Propulsion control device and ship

Abstract

To improve fuel consumption when the attitude of a ship is made to reach a target angle.SOLUTION: There are provided: two propulsion generation devices 113L and 113R provided on both sides of a hull; a helm 115 for controlling turning of the hull; a turning command acquisition part 103 for acquiring a turning command value including a turning direction and a turning amount; a speed acquisition part 107 for acquiring a speed command value of the hull; and a turning control part 111 for controlling the two propulsion generation devices 113L and 113R so that the helm 115 is at a neutral position, and propulsion of the propulsion generation devices 113L and 113R inside in the turning direction becomes smaller than propulsion of the propulsion generation devices 113L and 113R outside in the turning direction when the speed command value acquired by the speed acquisition part 107 is equal to or higher than a speed threshold, and turning a ship according to the turning command value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a so-called two-engine two-shaft type ship including two main engines and two propellers fixed to the respective main engines is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes improving the steering performance by the difference in the propulsion force of each main engine and the combination of rudder operations in a two-engine two-shaft type ship.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, since the system of Patent Document 1 always applies a rudder during turning, the fuel consumption until the ship's attitude reaches the target angle decreases.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention is for solving the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a turning control device and a ship capable of improving the fuel efficiency when the ship's attitude reaches a target angle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve this problem, a turning control device in one aspect includes two propulsion force generating devices provided at different positions in the width direction of the ship for generating the propulsion force of the ship, a steering gear for turning the ship, and a turning command unit for issuing a turning command including the turning direction and turning amount of the ship, and is a turning control device for controlling the turning of the ship, a turning command acquisition unit for acquiring the turning command from the turning command unit, A speed acquisition unit that acquires the speed of the ship, When the speed acquired from the speed acquisition unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed threshold when a turning command is acquired from the turning command unit, the steering gear is controlled to the neutral position, and the two propulsion force generators are controlled so that the propulsion force generated by the propulsion force generator on the inner side of the turning direction is smaller than the propulsion force generated by the propulsion force generator on the outer side of the turning direction. It is equipped with a turning control unit.

Brief Description of Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] 〔First Embodiment〕 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a ship. The ship V1 includes a turning control device 100, a manual steering unit 101 that outputs a turning command according to a manual input, and an automatic steering unit 105 that outputs a turning command including a turning direction and a turning amount according to a designated route to a turning command acquisition unit 103. The manual steering unit 101 outputs a turning command corresponding to the operation amount of a steering unit (not shown) to the turning command acquisition unit 103. The automatic steering unit 105 executes autopilot control for controlling the direction of the bow according to the designated route and outputs a turning command to the turning command acquisition unit 103.

[0009] The turning control device 100 includes a speed acquisition unit 107 that acquires a speed command input to the manual steering unit 101, and a position acquisition unit 109 that acquires the current position using a GPS, a nautical chart, etc. Information regarding the current position includes information on whether the current position is within a predetermined area such as a bay or outside the predetermined area. The speed acquisition unit 107 outputs the speed command to the turning control unit 111. The speed command is a command value for the propulsion speed and includes the required speed of the operator. The speed may be either the ground speed or the water speed. The speed command may indicate the output value of a propulsion force generation device described later.

[0010] The ship V1 includes two propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R provided at different positions in the width direction of the hull, and a steering gear 115. The turning control unit 111 controls the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R and the steering gear 115 based on a speed command, a current position, and a turning command to turn the hull. Note that since the control when the ship V1 is advancing in the traveling direction is a known technique, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0011] The propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R include an engine 117 and a propeller 119. The propeller 119 may be a variable pitch propeller whose blade angle can be controlled. When the propeller 119 is a variable pitch propeller, the propulsion force of the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R is the total value of the propulsion forces controlled by both the engine 117 and the blade angle of the propeller 119.

[0012] The turning control unit 111 turns the hull based on a turning command by causing a difference in the propulsion forces of the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R, controlling the steering gear 115, or performing both. When the ship speed is equal to or higher than a speed threshold and the turning performance of the hull is high and the hull can be turned only by the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R, the turning control unit 111 controls the steering gear 115 to the neutral position and turns the hull only by the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R. The turning control unit 111 controls the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R so that there is a difference in the propulsion forces of the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R, and the propulsion force on the inner side of the turning direction indicated by the turning command is smaller than the propulsion force on the outer side of the turning direction. In order to have a difference in the propulsion forces of the propulsion force generating devices 113L and 113R, it is possible to increase or decrease only the other control value without changing one control value, or to increase or decrease both control values. Since the difference in the propulsion forces corresponds to the turning amount, the turning control unit 111 determines the difference in the propulsion forces according to the turning amount corresponding to the turning command.

[0013] The turning control unit 111 may change the turning amount according to whether the output source of the turning command is the manual steering unit 101 or the automatic steering unit 105. When the turning command acquisition unit 103 acquires a turning command from the manual steering unit 101, it is conceivable to perform an emergency avoidance. Therefore, when the turning command acquisition unit 103 acquires a turning command from the manual steering unit 101, the turning control unit 111 increases the difference in the propulsion force between the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R more than when it acquires a turning command indicating the same rudder angle from the automatic steering unit 105. In this case, the propulsion force of the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R on the inner side of the turning direction may be maximized, and the propulsion force of the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R on the inner side of the turning direction may be minimized (idling state or dead slow). Thereby, the followability to manual steering can be improved. The difference in the propulsion force between the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R may be increased only when the change amount of the turning command from the manual steering unit 101 is equal to or more than a certain value. The turning control unit 111 may control the rudder machine 115 in addition to the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R to turn the hull with respect to the turning command output from the manual steering unit 101.

[0014] When a turning command is input while the vessel is in a predetermined area such as in a bay, in a waterway, or along the coast with reference to the current position, the turning control unit 111 may increase the difference in the propulsion force between the propulsion force generators 113L and 113R more than when the same turning command is input outside the predetermined area. Thereby, the steerability within the predetermined area can be improved. Also, the turning control unit 111 may control the rudder machine 115 to turn the hull within the predetermined area.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a series of processes by the turning control unit during autopilot control. When a turning command is input from the auto-steering unit 105 and a series of processes start, in step S1, the turning control unit 111 determines the turning direction and the turning amount based on the turning command. In step S2, the turning control unit 111 controls the engine speed 117 and the blade angle of the propeller 119 so that the propulsive force of the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R on the inner side of the turning direction is smaller than the propulsive force of the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R on the outer side of the turning direction. In step S3, the turning control unit 111 determines whether a desired turning angle has been obtained. This determination may be based on the passage of time calculated from the difference in propulsive force and hull resistance, etc., or the result of monitoring the bow angle based on position information. Note that in step S3, the turning degree (the amount of change in the turning angle per unit time) may be referred to instead of the turning angle. In step S4, the turning control unit 111 makes the difference in the propulsive force of the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R zero and ends the series of processes.

[0016] By the control as described above, the operation amount of the rudder machine 115 can be reduced, and the decrease in fuel consumption due to the applied rudder can be suppressed. Also, only when the speed command is equal to or higher than the speed threshold value, the turning performance in a state where the ship speed is slow can be ensured by turning the hull by the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R.

[0017] Also, when a turning command is output from the manual steering unit 101, the followability to manual steering can be improved by increasing the difference in the propulsive force of the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R or by using the rudder machine 115 in combination.

[0018] Also, by controlling the difference in the propulsive force of the propulsive force generators 113L and 113R based on the current position, the safety in harbors and waterways can be enhanced.

[0019] 〔Second Embodiment〕 Conventionally, the ship speed during autopilot has been controlled based on the engine output. That is, the operator adjusted the engine output based on his / her experience to adjust the ship speed.

[0020] There is also a demand to be able to control the ship speed theoretically rather than empirically.

[0021] To solve such problems, in one aspect, a propulsion control device is a propulsion control device that controls a propulsion force generating device of a ship, and includes a speed acquisition unit that acquires a target speed of the ship and a current speed of the ship, and a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generating device so as to generate a propulsion force that causes the current speed to approach the target speed.

[0022] With this configuration, the ship speed can be controlled according to the target speed.

[0023] In this case, the propulsion force command unit may calculate a target rotational speed of the main engine of the propulsion force generating device based on the difference between the target speed and the current speed, or may calculate a target blade angle of the variable pitch propeller of the propulsion force generating device based on the difference between the target speed and the current speed.

[0024] With this configuration, the ship speed can be controlled according to the target speed.

[0025] In this case, it includes a route acquisition unit that acquires a route from the current position to the destination, and a time acquisition unit that acquires the current time and a target time at which the ship should arrive at the destination, the target speed is a target speed over the ground calculated based on the required time calculated from the route, the current time, and the target time, and the propulsion force command unit may output a command to the propulsion force generating device so as to generate a propulsion force that causes the current speed of the ship to approach the target speed over the ground.

[0026] With this configuration, it is possible to arrive at the destination by the target time.

[0027] In this case, the speed acquisition unit acquires a plurality of target ship speeds having different speeds, It may be provided with a notification unit that notifies the fuel consumption and arrival time when sailing on a predetermined route from the current position to the target position based on each of a plurality of target ship speeds.

[0028] With this configuration, the fuel consumption and arrival time for each target ship speed can be notified.

[0029] In this case, It may further be provided with a display unit that selectively displays any one of a plurality of target ship speeds, The propulsion force command unit may command the magnitude of the propulsion force based on the difference between the selected target speed and the actual speed so that the actual speed approaches the target speed.

[0030] In this case, a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the ship, a lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the control lever for controlling the rotational speed of the main engine, an actual rotational speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotational speed of the main engine, a rotational speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotational speed of the main engine based on the actual rotational speed and the position of the control lever, It may be provided with a control unit that causes the propulsion force generator to generate propulsion force based on a command from the propulsion force command unit if the current position is within a predetermined area, and causes the propulsion force generator to generate propulsion force based on a command from the rotational speed command unit if the current position is outside the predetermined area.

[0031] With this configuration, the control mode of the propulsion force can be changed according to the current position.

[0032] In this case, a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the ship, an other ship position acquisition unit that acquires the position of other ships, a lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the control lever for controlling the rotational speed of the main engine, an actual rotational speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotational speed of the main engine, a rotational speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotational speed of the main engine based on the actual rotational speed and the position of the control lever, If the distance between the current position and the position of another ship is less than the distance threshold, the propulsion force generator generates a propulsion force based on a command from the propulsion force command unit. If the distance between the current position and the position of another ship is greater than or equal to the distance threshold, the propulsion force generator generates a propulsion force based on a command from the rotation speed command unit. A control unit may be provided.

[0033] With this configuration, the control mode of the propulsion force can be changed according to the distance from another ship.

[0034] In this case, A ship information acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the ship and the direction of the ship, Another ship information acquisition unit that acquires the position of another ship, the speed of another ship, and, A lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the control lever for controlling the rotation speed of the main engine, An actual rotation speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotation speed of the main engine, A rotation speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotation speed of the main engine based on the actual rotation speed and the position of the control lever, Based on the information acquired by the ship information acquisition unit and the speed acquisition unit, and the information acquired by the other ship information acquisition unit, a risk level is calculated. If the calculated risk level is greater than or equal to the risk level threshold, the propulsion force generator generates a propulsion force based on a command from the propulsion force command unit. If the risk level is less than the risk level threshold, the propulsion force generator generates a propulsion force based on a command from the rotation speed command unit. A control unit may be provided.

[0035] With this configuration, the control mode of the propulsion force can be changed based on the current position, speed, and direction of the own ship, and the risk level calculated based on the position, speed, and direction of another ship.

[0036] In this case, A lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the control lever for controlling the rotation speed of the main engine, A rotation speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotation speed of the main engine, A rotation speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotation speed of the main engine based on the actual rotation speed and the position of the control lever, If the current speed is less than the speed threshold, a propulsion force generating device generates a propulsion force based on a command from a propulsion force command unit. If the current speed is greater than or equal to the speed threshold, a control unit generates a propulsion force in the propulsion force generating device based on a command from a rotation speed command unit. Such a configuration may be provided.

[0037] With this configuration, the control mode of the propulsion force can be changed according to the current speed.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a ship. As shown in FIG. 3, the ship 200 includes a control device 201, a steering unit 203, an operation unit 205, a propulsion force generating device 207, and a steering gear 209. The steering unit 203 is used for an operator to manually steer the steering gear 209. The operation unit 205 includes a telegraph 211, a display unit 213, and a selection unit 215. A command for the engine rotation speed or a command for the speed is input to the telegraph 211 by an operator's operation. The display unit 213 is a monitor that displays information to the operator. The selection unit 215 is an input interface such as a keyboard for an operator to input a command to the control device 201 or select information displayed on the display unit 213. The propulsion force generating device 207 includes an engine 217 that is driven and controlled by a governor, and a variable pitch propeller 219 fixed to the output shaft of the engine 217.

[0039] The control device 201 includes a speed acquisition unit 221, a position acquisition unit 223, an other-ship position acquisition unit 225, an actual rotation speed acquisition unit 227, a route acquisition unit 229, a time acquisition unit 231, and a lever position acquisition unit 233 as components for acquiring various types of information. The speed acquisition unit 221 acquires the current speed of the ship. Also, during autopilot operation, the speed acquisition unit 221 acquires the target speed from the navigation distance and the estimated arrival time. The navigation speed of the ship may be acquired from the instruments of the own ship such as a speed sensor, or may be acquired from an external source. The position acquisition unit 223 uses measurement means such as GPS to acquire the current position and refers to a nautical chart to acquire information regarding the current position. Information regarding the current position includes information such as whether the current position is an area where the navigation speed is restricted, such as in a bay, a waterway, or coastal waters, or an area where the navigation speed is not restricted, such as in the open ocean. The other-ship position acquisition unit 225 performs wireless communication with other ships to acquire information regarding the current positions of the other ships. The actual rotation speed acquisition unit 227 acquires the actual rotation speed of the engine 217. The route acquisition unit 229 acquires the route from the current position to the destination. The time acquisition unit 231 acquires the current time and the target time. The lever position acquisition unit 233 acquires the position of the telegraph 211.

[0040] The control device 201 includes an acceleration calculation unit 235 and a fuel consumption calculation unit 237 as components for performing various calculations. The acceleration calculation unit 235 calculates the change amount of acceleration, that is, the acceleration from the current ship speed and the past ship speed. The fuel consumption calculation unit 237 calculates the fuel consumption during acceleration from the acceleration and the current fuel consumption amount.

[0041] The propulsion force command unit 239 outputs a command to the propulsion force generation device 207 so as to generate a propulsion force that causes the current speed to approach the target speed. The propulsion force command unit 239 calculates the target rotation speed of the main engine of the propulsion force generation device 207 based on the difference between the target speed and the current speed. The propulsion force command unit 239 calculates the target blade angle of the variable pitch propeller 219 of the propulsion force generation device 207 based on the difference between the target speed and the current speed. The rotation speed command unit 241 outputs a command for the target rotation speed of the engine 217 based on the actual rotation speed and the position of the telegraph 211.

[0042] The control unit 243 controls the steering gear 209 and the propulsion force generator 207 based on the calculation results obtained by the speed acquisition unit 221, the position acquisition unit 223, the other ship position acquisition unit 225, the actual rotation speed acquisition unit 227, the course acquisition unit 229, the time acquisition unit 231, and the lever position acquisition unit 233. The control unit 243 controls the propulsion force (the output of the engine 217 or the blade angle of the propeller 19) of the ship so that the current speed approaches the target speed. Thereby, the target speed can be maintained. When deviating from the designated course due to the influence of disturbances, the disturbance may be calculated based on the deviation from the designated course or the like, and the current speed may be controlled taking into account the calculated disturbance. In this specification, the disturbance includes sea conditions such as tidal currents and winds during navigation, and meteorological factors. In addition, the disturbance when taking into account the hull resistance includes, in addition to sea conditions and meteorological factors, hull fouling (attachment of barnacles to the propeller) and changes in propulsion resistance due to the number of passengers. Also, the current speed may be controlled so that the average speed up to the present becomes the target speed. Thereby, the destination can be reached by the scheduled time. Alternatively, an average speed at which the destination can be reached at the scheduled time may be calculated, and the ship may be controlled at the calculated average speed. Thereby, the fuel efficiency can be improved. If the average speed can be calculated by plotting the scheduled time and the target value on the nautical chart, the operation becomes easier.

[0043] When the position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 223 indicates a predetermined area such as inside a bay, the control unit 243 controls the propulsion force to keep the current speed constant while monitoring the current speed acquired by the speed acquisition unit 221 (speed feedback control). Also, when the position information acquired by the position acquisition unit 223 indicates the open sea or the like, the control unit 243 controls the propulsion force to keep the engine speed constant while monitoring the engine speed (rotation speed feedback control). The control unit 243 also switches between speed feedback control and rotation speed feedback control according to the current speed. In this case, when the current speed is less than a predetermined speed threshold, the control unit 243 performs speed feedback control, and when the current speed is equal to or greater than the speed threshold, the control unit 243 performs rotation speed feedback control.

[0044] When performing speed feedback control, the control unit 243 controls the engine governor. If speed feedback control is performed within a predetermined range, it becomes easier to maintain the positional relationship with other ships. In this case, the control unit 243 calculates the distance between the other ship and the own ship from the position of the other ship and the current position of the own ship, and if the distance is less than a predetermined distance threshold, it performs speed feedback control. When the distance is greater than or equal to the distance threshold, the control unit 243 performs rotational speed feedback control.

[0045] Further, the control unit 243 may calculate the risk level in consideration of the position, speed, and direction of the other ship and the position, speed, and direction of the own ship. When the risk level is greater than or equal to a predetermined risk level threshold, the control unit 243 performs speed feedback control. When the risk level is less than the risk level threshold, the control unit 243 performs rotational speed feedback control. By obtaining the ground speed information of the other ship and making adjustments such as matching the ground speed with the other ship, compared with the case of maintaining the distance from the other ship based only on the relative positional relationship with the other ship, the performance of the ship, the operating conditions of each ship, and the influence of disturbances are less likely to be affected.

[0046] The control device 201 causes the display unit to display the fuel consumption and arrival time when navigating on a predetermined route from the current position to the target value based on different operating conditions. When the operating conditions are selected using the selection unit 215, the control device 201 controls the steering gear 209 and the propulsion force generating device 207 based on the selected operating conditions. Different operating conditions include operations by rotational speed feedback control, operations by speed feedback, operations to maintain the course considering disturbances, operations with speed as the top priority, operations with fuel consumption as the top priority, and the like.

[0047] The display unit may display a message for the operator to select any one of a fuel consumption mode that emphasizes fuel consumption, a safety mode that emphasizes the maneuverability of the ship, or a time mode that sails to the target value at the shortest arrival time. In the fuel consumption mode, the control unit 243 controls the steering gear 209 so as to cancel the fluctuation of the engine load due to disturbances.

[0048] As another example of the fuel consumption mode, the control unit 243 may calculate the actual values of speed and fuel consumption based on the distance from the departure value to the current position and the fuel consumption up to the present, and calculate the fuel consumption and arrival time to the target value using these actual values. The control unit 243 can calculate the fuel consumption, ground speed, and arrival time from the current position to the target value in consideration of the actual values. In such a mode, since the influence of disturbances that are difficult to predict is included in the actual values, accurate fuel consumption can be calculated without performing prediction of disturbances or the like. More accurate predicted values can be calculated by taking into account the influence of disturbances such as weather conditions and tidal currents from the current position to the target value.

[0049] In the safety mode, in order to enhance the maneuverability of the ship, for example, the output of the engine is increased during a low-speed turn to improve the turning performance. Also, in the safety mode, the optimal propulsive force for changing the course according to the nautical chart may be calculated, and the steering gear 209 and the propulsive force generator 207 may be simultaneously controlled based on the calculated propulsive force.

[0050] The fuel consumption may be displayed on the display unit. During acceleration, the fuel consumption during acceleration is displayed, and when the engine is operating at a constant rotational speed, the fuel consumption during constant-speed operation is displayed. The fuel consumption to be displayed is changed according to the driving state. Examples of the fuel consumption during acceleration include the fuel consumption per unit output per hour (g / kWh) or the value obtained by the formula: acceleration ÷ (instantaneous fuel amount - steady-state fuel amount).

[0051] 〔Third Embodiment〕 During ship navigation, energy is used in various scenarios such as the energy for propelling the ship and the energy for turning the ship. Technologies for comprehensively managing the energy required during ship navigation have not been established.

[0052] To solve such problems, in one aspect, a ship control device is a control device for controlling a ship including a plurality of propulsive force generators and a plurality of travel direction control devices, and includes a time acquisition unit that acquires a target time to reach a destination, A calculation unit that calculates the energy consumption when arriving at a destination by a target time according to a designated route to the target position during autopilot control, the calculation unit calculating the total energy consumption by a combination of at least one propulsion device among a plurality of propulsion devices and at least one traveling direction control device among a plurality of traveling direction control devices in a plurality of patterns, A propulsion control unit that propels a ship using the propulsion device and the traveling direction control device included in the pattern based on the pattern with the least energy consumption among the plurality of patterns calculated by the calculation unit.

[0053] Also, a ship control device in one aspect A propulsion device A control device for controlling a ship including a plurality of traveling direction control devices, the control device A time acquisition unit that acquires a target time for the ship to arrive at a destination, A calculation unit that calculates the energy consumption when arriving at a target value by a target time according to a designated route to the target position during autopilot control, the calculation unit calculating the total energy consumption by at least one traveling direction control device among a plurality of traveling direction control devices in a plurality of patterns, A traveling direction control unit that controls the traveling direction of the ship using the traveling direction control device included in the pattern based on the pattern with the least energy consumption among the plurality of patterns calculated by the calculation unit.

[0054] Also, a ship control device in one aspect A plurality of propulsion devices A traveling direction control device, a ship control device including A time acquisition unit that acquires a target time for the ship to arrive at a destination, A calculation unit that calculates the energy consumption when arriving at a target value by a target time according to a designated route to the target position during autopilot control, the calculation unit calculating the total energy consumption by at least one propulsion device among a plurality of propulsion devices in a plurality of patterns, It includes a propulsion control unit that propels a ship using a propulsion force generator included in the pattern based on the pattern with the least energy consumption among a plurality of patterns calculated by a calculation unit.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a ship. The ship 300 includes a propulsion force generator 301, a traveling direction control device 303, and a control device 305. The propulsion force generator 301 includes a plurality of mechanisms that apply propulsion force to the ship, such as an engine, a motor, a sail, and a variable pitch propeller. The traveling direction control device 303 includes a plurality of mechanisms that change the direction of the bow of the ship, such as a steering gear and a side thruster.

[0056] The control device 305 includes a calculation unit 307, a control unit 309, and a time acquisition unit 311. The time acquisition unit 311 acquires the target time for the ship to arrive at the destination. The target time is the time input by the operator. The calculation unit 307 calculates the energy consumption when navigating according to the designated route to the destination during autopilot control. More specifically, the calculation unit 307 has information regarding the energy consumption of each of the plurality of mechanisms of the propulsion force generation device 301 and the energy consumption of each of the plurality of mechanisms of the traveling direction control device 303. The information regarding the energy consumption may be a theoretical value or information statistically obtained based on past information. The calculation unit 307 calculates, for a plurality of patterns, the total energy consumption by a combination of at least one of the plurality of mechanisms of the propulsion force generation device 301 and at least one of the plurality of mechanisms of the traveling direction control device 303 when navigating according to the designated route. For example, the calculation unit 307 calculates the total energy consumption when navigating the designated route using only the engine and the rudder machine, and the total energy consumption when navigating the designated route using a combination of the engine, the motor, the rudder machine, and the side thruster. Further, the calculation unit 307 calculates the navigation speed for all combinations and distinguishes between combinations that cannot reach the destination by the target time and combinations that can reach the destination. In the plurality of patterns described above, the engine or the motor and the propeller (variable pitch propeller or fixed pitch propeller) are always handled as a set. In other words, the above-described plurality of patterns always include any one of the combinations of the engine and the variable pitch propeller, the engine and the fixed pitch propeller, the motor and the variable pitch propeller, or the motor and the fixed pitch propeller. When the combination includes a variable pitch propeller, the variation in energy consumption due to controlling the blade angle of the variable pitch propeller is taken into account. The calculation unit 307 calculates the energy consumption for all combinations that can reach the destination by the target time. The calculation unit 307 may take into account information regarding disturbances such as wind and tide.

[0057] The control unit 309 selects, from among the plurality of patterns calculated by the calculation unit 307, the pattern that can reach the destination by the target time and consumes the least amount of energy, and controls the ship using only the mechanisms included in the selected pattern. Further, when it is predicted that the weather conditions and the tidal current will change during the course of the route, the mechanism used may be switched, for example, to proceed using the engine until the middle of the designated route and then to proceed using the sails thereafter.

[0058] 〔Fourth Embodiment〕 Conventionally, it is known to refer to data on disturbances such as tidal currents and wind in order to formulate a navigation plan. Currently, the tidal current data and wind speed data that are frequently used are based on simulations.

[0059] There is a demand for a system that collects measured values of disturbances.

[0060] To solve such problems, in one aspect, a disturbance data collection system includes an information collection unit that collects information on the speed of the ship relative to the ground, the speed of the ship relative to the water, the position information of the ship, and the direction of travel of the ship for a plurality of ships during navigation; and a calculation unit that calculates the speed and direction of the disturbance including the tidal current and wind in the sea area corresponding to the position information based on the information collected by the information collection unit.

[0061] In this case, it may further include a transmission unit that transmits the calculation result of the calculation unit to an electronic chart display system shared via a network.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a disturbance data collection system. The disturbance data collection system 400 is connected to a plurality of ships S via a network. The disturbance data collection system 400 includes an information collection unit 401 that collects information on the speed of the ship relative to the ground, the speed of the ship relative to the water, the position information of the ship, and the direction of travel of the ship from a plurality of ships, a calculation unit 403 that calculates the speed influence and direction of the disturbance including the tidal current and wind in the sea area corresponding to the position information based on the information collected by the information collection unit 401, and a transmission unit 405.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of a ship. The calculation unit 403 calculates the disturbance in the surrounding sea area of each ship from the ship's ground speed, water speed, position information, and course direction. The disturbance (indicated by the dashed-dotted line) is calculated as the sum of the vector (indicated by the solid line) represented by the ground speed and its direction, and the vector (indicated by the broken line) represented by the water speed and its direction.

[0064] Returning to FIG. 5, the transmission unit 405 calculates the disturbance in the surrounding sea area of each ship, associates the calculation result with the position information, and transmits it to the electronic chart display system 407. The electronic chart display system 407 displays the received information on the electronic chart as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the disturbance data of a smaller sea area based on the measured values can be shared. Also, by acquiring the disturbance data based on the measured values, the prediction accuracy of the disturbance change can be improved. Note that the influence of the disturbance on each ship is not necessarily the same, and an independent coefficient indicating the degree of disturbance influence may be determined for each ship, and the magnitude of the disturbance may be inversely calculated from the coefficient.

[0065] 〔Fifth Embodiment〕 Conventionally, it is known to perform steering control taking into account the influence of disturbances such as tidal currents and winds. The steering angle and turning radius are not necessarily proportional because they are affected by the ship's sailing speed in addition to disturbances such as tidal currents and winds. The inventors obtained a new idea that the loading amount of a ship is closely related to the propulsion resistance of the hull, which also affects the turning radius.

[0066] In order to solve such problems, a turning control device in one aspect is a turning control device for controlling the turning of a ship, comprising a steering gear for turning the ship and a turning command unit for outputting a command including the turning direction and turning amount of the ship, a turning command acquisition unit for acquiring a command from the turning command unit, an estimation unit for estimating the propulsion resistance of the ship, a correction unit that corrects to increase the target rudder angle value indicating the angle of the steering gear for turning the ship according to the command when the propulsion resistance increases compared to the reference value, and corrects to decrease the target rudder angle value when the propulsion resistance decreases compared to the reference value, It includes a steering gear control unit that controls the steering gear according to the corrected target rudder angle value.

[0067] In this case, the estimation unit estimates the propulsion resistance at each of the first timing and the second timing after the first timing, and the steering gear control unit may compare the propulsion resistance estimated at the second timing with the propulsion resistance estimated at the first timing as a reference value.

[0068] In this case, it includes a position acquisition unit that acquires the position information of the ship. It includes a detection unit that detects the entry and exit of the ship based on the position information. The estimation unit may estimate the propulsion resistance based on the detection result of the detection unit such that the first timing is before the ship enters the port and the second timing is after the ship leaves the port.

[0069] In this case, the estimation unit may estimate the propulsion resistance based on the propulsion force and the speed through water of the ship.

[0070] In this case, the estimation unit may estimate the propulsion resistance based on the rudder angle, the change amount of the propulsion force and the azimuth, or the rudder angle, the propulsion force and the turning radius.

[0071] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a ship. As shown in Figure 8, the ship 500 includes a telegraph 501, a steering unit 503 as a turning command unit, an engine 505, a steering gear 507, a control device 509, and a governor 511. The target rotation speed of the engine 505 is input to the telegraph 501 by the operator's control. Commands including the turning direction and turning amount of the ship are input to the steering unit 503. The steering unit 503 inputs a rudder angle command to the control device 509. The rudder angle command may be a value manually input by the operator or a value determined based on autopilot control.

[0072] The control device 509 includes an estimation unit 513 that estimates the propulsion resistance, a correction unit 515 that corrects the target rudder angle value, a rudder angle control unit 517, a position acquisition unit 519 that acquires the position information of the ship, and a detection unit 521 that detects the entry and exit of the ship based on the position information. The estimation unit 513 estimates the propulsion resistance based on the propulsion force and the speed through water of the ship. The estimation unit 513 may estimate the propulsion resistance based on the rudder angle, the change amount of the propulsion force and the azimuth, or the rudder angle, the propulsion force, and the turning radius. The correction unit 515 corrects the target rudder angle value based on the increase or decrease of the propulsion resistance. Specifically, when the propulsion resistance increases compared with the reference value, the correction unit 515 corrects to increase the target rudder angle value indicating the angle of the rudder actuator 507 for turning the ship 500 according to the command. Also, when the propulsion resistance decreases compared with the reference value, the correction unit 515 corrects to decrease the target rudder angle value. The reference value is a predetermined value determined based on the past propulsion resistance and the target rudder angle value.

[0073] The estimation unit 513 may estimate the propulsion resistance at each of the first timing and the second timing after the first timing. In this case, the control device 509 compares the propulsion resistance estimated at the first timing with the propulsion resistance estimated at the second timing using the propulsion resistance estimated at the first timing as the reference value. Also, the first timing is before the ship enters the harbor, and the second timing is after the ship leaves the harbor. Thereby, even when the amount of the cargo changes after the ship enters the harbor and the propulsion resistance of the ship changes, the target rudder angle value can be appropriately corrected.

[0074] The rudder angle control unit 517 controls the rudder actuator 507 based on the corrected rudder angle command, taking into account the change in responsiveness due to the increase in resistance.

[0075] Also, the motion performance due to the rudder angle, particularly the turning radius, is affected by the mass of the entire ship including the cargo (the influence of the inertial force). Therefore, the change in the mass of the entire ship due to the loading of the cargo may be calculated from the increase amount of the fuel input amount and taken into account when correcting the rudder angle command.

[0076] 〔Sixth Embodiment〕 As described in the fifth embodiment, conventionally, no useful solution has been proposed for the problem that the motion performance of a ship deteriorates due to loading cargo or fuel. The deterioration of the motion performance has a particularly large impact when navigating an evacuation route in an emergency or the like.

[0077] To solve such problems, in one aspect, a turning control device is a turning control device for controlling the turning of a ship, comprising a steering gear for turning the ship and a rudder angle command unit that outputs a rudder angle command including the turning direction and turning amount of the ship, a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position, a rudder angle command acquisition unit that acquires the rudder angle command, a correction unit that corrects the rudder angle command acquired by the rudder angle command acquisition unit according to the current position, and a transmission unit that transmits the corrected rudder angle command to the steering gear.

[0078] In this case, when the correction unit indicates that the current position is a harbor, it corrects to increase the rudder angle command.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a ship. The turning control device 600 includes a position acquisition unit 601, a rudder angle command acquisition unit 603, and a correction unit 605. The ship V6 includes a steering gear 607 controlled by the turning control device 600. The position acquisition unit 601 acquires position information using GPS information and electronic chart information. The position information includes information on whether the current position is a predetermined area such as inside a bay where the navigation speed is restricted. The rudder angle command acquisition unit 603 acquires a rudder angle command indicating the steering angle. The rudder angle command may be a value manually input by an operator or a value determined based on autopilot control.

[0080] The correction unit 605 corrects the rudder angle command based on the position information and outputs it to the steering gear 607. For example, immediately after loading fuel or cargo in a port, the maneuverability of the ship deteriorates. Also, depending on the quality of the fuel replenished in the port, the engine output may decrease with respect to the fuel consumption. Therefore, in an area where sharp turning is possible, such as in a port, the correction unit 605 corrects and increases the input rudder angle command on the premise that the maneuverability of the ship has deteriorated. The amount of increase in the rudder angle command may be a predetermined amount, or may be an amount determined according to the estimated increased weight. The correction unit 605 does not need to maintain the correction amount once determined, and may gradually decrease the correction amount over time. This enables appropriate evasive maneuvers even when the operating performance is assumed to have deteriorated.

[0081] When the correction unit 605 determines based on the position information that it has left the outer sea or the like, it ends the correction of the rudder angle command.

[0082] 〔Seventh Embodiment〕 A technique for improving the turning performance of a ship is proposed.

[0083] To solve this problem, in one aspect, a turning control device includes a main engine, a steering gear for turning the ship, a rudder angle command unit that outputs a rudder angle command including a turning direction and a turning amount, an output command unit that outputs an output command of the main engine, and is a turning control device for controlling the turning of a ship, comprising an output acquisition unit that acquires the output command, a rudder angle command acquisition unit that acquires the rudder angle command, a correction unit that performs correction to decrease the rudder angle command when the output of the main engine is equal to or greater than an output threshold value, and increases the rudder angle command when the output of the main engine is less than the output threshold value, and a transmission unit that transmits the corrected rudder angle command to the steering gear.

[0084] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a ship. The turning control device 700 includes a propulsion force acquisition unit 701, a rudder angle command acquisition unit 703, a correction unit 705, and a transmission unit 707. The ship V7 includes a steering gear 709 and a propulsion force generator 711 in addition to the turning control device 700. The turning control device 700 transmits the calculated rudder angle correction value to the steering gear 709 of the ship V7 to control the rudder angle.

[0085] The propulsion force acquisition unit 701 acquires the propulsion force information of the propulsion force generator 711. The propulsion force generator 711 includes an engine 713 that generates propulsion force and a variable pitch propeller 715. The propulsion force information of the engine 713 is the engine speed, and the propulsion force information of the variable pitch propeller 715 is the blade angle. The rudder angle command acquisition unit 703 acquires a rudder angle command indicating the steering angle. The rudder angle command may be a value manually input by an operator or a value determined based on autopilot control. The correction unit 705 corrects the rudder angle command according to the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711. When the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711 is large, the correction unit 705 decreases the rudder angle command, and when the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711 is small, the correction unit 705 increases the rudder angle command. The correction unit 705 determines whether the propulsion force is large or small based on the determination of whether the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711 is equal to or greater than the propulsion force threshold or less than the propulsion force threshold. The amount of correction of the rudder angle command may be a fixed amount or an amount determined according to the amount of the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711. The rudder angle command corrected by the correction unit 705 is transmitted to the steering gear 709 by the transmission unit 707.

[0086] In a situation where the turning performance is high (the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711 is large), the rudder angle command can be reduced, and in a situation where the turning performance is low (the propulsion force of the propulsion force generator 711 is small), the rudder angle command can be increased. Thereby, stable turning performance can be obtained.

[0087] 〔Eighth Embodiment〕 A technique for improving the turning performance of a ship is proposed.

[0088] To solve this problem, in one aspect, the turning control device A rudder angle command acquisition unit that acquires a rudder angle command, An output command input unit to which an output command is input, and a correction unit that performs correction to increase the output when the rudder angle command is large and decrease the output when the rudder angle command is small.

[0089] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a ship. The turning control device 800 includes a propulsive force command input unit 801, a rudder angle command acquisition unit 803, and a correction unit 805. The turning control device 800 is provided on the ship V8. The ship V8 includes a steering gear 807 and a propulsive force generation device 809. The turning control device 800 supplies the propulsive force calculated by the correction unit 805 to the propulsive force generation device 809 to control the propulsive force.

[0090] A propulsive force command is input to the propulsive force command input unit 801 from an input device such as a telegraph. The propulsive force generation device 809 includes an engine 811 that generates propulsive force and a variable pitch propeller 813. The propulsive force command for the engine 811 is the engine speed, and the propulsive force command for the variable pitch propeller 813 is the blade angle. The rudder angle command acquisition unit 803 acquires a rudder angle command indicating the steering angle. The rudder angle command may be a value manually input by an operator or a value determined based on autopilot control. The correction unit 805 corrects the propulsive force command according to the rudder angle command. The correction unit 805 increases the propulsive force when the rudder angle command is large and decreases the propulsive force when the rudder angle command is small. The correction unit 805 determines whether the rudder angle command is large or small based on the determination of whether the rudder angle command is greater than or equal to a rudder angle threshold or less than the rudder angle threshold. The amount of correction of the propulsive force may be a fixed amount or an amount determined according to the amount of propulsive force of the propulsive force generation device 809.

[0091] When the rudder angle command is large, the propulsive force of the propulsive force generation device 809 is increased to improve the turning performance, and when the rudder angle command is small, the propulsive force of the propulsive force generation device 809 is decreased to improve the fuel efficiency. Thereby, stable turning performance can be obtained.

[0092] Further, a speed acquisition unit for acquiring the current speed of the ship may be provided in the turning control device 800, and the rudder angle command may be corrected according to the speed. In this case, the correction unit decreases the rudder angle command when the speed is equal to or higher than the speed threshold, and increases the rudder angle command when the speed is lower than the speed threshold.

[0093] Also, a propulsion force control device that controls the propulsion force using the same control may be configured. In this case, the propulsion force control device includes a propulsion force command acquisition unit from a propulsion command unit of the ship that outputs a propulsion force command. The correction unit performs correction to increase the propulsion force when the rudder angle command is large, and decrease the propulsion force when the rudder angle command is small.

[0094] 〔9th Embodiment〕 A technique for improving the turning performance of a ship is proposed.

[0095] To solve this problem, in one aspect, the ballast control device is a ballast control device that controls the ballast of a ship including a rudder angle command unit that outputs a rudder angle command including a turning direction and a turning amount, a port ballast adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of ballast water on the port side, a starboard ballast adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of ballast water on the starboard side, a rudder angle command acquisition unit that acquires the rudder angle command, and a ballast determination unit that determines the ballast water amount so that the amount of water on the inner side of the turn is larger than the amount of water on the outer side of the turn among the port ballast adjustment unit and the starboard ballast adjustment unit based on the rudder angle command.

[0096] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a ship. The ballast control device 900 is applied to a ship V9 including left and right ballast tanks 901L and 901R arranged on the left and right sides and independent of each other. The ship control system includes a port ballast adjustment unit 903L for adjusting the amount of water in the port ballast tank 901L and a starboard ballast adjustment unit 903R for adjusting the amount of water in the starboard ballast tank 901R. The ballast control device 900 includes a rudder angle command acquisition unit 905 for acquiring a rudder angle command and a ballast determination unit 907 for determining the left and right ballast water amounts. The rudder angle command may be a value manually input by an operator or a value determined based on autopilot control.

[0097] Based on the rudder angle command, the ballast determination unit 907 determines the ballast water amount such that the amount of water on the inner side of the turn is larger than the amount of water on the outer side of the turn. When determining the ballast water amount, the ballast determination unit 907 adjusts only one ballast water amount based on the current ballast water amount to increase or decrease it, or decreases one ballast water amount and increases the other ballast water amount. The ballast determination unit 907 outputs the result to the port ballast adjustment unit 903L and the starboard ballast adjustment unit 903R.

[0098] FIGS. 13 to 15 are front views of the ship. FIG. 13 shows a state where the ballast water amounts in the port ballast tank 901L and the starboard ballast tank 901R are the same. FIG. 14 shows a state where the ballast water amount in the starboard ballast tank 901R is increased and the ballast water amount in the port ballast tank 901L is decreased. In this state, the hull tilts toward the starboard side and the turning performance toward the starboard side is enhanced. FIG. 15 shows a state where the ballast water amount in the port ballast tank 901L is increased and the ballast water amount in the starboard ballast tank 901R is decreased. In this state, the hull tilts toward the port side and the turning performance toward the port side of the ship is enhanced.

[0099] When navigating on a designated route during autopilot control, the ballast determination unit 907 may start adjusting the ballast amount before reaching the turning point on the designated route.

[0100] Note that the adjustment amounts of the port ballast tank 901L and the starboard ballast tank 901R can be calculated from the planned ship speed and turning radius. When the speed over the ground is high and the turning radius is small, the difference in the water volume between the port ballast tank 901L and the starboard ballast tank 901R is increased.

[0101] 〔Embodiment 10〕 Provided is a technique for reducing the deviation amount from a designated route during autopilot control.

[0102] In order to solve such problems, a traveling direction control device in one aspect is a traveling direction control device for a ship equipped with a steering gear, including a designated route management unit that manages a designated route formed by connecting a plurality of passing points, a direction determination unit that determines the orientation of the hull when passing through the nth passing point in consideration of the positional relationship between the nth passing point closest to the traveling direction on the designated route and the (n + 1)th passing point, and a rudder angle control unit that controls the steering gear based on the orientation determined by the direction determination unit.

[0103] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a ship. The traveling direction control device 1000 includes a designated route management unit 1001, an attitude determination unit 1003, and a rudder angle control unit 1005. The designated route management unit 1001 stores the designated route to be followed during autopilot control and can be read by the attitude determination unit 1003 as necessary. The traveling direction control device 1000 controls the steering gear 1007 of the ship V10.

[0104] The attitude determination unit 1003 determines the attitude of the hull based on the designated route. The attitude of the hull in this embodiment refers to the direction of the bow. FIG. 17 shows an example of the designated route. The attitude determination unit 1003 determines the rudder angle such that the bow faces the (n + 1)-th passing point when passing through the n-th passing point based on the positional relationship between the n-th passing point closest in the traveling direction and the (n + 1)-th passing point (ship S1 shown by the broken line). The bow does not have to exactly face the (n + 1)-th passing point at the n-th passing point, and there may be a certain degree of error. That is, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 17, it is only necessary to start the rudder angle control so that the bow faces the (n + 1)-th passing point before reaching the n-th passing point (ship S2).

[0105] 〔11th Embodiment〕 Provide a system that calculates the optimal attitude of a ship before departure and improves the fuel consumption of the ship.

[0106] In order to solve such problems, in one aspect, the ship attitude calculation system An information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the sea state information and the weather information at a predetermined point in the route along which the ship sails, A prediction unit that predicts changes in the hull attitude due to disturbances occurring at a predetermined point based on the acquired information, An attitude estimation unit that estimates the attitude of the ship to cancel the predicted changes in the hull attitude, An arrangement determination unit that determines the arrangement of the cargo in the cargo hold of the ship so that the ship has the attitude estimated at a predetermined point, And a notification unit that notifies the operator of the determined arrangement.

[0107] In this case, the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the sea state information and the weather information at a plurality of points in the route, The prediction unit predicts changes in the hull attitude due to disturbances at each of the plurality of points, The estimation unit estimates the attitude that cancels the changes in the hull attitude at each point, The ship further includes a calculation unit that calculates the fuel consumption when sailing the route in a state without disturbances calculated based on the estimation result of the estimation unit. The arrangement determination unit may determine the arrangement of the cargo so as to achieve the attitude with the best fuel efficiency based on the calculation result of the calculation unit.

[0108] FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a ship attitude calculation system. The ship attitude calculation unit system 1100 includes an information acquisition unit 1101, a prediction unit 1103, an attitude estimation unit 1105, an arrangement determination unit 1107, and a notification unit 1109. The ship attitude calculation unit system 1100 calculates the optimal attitude of the ship and outputs the optimal cargo arrangement before loading the cargo on the ship.

[0109] The information acquisition unit 1101 acquires weather information and meteorological information at a predetermined point on the planned route from outside the system. The prediction unit 1103 predicts the change in the hull attitude due to the disturbance occurring at the predetermined point based on the information acquired based on the weather information and the meteorological information. The attitude estimation unit 1105 estimates the attitude of the ship that cancels the predicted change in the hull attitude. For example, when it is predicted that the disturbance from the starboard side to the port side is strong due to the influence of a crosswind or a tidal current, the attitude estimation unit 1105 calculates an attitude that moves the center of gravity of the ship to the starboard side. Also, when it is predicted that the influence of the disturbance is almost negligible, an attitude that maintains the center of gravity of the ship is calculated. The arrangement determination unit 1107 determines the arrangement of the cargo in the cargo hold of the ship based on the estimation result of the attitude estimation unit 1105. Depending on the total amount and shape of the cargo, there may be a case where there is no arrangement that can obtain the attitude estimated by the attitude estimation unit 1105. In such a case, the arrangement determination unit 1107 determines an arrangement that brings the attitude of the ship in the unloaded state close to the attitude estimated by the attitude estimation unit 1105.

[0110] The determination result of the arrangement determination unit 1107 is output to the notification unit 1109 and can be used as an instruction when loading the cargo.

[0111] 〔Embodiment 12〕 Conventionally, it has been common to use a rudder to change the direction of the bow. When changing the direction of the bow at a minute angle, repeated rudder control has been performed until the desired direction is obtained, resulting in a decrease in fuel efficiency.

[0112] The 12th embodiment provides a rudder control device that can perform minute angle control while suppressing deterioration of fuel efficiency.

[0113] To solve this problem, in one aspect, a turning control device is a turning control device for controlling the turning of a ship, comprising two propulsion resistance reduction units provided independently on both sides of the ship to reduce the propulsion resistance of the ship, and a turning command unit for commanding the turning direction and turning amount of the ship. a turning command acquisition unit that acquires a command from the turning command unit; a resistance control unit that controls the two propulsion resistance reduction units so that the reduction amount of the propulsion resistance on the inner side of the turning direction is smaller than the reduction amount of the propulsion resistance on the outer side of the turning direction when receiving a command from the turning command unit.

[0114] In this case, the resistance control unit may include a steering gear command output unit that outputs a command for controlling the steering gear of the ship.

[0115] With this configuration, it is possible to suppress deterioration of fuel efficiency while realizing the rudder angle by the rudder angle command by using the resistance control device and the steering gear in combination.

[0116] In this case, when the rudder angle command is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle, the control value may be supplied only to the rudder angle control unit.

[0117] With this configuration, when the rudder angle command is large, the rudder angle can be controlled only by the steering gear, and it is possible to prevent the rudder from becoming unable to turn.

[0118] In this case, it may include a resistance information acquisition unit that acquires hull resistance information, and the turning control device may supply a control value to the first resistance control device and the second resistance control device based on the hull resistance information.

[0119] In this case, the two resistance control devices may be bubble generation devices that generate bubbles on the bottom of the ship.

[0120] In this case, The bubble generator is provided with a plurality of discharge ports for discharging bubbles on each of the starboard side and the port side, and the bubble discharge amount may be made smaller than the discharge amount from the discharge port on the outside of the turn.

[0121] Figure 19 is a block diagram of a ship. The ship 1200 includes a turning control device 1201 and a steering gear 1203. The turning control device 1201 includes a first resistance control device 1205 provided on the port side, a second resistance control device 1207 provided on the starboard side, and a steering gear control unit 1209 that controls the steering gear 1203. The first resistance control device 1205 and the second resistance control device 1207 constitute a resistance control unit. The first resistance control device 1205 and the second resistance control device 1207 are constituted by microbubble generators arranged on the side surface of the hull to reduce the hull resistance. The turning control device 1201 includes a turning command acquisition unit 1211 that acquires a rudder angle command, and a control value supply unit 1213 that supplies control values to the first resistance control device 1205, the second resistance control device 1207, and the steering gear control unit 1209 based on the rudder angle command.

[0122] The first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207 reduces the resistance on one side of the hull to turn the hull, so the limit of the achievable rudder angle (referred to as the first rudder angle threshold) is smaller than the limit of the achievable rudder angle by the steering gear 1203. When the rudder angle command is less than the rudder angle threshold, the control value supply unit 1213 supplies control values only to the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207 to turn the hull while suppressing fuel consumption. When the rudder angle command is equal to or greater than the rudder angle threshold, the control value supply unit 1213 causes the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207 to execute turning for an angle corresponding to the rudder angle threshold. The control value supply unit 1213 causes the steering gear 1203 to execute turning for the angle insufficient by the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207. Also, when the rudder angle command is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (referred to as the second rudder angle threshold), the control value supply unit 1213 moves the steering gear 1203 according to the original rudder angle command.

[0123] The turning control device 1201 includes a hull resistance information acquisition unit 1215 that acquires hull resistance information. The hull resistance information may be a predetermined value, or may be a value calculated based on weather conditions such as wind and tide, a hull resistance coefficient K1 based on the draft level and the total weight of the hull, and a coefficient K2 based on the performance of the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207. This will be described later.

[0124] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing control processing by the turning control device. When the turning command acquisition unit 1211 acquires a turning command, a series of processing is started. In step S11, the control value supply unit 1213 determines whether the turning command is less than the first turning threshold value. If the turning command is less than the first turning threshold value (Y in step S11), in step S12, the control value supply unit 1213 supplies a control value based on the turning command to the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207, and turns the hull only with the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207. If the turning command is greater than or equal to the first rudder angle threshold value (N in step S11), in step S13, the control value supply unit 1213 determines whether the turning command is less than the second turning threshold value. If the turning command is less than the second rudder angle threshold value (Y in step S13), in step S14, the control value supply unit 1213 supplies control values to either the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207 and the rudder control unit 1209. If the rudder angle command is greater than or equal to the second rudder angle threshold value (N in step S13), in step S15, the control value supply unit 1213 supplies a control value to the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207.

[0125] A method for calculating a control value supplied by the control value supply unit 1213 to the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207 will be described. The control value supply unit 1213 acquires hull resistance information and a rudder angle command, and calculates Δμ so as to satisfy the formula: rudder angle command = K1 × K2 × Δμ. The value Δμ is a value obtained by subtracting the hull resistance on the starboard side from the hull resistance on the port side. When turning the hull to the port side, the resistance on the port side is made larger than the resistance on the starboard side so as to satisfy the inequality: Δμ ≧ 0. At this time, only the first resistance control device 1205 may be controlled, or both the first resistance control device 1205 and the second resistance control device 1207 may be controlled. When controlling both, the control value is calculated so as to satisfy the formula: resistance value on the port side = resistance value on the starboard side + Δμ.

[0126] When a macro bubble generator is adopted as the first resistance control device 1205 or the second resistance control device 1207, the discharge amount of bubbles in the micro bubble generator may be adjusted.

[0127] Fig. 21 is a schematic configuration diagram of a micro bubble generator. The micro bubble generator 1221 is arranged on the left and right sides of the hull with the hull center line L interposed therebetween. The micro bubble generator 1221 includes a plurality of bubble holes 1223. Bubbles are discharged from each of the bubble holes 1223. The left and right micro bubble generators 1221 are supplied with air from a compressor that is independently controlled. The control value supply unit 1213 reduces the bubble discharge amount of the bubble holes 1223 on the inner side of the turn compared to the bubble discharge amount of the bubble holes 1223 on the outer side of the turn. Thereby, the resistance on the inner side of the turn becomes higher than the resistance on the outer side of the turn, and the turnability can be improved.

[0128] 〔13th Embodiment〕 A technique is provided that can calculate the fuel consumption during acceleration when a ship accelerates.

[0129] To solve this problem, in one aspect, a fuel consumption calculation device is a fuel consumption calculation device that calculates the fuel consumption of a ship equipped with a main engine that transmits rotational power to a propeller, an acceleration calculation unit that calculates an acceleration when accelerating from a first ship speed to a second ship speed, A determination unit that determines whether or not the calculated acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a calculation unit that calculates the fuel consumption during acceleration based on the required time from the first timing to the second timing and the fuel injection amount injected into the main engine between the first timing and the second timing.

[0130] FIG. 22 is a block diagram of a ship equipped with a fuel consumption calculation device. The ship 1300 includes a propulsion force generation device 1301 and a fuel consumption calculation device 1303. The propulsion force generation device 1301 includes an engine 1305 and a propeller 1307. The fuel consumption calculation device 1303 includes an acceleration calculation unit 1309, a determination unit 1311, and a calculation unit 1313.

[0131] The acceleration calculation unit 1309 calculates the acceleration from the change in speed per unit time when accelerating from the first ship speed to the second ship speed. The determination unit 1311 determines whether or not the calculated acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The calculation unit 1313 calculates the fuel consumption during acceleration based on the required time from the first timing to the second timing and the fuel injection amount injected into the engine 1305 between the first timing and the second timing.

[0132] By calculating the fuel consumption during acceleration in this way, the calculation accuracy of the fuel consumption until reaching the destination can be improved.

Claims

1. A propulsion control device for controlling a propulsion force generating device of a ship, comprising: a speed acquisition unit that acquires a target speed of the ship, a current speed of the ship, and a plurality of target ship speeds having different speeds; a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generating device so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed to approach the target speed; a route acquisition unit that acquires a route from the current position to the destination; a time acquisition unit that acquires the current time and a target time at which the ship should arrive at the destination; a notification unit that notifies a fuel consumption and an arrival time when sailing on a predetermined route from the current position to the destination based on each of the plurality of target ship speeds; a control unit that calculates actual values of speed and fuel consumption based on the distance from the departure point to the current position and the fuel consumption until the current time, and calculates the fuel consumption and the arrival time from the current position to the destination using the actual values of the speed and the fuel consumption; The propulsion control device, wherein the target speed is a target ground speed calculated based on a required time calculated from the route, the current time, and the target time.

2. The propulsion control device according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion force command unit calculates a target rotational speed of a main engine of the propulsion force generating device based on a difference between the target speed and the current speed.

3. The propulsion control device according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion force command unit calculates a target blade angle of a variable pitch propeller of the propulsion force generating device based on a difference between the target speed and the current speed.

4. The propulsion control device according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion force command unit outputs a command to the propulsion force generating device so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed of the ship to approach the target ground speed.

5. further comprising a display unit that selectively displays any one of the plurality of target ship speeds, The propulsion control device according to claim 1, wherein the propulsion force command unit commands the magnitude of the propulsion force based on a difference between the selected target speed and the actual speed so that the actual speed approaches the target speed.

6. a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the ship; a lever position acquisition unit that acquires a position of a control lever for controlling the rotational speed of the main engine; an actual rotational speed acquisition unit that acquires an actual rotational speed of the main engine; a rotational speed command unit that outputs a command for a target rotational speed of the main engine based on the actual rotational speed and the position of the control lever. If the current position is within a predetermined area, a control unit that generates propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the propulsion force command unit; and if the current position is outside the predetermined area, generates propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the rotation speed command unit. The propulsion control device according to claim 2.

7. A propulsion control device for controlling a propulsion force generator of a ship, comprising: a speed acquisition unit that acquires the target speed of the ship and the current speed of the ship; a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generator so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed to approach the target speed; a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the ship; an other ship position acquisition unit that acquires the position of another ship; a lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a control lever for controlling the rotational speed of the main engine of the propulsion force generator; an actual rotational speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotational speed of the main engine; a rotational speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotational speed of the main engine based on the actual rotational speed and the position of the control lever; a control unit that generates propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the propulsion force command unit if the current position and the position of the other ship are less than a distance threshold, and generates propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the rotational speed command unit if the current position and the position of the other ship are greater than or equal to the distance threshold. The propulsion force command unit calculates the target rotational speed of the main engine based on the difference between the target speed and the current speed. The propulsion control device.

8. A propulsion control device for controlling a propulsion force generator of a ship, comprising: a speed acquisition unit that acquires the target speed of the ship and the current speed of the ship; a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generator so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed to approach the target speed; a ship information acquisition unit that acquires the current position and the direction of the ship; an other ship information acquisition unit that acquires the position, the speed of the other ship, and the like; a lever position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a control lever for controlling the rotational speed of the main engine of the propulsion force generator; an actual rotational speed acquisition unit that acquires the actual rotational speed of the main engine; a rotational speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotational speed of the main engine based on the actual rotational speed and the position of the control lever; A control unit that calculates a risk level based on the information acquired by the ship information acquisition unit, the speed acquisition unit, and the other ship information acquisition unit, and if the calculated risk level is equal to or higher than a risk level threshold, generates a propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the propulsion force command unit, and if the risk level is less than the risk level threshold, generates a propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the rotation speed command unit. The propulsion force command unit is a propulsion control device that calculates a target rotation speed of the main engine based on a difference between the target speed and the current speed. **Claim 9**: A propulsion control device for controlling a propulsion force generator of a ship, a speed acquisition unit that acquires a target speed of the ship and the current speed of the ship; a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generator so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed to approach the target speed; a lever position acquisition unit that acquires a position of a control lever for controlling the rotation speed of the main engine of the propulsion force generator; a rotation speed acquisition unit that acquires an actual rotation speed of the main engine; a rotation speed command unit that outputs a command for the target rotation speed of the main engine based on the actual rotation speed and the position of the control lever; a control unit that, if the current speed is less than a speed threshold, generates a propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the propulsion force command unit, and if the current speed is equal to or higher than the speed threshold, generates a propulsion force in the propulsion force generator based on a command from the rotation speed command unit; The propulsion force command unit is a propulsion control device that calculates a target rotation speed of the main engine based on a difference between the target speed and the current speed. **Claim 10** a propulsion force generator; a propulsion control device for controlling the propulsion force generator, a speed acquisition unit that acquires a target speed of the hull, the current speed of the hull, and a plurality of target ship speeds with different speeds; a propulsion force command unit that outputs a command to the propulsion force generator so as to generate a propulsion force for the current speed to approach the target speed; a route acquisition unit that acquires a route from the current position to the destination; a time acquisition unit that acquires the current time and a target time at which the ship should arrive at the destination; a notification unit that notifies a fuel consumption and an arrival time when sailing on a predetermined route from the current position to the destination based on each of the plurality of target ship speeds. A control unit that calculates actual values of speed and fuel consumption based on the distance from the departure point to the current position and the fuel consumption up to the present, and calculates the fuel consumption and arrival time from the current position to the destination using the actual values of speed and fuel consumption; A propulsion control device comprising the same; A ship, wherein the target speed is a target speed over the ground calculated based on the required time calculated from the route, the current time, and the target time.

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