and the acquisition unit 81. In this embodiment, if the determination unit 82 determines that a predetermined condition has been met, the drive processing unit 83 controls the operation of the trim angle adjustment unit 45, the steering actuator 41, etc., to perform trim support control, heel control, hump control, and wedge control. In this embodiment, the drive processing unit 83 performs trim support control, heel control, hump control, and wedge control when the vessel 1 is in a straight-ahead state. In this embodiment, the drive processing unit 83 determines that the vessel 1 does not perform wedge control.

[0051] (Trim support control) Figure 4 shows an example of trim support control, heel control, hump control, and wedge control performed in a propulsion system according to the ship's speed. As shown in Figure 4, when the vessel 1 is moving straight, the determination unit 82 determines that in the areas of heel control, hump control, and wedge control, the drive processing unit 83 executes trim support control according to the settings of the operator, for example, based on input from the trim angle operation unit 73 and the operation input unit 74.

[0052] Figure 5 shows an example of trim support angle settings for trim support control, heel control, and hump control performed in the propulsion system according to ship speed. As shown in Figure 5, the trim support control adjusts the trim angle θt in the trim angle adjustment unit 45 so that the trim support angle θsp is set according to a preset ship speed V (or propeller rotation speed). In this embodiment, in the trim support control, the trim support angle θsp is set according to the ship speed V so that stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel consumption, etc. are optimized. The trim support angle θsp may also be set according to the propeller rotation speed. For this reason, the ship speed V (or propeller rotation speed) and the trim support angle θsp that optimizes stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel consumption, etc. are stored in the memory unit 80 in association with each other. In the example in Figure 6, the trim support angle θsp is set in steps with respect to the ship speed V (or propeller rotation speed).

[0053] The drive processing unit 83 obtains the trim support angle θsp associated with the ship speed, which is acquired by the acquisition unit 81, from the storage unit 80. The drive processing unit 83 controls the trim angle adjustment unit 45 so that the trim angle θt of the thruster 3 approaches the acquired trim support angle θsp. Figure 6 shows the state in which trim support control is being performed by the propulsion system. As shown in Figure 6, when the drive processing unit 83 performs trim support control, it sets the trim support angles θsp of the thrusters 3a and 3b on both sides in the left-right direction to the same value.

[0054] (Heel control) As shown in Figure 4, if the determination unit 82 determines that the ship 1 is moving straight, the ship speed V is equal to or greater than the second threshold V2, and trim support control is being performed, and that the preset conditions are met, the drive processing unit 83 performs heel control in addition to trim support control. Specifically, the drive processing unit 83 performs heel control in addition to trim support control, that is, both trim support control and heel control, when the ship 1 is moving straight, trim support control is being performed, and the ship speed is equal to or greater than the second threshold V2. In this case, the drive processing unit 83 executes heel control when the heel angle θh, which is the inclination of the hull 2 ​​in the roll direction detected by the inertial sensor 64, is greater than or equal to a preset heel angle reference value θhs (for example, several degrees). In other words, if the heel angle θh is less than the heel angle reference value θhs, the drive processing unit 83 does not execute heel control and continues trim support control.

[0055] When the drive processing unit 83 performs heel control, it sets a target value for the heel suppression angle θd according to the heel angle θh of the hull 2. Here, the heel suppression angle θd is the trim angle of the propulsion units 3 on both the left and right sides to suppress the tilt of the hull 2 ​​in the roll direction. The drive processing unit 83 calculates a heel suppression angle θd that can effectively suppress the tilt of the hull 2 ​​in the roll direction according to the heel angle θh of the hull 2 ​​using a pre-set calculation formula.

[0056] The drive processing unit 83 sets the heel suppression angle θd based on the trim support angle θsp of the thruster 3 at that time. The drive processing unit 83 sets the heel suppression angle θd of one thruster 3 in the left-right direction to a value greater than the trim support angle θsp, and sets the heel suppression angle θd of the other thruster 3 in the left-right direction to a value smaller than the trim support angle θsp.

[0057] Figure 7 shows the state of heel control when the ship is tilting to port. Figure 8 shows the state of heel control when the ship is tilting to starboard. For example, as shown in Figure 7, when the hull 2 ​​is tilted to the port side, the drive unit 83 sets the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right-side propulsion engine 3a to a value greater than the trim support angle θsp, and the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left-side propulsion engine 3b to a value less than the trim support angle θsp. For example, as shown in Figure 8, when the hull 2 ​​is tilted to the starboard side, the drive unit 83 sets the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left-side propulsion engine 3b to a value greater than the trim support angle θsp, and the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right-side propulsion engine 3a to a value less than the trim support angle θsp.

[0058] The drive processing unit 83 calculates heel suppression angles θd1 and θd2 based on the heel angle θh of the hull 2 ​​at that time, acquired by the acquisition unit 81, and using the trim support angle θsp set at that time as a reference. The drive processing unit 83 calculates a trim angle addition value Δθt1 to be added to one of the propulsion units 3 in the left-right direction and a trim angle subtraction value Δθt2 to be subtracted from the other propulsion unit 3 in the left-right direction, based on a pre-set calculation formula, with respect to the reference trim support angle θsp. Here, it is preferable that the absolute value of the trim angle addition value Δθt1 and the absolute value of the trim angle subtraction value Δθt2 are the same.

[0059] When the hull 2 ​​is tilted to the port side, the drive unit 83 calculates the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left propulsion unit 3b using the following equation (1), and the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right propulsion unit 3a using the following equation (2). θd1 = θsp - Δθt2 (1) θd² = θsp + Δθt¹ (2) When the hull 2 ​​is tilted to the starboard side, the drive unit 83 calculates the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left propulsion unit 3b using the following equation (3), and the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right propulsion unit 3a using the following equation (4). θd1 = θsp + Δθt1 (3) θd² = θsp - Δθt² (4)

[0060] The drive processing unit 83 uses the calculated heel suppression angles θd1 and θd2 as target values ​​and uses the trim angle adjustment unit 45 to adjust the trim angle θt of the thrusters 3 (3a, 3b) so that it approaches the heel suppression angles θd1 and θd2.

[0061] If the determination unit 82 determines that the ship speed V has fallen below a preset third threshold V3 while heel control is being performed, the drive processing unit 83 stops the execution of heel control. Here, the third threshold V3 is set lower than the second threshold V2. Furthermore, when heel control is being performed, if the determination unit 82 receives a steering angle input from the steering angle input unit 71 via the steering angle sensor 63, it determines whether or not the vessel 1 is turning based on the value detected by the propulsion unit 3 by the actual steering angle sensor 67. If the drive processing unit 83 determines that the vessel 1 is turning, it stops the execution of trim support control and heel control. Furthermore, if the determination unit 82 determines that it has received an operation input from the trim angle operation unit 73 by the operator while heel control is being performed, the drive processing unit 83 stops the execution of heel control.

[0062] (Hump control) Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, if the determination unit 82 determines that the conditions set in advance are met when the ship 1 is moving straight and the ship speed V is equal to or greater than the first threshold V1, the drive processing unit 83 executes hump control. Hump ​​control is performed to suppress excessive lift of the bow 2a when the bow 2a is significantly raised relative to the stern 2b. When performing hump control, the drive processing unit 83 sets the trim angles θt of the propellers 3a and 3b on both sides in the left and right directions to the same value.

[0063] (Bogen control) Furthermore, the drive processing unit 83 performs wedge control when the ship speed V is less than the first threshold V1. Wedge control steers the multiple propulsion units 3 in the yaw direction in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction of the hull 2. When the ship 1 is moving straight and the ship speed V is less than the first threshold V1, wedge control rotates the left and right propulsion units 3 around the swivel axis in opposite directions and by the same steering angle. Wedge control reduces the forward thrust acting on the entire hull 2 ​​compared to when the propulsion units 3 are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hull 2, making it possible to sail the hull 2 ​​at low speed or very low speed. In this embodiment, the specific details of wedge control are not limited in any way.

[0064] (Control method for the propulsion system) Next, the operation method of the propulsion system will be described. The processing described below is repeatedly executed, for example, at a predetermined control cycle (for example, several tens [msec]).

[0065] Here, the trim support control is executed at an appropriate timing according to the setting of the vessel operator. In the trim support control, the control unit 8 sets a trim support angle θsp that optimizes stability, acceleration performance, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc., as a target value, according to the vessel speed V acquired in step S11. The control unit 8 controls the trim angle adjustment unit 45 such that the trim angles θt of the propulsion units 3 on both the left and right sides approach the trim support angle θsp set as the target value.

[0066] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a method of executing heel control during execution of trim support control. When the trim support control is being executed, in step S141, the control unit 8 acquires the detection result of the vessel speed from the vessel speed sensor 62 by the acquisition unit 81 at a predetermined control cycle. In step S142, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the vessel speed V is equal to or greater than a second threshold value V2, based on the detection result of the vessel speed sensor 62.

[0067] If the determination result in step S142 is "No" (V<V2), the processing is ended and the trim support control is continued. If the determination result in step S142 is "Yes" (V≧V2), the process proceeds to step S143, and the control unit 8 sets the heel control to an executable state. In other words, the control unit 8 puts the heel control in a standby state.

[0068] Next, in step S144, the acquisition unit 81 acquires the detection result of the heel angle θh of the hull 2 from the inertial sensor 64. In step S145, it is determined whether or not the heel angle θh is equal to or greater than the heel angle reference value θhs, based on the detection result of the inertial sensor 64.

[0069] If the result of step S145 is "No" (θh < θhs), the process returns to step S144, and after a predetermined control cycle has elapsed, step S144 is repeated. If the result of the judgment in step S145 is "Yes" (θh≧θhs), proceed to step S146.

[0070] In step S146, the control unit 8 performs heel control in addition to trim support control. In step S146, the control unit 8 sets the heel suppression angle θd according to the heel angle θh of the hull 2. The control unit 8 sets the heel suppression angle θd based on the trim support angle θsp of the propulsion engine 3 at that time. Based on the heel angle θh of the hull 2 ​​at that time, acquired by the acquisition unit 81, the drive processing unit 83 calculates a trim angle addition value Δθt1 to be added to one propulsion engine 3 in the left-right direction and a trim angle subtraction value Δθt2 to be subtracted from the other propulsion engine 3 in the left-right direction, based on a preset calculation formula, with the trim support angle θsp as the reference. If the hull 2 ​​is tilted to port, the drive unit 83 calculates the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left propulsion unit 3b using equation (1) above, and the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right propulsion unit 3a using equation (2) above. If the hull 2 ​​is tilted to starboard, the drive unit 83 calculates the heel suppression angle θd1 of the left propulsion unit 3b using equation (3) above, and the heel suppression angle θd2 of the right propulsion unit 3a using equation (4) above. The drive processing unit 83 uses the calculated heel suppression angles θd1 and θd2 as target values ​​and causes the trim angle adjustment unit 45 to adjust the trim angle θt of the thrusters 3 (3a, 3b).

[0071] In step S147, it is determined whether a predetermined stop condition for stopping heel control has been met during the execution of heel control. In this embodiment, the predetermined stop condition for stopping heel control is, for example, Condition 1: When heel control is being performed, if the ship speed V falls below a preset third threshold V3, Condition 2: An example is when the operator receives an operational input from the trim angle control unit 73.

[0072] If the result of step S147 is "No" (neither condition 1 nor 2 is met), proceed to step S149. If the result of the determination in step S147 is "Yes" (at least one of conditions 1 or 2 is met), the process proceeds to step S148, where heel control is stopped and only trim support control continues.

[0073] If, in step S147, the heel control is stopped in step S148 by receiving an operation input from the trim angle operation unit 73, then in step S151, the determination unit 82 determines whether or not a preset recovery condition has been met at predetermined control cycles. Here, the recovery condition is, for example, Condition 3: When the ship speed V moves from outside the heel control range (third threshold V3 or less) to inside the heel control range (second threshold V2 or more), Condition 4: An example is when vessel 1 changes from a turning state to a straight-ahead state. If the result of step S151 is "Yes" (at least one of conditions 3 or 4 is met), proceed to step S149.

[0074] In step S149, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the vessel 1 is turning. In this case, the control unit 8 uses the steering angle sensor 63 to determine whether or not the vessel 1 is turning based on the steering angle input value from the steering angle input unit 71.

[0075] If the result of the determination in step S149 is "No" (meaning that ship 1 is not turning, i.e., ship 1 is moving in a straight line), the process is terminated, and after a predetermined control cycle has elapsed, the above process is repeated. If the result of step S149 is "Yes" (meaning that vessel 1 is turning), the process proceeds to step S150, and the execution of trim support control and heel control is stopped.

[0076] If the execution of trim support control and heel control is stopped in step S150, then in step S152, the determination unit 82 determines whether or not a preset recovery condition has been met at predetermined control cycles. Here, the recovery condition is, for example, Condition 5: An example is when vessel 1 changes from a turning state to a straight-ahead state. If the result of step S152 is "Yes" (condition 5 is met), the process ends, and after a predetermined control cycle has elapsed, the above process is repeated.

[0077] Figure 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the propulsion system. In Figure 1, for each of the "Ship Speed ​​Determination Flag," "Straight Track Determination Flag," and "Heel Control Implementation Determination Flag," "0" indicates that the determination result in the control unit 8 is "No," and "1" indicates that the determination result in the control unit 8 is "Yes." As shown in Figure 10, for example, when the ship speed V increases due to the operation of the thrust input unit 72 by the operator and exceeds the second threshold V2 (time t1), the ship speed determination flag in step S142 of the control unit 8 changes from "0" to "1". In the example in Figure 10, at this time, the straight-ahead determination flag in step S149 is "1" based on the actual steering angle detected by the actual steering angle sensor 67 based on the steering angle input unit 71, and it is determined that the ship 1 is in a straight-ahead state. Therefore, the heel control implementation determination flag becomes "1", and heel control (and trim support control) is performed.

[0078] Subsequently, when the ship speed V decreases due to the operation of the thrust input unit 72 by the ship's operator and falls below the third threshold V3 (time t2), the ship speed determination flag in step S142 changes from "1" to "0". At this time, although the straight-ahead determination flag is "1" due to the steering angle of the steering angle input unit 71, the heel control implementation determination flag becomes "0", and heel control is stopped.

[0079] Next, when the steering angle input unit 71 is operated by the operator and the actual steering angle to the right begins to increase (time t3), the straight-ahead determination flag remains "1". Furthermore, when the steering angle input unit 71 is operated by the operator and the actual steering angle changes to the right, and the actual steering angle to the right becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined rightward steering angle threshold (forward) (time t4), the straight-ahead determination flag changes from "1" to "0". At this time, since the ship speed V is less than the second threshold V2, the ship speed determination flag remains "0", and the heel control implementation determination flag also remains "0".

[0080] Next, when the steering angle input unit 71 is operated by the operator, and the actual steering angle to the right becomes smaller than the right steering angle threshold (when returning) (time t5), the straight-ahead determination flag changes from "0" to "1". Furthermore, when the steering angle input unit 71 is operated by the operator, and the actual steering angle switches from the right to the left, and the actual steering angle to the left becomes greater than or equal to the left steering angle threshold (when going) (time t6), the straight-ahead determination flag returns from "1" to "0". At this time, since the ship speed V is less than the second threshold V2, the ship speed determination flag remains "0", and the heel control implementation determination flag also remains "0".

[0081] Subsequently, when the steering angle input unit 71 by the ship's operator causes the actual steering angle to the left to become smaller than the left steering angle threshold (when returning) (time t7), the straight-ahead determination flag changes from "0" to "1". Then, when the ship speed V increases due to the operation of the thrust input unit 72 by the operator and exceeds the second threshold V2 (time t8), the ship speed determination flag changes from "0" to "1". As a result, the ship 1 is moving in a straight line and the ship speed V is equal to or greater than the second threshold V2, so the heel control implementation determination flag changes from "0" to "1", and heel control (and trim support control) is implemented.

[0082] As described above, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment performs heel control in addition to trim support control when preset conditions are met, and adjusts the trim angle adjustment unit 45 to a heel suppression angle θd set based on the trim support angle of the propulsion unit 3. By performing heel control in addition to trim support control when preset conditions are met, the heel angle θh of the vessel 1 can be suppressed while automatically adjusting the trim angle. Therefore, heel control and trim support control can be smoothly executed according to the navigation state of the vessel 1, resulting in good stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc.

[0083] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment is capable of performing heel control when it is determined that the vessel 1 is moving in a straight line based on the input value of the steering angle. As a result, when the vessel 1 is moving in a straight line, as per a preset condition, heel control can be smoothly performed, resulting in improved stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc.

[0084] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment performs heel control when the heel angle θh is greater than or equal to a preset heel angle reference value θhs. As a result, under the preset conditions that the vessel 1 is moving in a straight line and the heel angle θh is large, the heel angle θh can be suppressed, thereby improving the stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc., of the vessel 1.

[0085] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment stops the execution of trim support control and heel control when it is determined that the vessel 1 is turning based on the input value of the steering angle. This makes it possible to prevent the turning ability from being hindered by heel control or trim support control when the vessel 1 is turning.

[0086] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment performs hump control when the ship speed V becomes equal to or greater than a preset first threshold V1. As a result, when the ship speed V is equal to or greater than the first threshold V1 and the ship 1 is in a state where the bow tends to lift significantly relative to the stern, the hump control is performed to automatically adjust the trim angle, thereby improving the stability, acceleration, maximum speed, fuel efficiency, etc., of the ship 1.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the propulsion system 20 receives an input from the trim angle control unit 73 while heel control is being performed, it stops the execution of heel control. This prevents the operator of the vessel 1 from feeling any discomfort when the trim angle is manually adjusted by the operator of the vessel 1, by stopping the execution of heel control.

[0088] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment, while in a state where heel control has been stopped after receiving an operation input from the trim angle operation unit 73, will be able to perform heel control when a preset return condition is met. This allows the system to transition to a standby state where heel control can be performed after the execution of heel control has been stopped by the operator of the vessel 1, when a preset return condition is met.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the propulsion system 20 performs trim support control, the trim support angles of the propulsion units 3 on both the left and right sides are set to the same value. This allows for effective adjustment of the trim angle in a straight-line ship 1.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when heel control is performed, the propulsion system 20 sets the heel suppression angle θd of one of the propulsion units 3 in the left-right direction to a value greater than the trim support angle, and sets the heel suppression angle θd of the other propulsion unit 3 in the left-right direction to a value smaller than the trim support angle. This allows for effective suppression of the heel angle θh when the heel angle θh of the ship 1 is large.

[0091] Furthermore, the propulsion system 20 of this embodiment includes an intermediate member 37 between the hull 2 ​​and the propulsion unit 3, which increases the inclination angle of the propulsion unit 3 toward the rear in the direction of propulsion. This allows the propulsion unit 3 to be tilted more significantly toward the rear in the direction of propulsion of the vessel 1, and the trim angle can be made larger in the negative direction. Therefore, when the heel angle θh of the vessel 1 is large, the heel angle θh can be suppressed more effectively.

[0092] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings, and various modifications are conceivable within its technical scope. For example, in the above embodiment, trim support control, heel control, etc., are performed based on the ship speed V, but instead of the ship speed V, trim support control, heel control, etc., may be performed based on the rotational speed of the propulsion engine 3.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, examples were given of a case where only trim support control is performed while the vessel 1 is moving straight, and a case where both trim support control and heel control are performed according to the ship speed V. However, it is also possible to perform only heel control according to the ship speed V while the vessel 1 is moving straight, for example, when the operator has canceled trim support control in the settings. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, trim support control, heel control, etc., are performed based on the actual steering angle detected by the actual steering angle sensor 67. However, trim support control, heel control, etc., may also be performed based on the steering instruction angle of the steering angle input unit 71.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, one thruster 3 is provided on each side (left and right), but multiple thrusters may be provided on each side. Furthermore, the control procedures and content executed by the control unit 8 can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the configuration in the above embodiment is just one example of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1 ship 2 hull 3 Propulsion machine 3a Right propulsion machine 3b Left propulsion machine 6. Detection Unit 7 Control section 8 Control Unit 20 Propulsion System 32 Power source 34 Promotion Department 36 Steering axis 37 Intermediate member 45 Trim angle adjustment section 63 Steering sensors (steering angle detection unit) 71 Steering angle input section

Claims

1. A propulsion unit having a drive source and a propulsion unit that generates thrust by power transmitted from the drive source, and having at least one propulsion unit on each side in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the hull, A trim angle adjustment unit for adjusting the trim angle of each of the propulsion units on both the left and right sides relative to the hull, A ship propulsion system comprising a control unit for controlling the trim angle adjustment unit, The control unit, Trim support control that adjusts the trim angle in the trim angle adjustment unit so that the trim support angle is set according to a preset ship speed or propulsion engine rotation speed, In order to suppress the tilt of the hull in the roll direction, heel control is performed by adjusting the trim angle in the trim angle adjustment unit so that the trim angle becomes a heel suppression angle set according to the tilt of the hull in the roll direction. When pre-set conditions are met, the heel control is executed in addition to the trim support control, and the trim angle adjustment unit adjusts the heel suppression angle to the angle set based on the trim support angle of the thruster. A ship's propulsion system.

2. The system further includes a heel angle detection unit that detects the heel angle, which is the inclination of the hull in the roll direction, The control unit, The heel control is executed when the heel angle is equal to or greater than a preset heel angle reference value. The propulsion system for a ship according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a steering angle detection unit for detecting the steering angle of the propulsion engine around the steering axis relative to the hull, The control unit, If it is determined that the vessel is moving in a straight line based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit, heel control can be performed. The propulsion system for a ship according to claim 1.

4. The control unit, If it is determined that the vessel is turning based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection unit, the execution of the trim support control and the heel control is stopped. The propulsion system for a ship according to claim 3.

5. The system further includes a trim angle control unit that operates the trim angle adjustment unit via external input, The control unit, If an operation input is received from the trim angle control unit while the heel control is being performed, the execution of the heel control is stopped. A ship propulsion system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit, When the heel control is stopped after receiving an operation input from the trim angle control unit, and a preset recovery condition is met, the heel control is made executable again. The propulsion system for a ship according to claim 5.

7. The control unit, When performing the trim support control described above, the trim support angles of the thrusters on both sides in the left-right direction are set to the same value. A ship propulsion system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The control unit, When performing the heel control, The heel suppression angle of the thruster on one side in the left-right direction is set to a value greater than the trim support angle, The heel suppression angle of the thruster on the other side in the left-right direction is set to a value smaller than the trim support angle. A ship propulsion system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The vessel further comprises an intermediate member provided between the hull and the propulsion unit, which increases the rearward inclination angle of the propulsion unit in the direction of propulsion. A ship propulsion system according to claim 1 or 2.

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