Control device, control method for control device, and control program for control device

Abstract

To provide a control device capable of appropriately exhibiting an air lubrication effect which reduces friction resistance.SOLUTION: A control device 10 comprises: a bubble control unit 20 that controls a jetting mechanism 80 for jetting out bubbles through an air outlet 84 formed in a hull 90 of a vessel 1 into water; and a propulsion control unit 30 that controls a propulsion force of a propulsion mechanism 70 for propelling the hull 90. One of the propulsion control unit 30 and the bubble control unit 20 is controlled under control of the other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method for a control device, and a control program for a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Ships with air lubrication mechanisms that create an air layer in the ship's bottom are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a ship equipped with an air lubrication mechanism that blows air from the ship's bottom. This ship is equipped with an air blowing device that blows air from the ship's bottom and a suppression means that suppresses a relative decrease in the thickness of the air layer that covers a predetermined area of ​​the ship's bottom. This air blowing device has air outlets in the center area, port side area, and starboard side area of ​​the ship's bottom. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-056328 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors have come to the following realization regarding air lubrication mechanisms that supply air to the bottom of a ship's hull. Air lubrication mechanisms exert an effect (hereinafter referred to as the "air lubrication effect") of reducing frictional resistance (hereinafter simply referred to as "frictional resistance") between the water and the hull by ejecting air bubbles onto the bottom of the ship. This air lubrication effect can reduce the energy consumption of the propulsion mechanism (hereinafter simply referred to as the "propulsion mechanism") that propels the hull. However, because the air lubrication mechanism consumes energy to eject air during operation, continued operation of the air lubrication mechanism may result in the energy consumption of the air lubrication mechanism exceeding the energy savings of the propulsion mechanism. For this reason, it is desirable to consider the balance between the energy consumption of the air lubrication mechanism and the energy savings achieved by the air lubrication effect, and to operate the air lubrication mechanism when the air lubrication effect is being appropriately achieved.

[0005] For example, it is conceivable to start / stop the air lubrication mechanism at the discretion of the operator, but in this case, the decision is complicated and not easy, and the air lubrication effect may not be properly exerted. Furthermore, the ship described in Patent Document 1 does not take sufficient measures to ensure that the air lubrication effect is properly exerted.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and one of its objects is to provide a control device technology that can appropriately utilize the air lubrication effect that reduces frictional resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a bubble control unit that controls a jetting mechanism that jets bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in the hull of a ship, and a propulsion control unit that controls the propulsion force of a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull. Either the propulsion control unit or the bubble control unit is controlled in accordance with the control of the other.

[0008] According to this aspect, the ejection mechanism and the propulsion mechanism can be controlled in cooperation with each other.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a control method for a control device, which includes a step of controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship and a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull, and controlling the other of the jetting mechanism and the propulsion mechanism in response to control of the other.

[0010] According to this aspect, the ejection mechanism and the propulsion mechanism can be controlled in cooperation with each other.

[0011] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a control program for a control device that causes a computer to execute steps for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in the hull of the hull and a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull, in response to control of the other.

[0012] According to this aspect, the ejection mechanism and the propulsion mechanism can be controlled in cooperation with each other.

[0013] Any combination of the above, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention among methods, devices, programs, temporary or non-temporary storage media on which programs are recorded, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device technology that can appropriately utilize the air lubrication effect that reduces frictional resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically showing a ship to which a control device according to the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device of FIG. 6. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a table of the steering wheel position and the target rotation speed of the control device of FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device of FIG. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modifications, identical or equivalent components and members are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the members in the drawings are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0017] Furthermore, separate components that share something in common are distinguished by prefixing their names with "first," "second," etc., and these are omitted when referring to them collectively. Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components.

[0018] In this specification, when the energy saved by air lubrication exceeds the energy required for air lubrication, the energy balance is said to be "good" or "positive," and when the energy required for air lubrication exceeds the energy saved by air lubrication, the energy balance is said to be "bad" or "negative." A good energy balance is said to be properly exerting the air lubrication effect. An improved energy balance is said to be "improved."

[0019] In this specification, the speed of a hull through the water is simply referred to as "ship speed," and the current draft of a hull is simply referred to as "draft."

[0020] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those that are comprised of multiple objects may be integrated, and conversely, those that are comprised of a single object may be separated into multiple objects. Regardless of whether they are integrated, it is sufficient that they are configured to achieve the object of the invention.

[0021] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together, and conversely, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together. Regardless of whether the functions are integrated or distributed, it is sufficient that the configuration can achieve the object of the invention.

[0022] [First embodiment] A control device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a vessel 1 to which a control device 10 according to the present invention is applied. In this embodiment, the vessel 1 includes a hull 90, the control device 10, a propulsion mechanism 70, and a jetting mechanism 80. The propulsion mechanism 70 is a mechanism that generates a propulsive force that propels the hull 90. The jetting mechanism 80 constitutes an air lubrication mechanism that generates an air lubrication effect that reduces frictional resistance by jetting air bubbles B from air outlets 84 provided, for example, in the bottom 92 of the hull 90. Hereinafter, the period when the jetting mechanism 80 is jetting air will be referred to as "jetting," and the period when it is not jetting air will be referred to as "non-jetting."

[0023] Fig. 2 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates the control device 10 of this embodiment. Each block illustrated in Fig. 2 and the block diagrams described below can be realized in terms of hardware using elements such as a computer processor, CPU, and memory, as well as electronic circuits and mechanical devices, and in terms of software using a computer program, etc. However, the functional blocks illustrated here are realized by the cooperation of these elements. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0024] The control device 10 includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, a command receiving unit 36, an overload prediction unit 32, and a memory unit 47. The bubble control unit 20 controls a jetting mechanism 80 that jets bubbles B from an air outlet 84 provided in the bottom 92 of the hull 90. The propulsion mechanism 70 generates a propulsive force that propels the hull 90. The command receiving unit 36 ​​receives a command signal that commands the magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism 70 and an actual signal that indicates the current magnitude of the propulsive force. The propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism 70 based on a comparison between the command signal received by the command receiving unit 36 ​​and the actual signal. The memory unit 47 chronologically stores each piece of input information (described later) and stores each reference value and each threshold value (described later). The overload prediction unit 32 will be described later.

[0025] In the control device 10, either the propulsion control unit 30 or the bubble control unit 20 is controlled in accordance with the control of the other. With this configuration, the ejection mechanism 80 and the propulsion mechanism 70 are controlled to work together, thereby improving the energy balance of the hull 90. In this embodiment, the bubble control unit 20 controls the ejection mechanism 80 in accordance with the control of the propulsion control unit 30. In this case, the energy balance can be improved by controlling the bubble control unit 20 in accordance with the status of the propulsion control unit 30.

[0026] (propulsion mechanism) The propulsion mechanism 70 may be any mechanism capable of propelling the hull 90, and in this embodiment, a diesel engine (hereinafter referred to as the "main engine 74") is provided as the prime mover 79, and propulsion force is obtained by rotating a propeller 75 using the main engine 74. To operate the main engine 74, the propulsion mechanism 70 consumes fuel in an amount corresponding to the rotation speed and torque of the main engine 74. The propulsion mechanism 70 is provided with a speed governor 77 that suppresses fluctuations in the rotation speed of the main engine 74. The speed governor 77 is also referred to as a governor, and adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to mitigate changes in the rotation speed of the main engine 74 when the rotation speed changes in response to load fluctuations.

[0027] (Propulsion control unit) The propulsion control unit 30 controls the main engine 74. The propulsion control unit 30 of this embodiment controls the main engine 74, such as increasing / decreasing the rotation speed or stopping it, based on operation input from an operating device (hereinafter referred to as the "remote control unit 50") that remotely operates the main engine 74 and is installed on the bridge or the like of the vessel 1. The remote control 50 has an operating handle 51 as an operating unit that commands the magnitude of the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism 70. The remote control 50 transmits a command signal C1 to the control device 10 that commands the magnitude of the propulsive force according to the position of the operating handle 51 (hereinafter referred to as the "handle position P"). The handle position P exemplifies the operating state of the operating unit.

[0028] The operating handle may be any type that allows an operator to input operations to the control device, and there are no limitations on its form. For example, the operating handle may or may not include a movable operating part. For example, the operating handle may detect commands from the touch position on a touch panel.

[0029] The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a command receiving unit 36 ​​that receives a command signal C1. The propulsion control unit 30 changes the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 based on the command signal C1 received by the command receiving unit 36. The operator can change the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 within a predetermined range, including zero, forward, and reverse, by changing the position of the operating handle 51 of the remote control 50.

[0030] (Gushing mechanism) The jetting mechanism 80 is a mechanism that jets bubbles B into the water from air outlets 84 provided in the bottom 92 of the vessel while the vessel is sailing. A layer of air formed by the bubbles B jetted from the air outlets 84 covers part of the bottom 92 of the vessel, thereby reducing frictional resistance of the vessel hull 90. The jetting mechanism 80 of this embodiment has an engine 81 for driving a generator 82, and a compressor 83 driven by the power generated by the generator 82.

[0031] (Bubble control unit) The bubble control unit 20 controls the ejection mechanism 80 between a state in which the engine 81, the generator 82, and the compressor 83 are operated to eject bubbles B, and a state in which the engine 81 is stopped to not eject bubbles B. The ejection mechanism 80 consumes a predetermined amount of fuel to operate the engine 81 during ejection.

[0032] It is desirable to be able to smoothly accelerate and decelerate the hull. For this reason, the bubble control unit 20 of this embodiment increases the amount of bubbles B emitted when the command signal C1 indicates an increase in speed. In this specification, increasing the amount of bubbles B emitted includes starting the emission of bubbles B. In this case, the increase or start of the emission of bubbles B increases the air lubrication effect, allowing for smooth acceleration and shortening the time to reach the target speed. Furthermore, the bubble control unit 20 decreases the amount of bubbles B emitted when the command signal C1 indicates deceleration. In this specification, decreasing the amount of bubbles B emitted includes stopping the emission of bubbles B. In this case, the decrease or stop of the emission of bubbles B reduces the air lubrication effect, allowing for shorter time to reach the target speed.

[0033] In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75. There are no limitations on the configuration of the propeller 75, and it may be, for example, a fixed-pitch propeller or a variable-pitch propeller. The propeller 75 in this example is a variable-pitch propeller 72 that changes the blade angle W of the propeller blades 73 in response to a blade angle command from the propulsion control unit 30. The variable-pitch propeller 72 has a blade angle setting unit 71 that changes the blade angle W in response to control by the propulsion control unit 30. The blade angle setting unit 71 detects the current actual blade angle (hereinafter referred to as the "actual blade angle W2") and performs feedback control using the actual blade angle W2 to achieve the blade angle W in accordance with the blade angle command (hereinafter referred to as the "target blade angle W1").

[0034] When the controllable pitch propeller 72 is provided, the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 can be changed by changing the blade angle W while operating the main engine 74 at a constant rotation speed. If the main engine 74 is operated at a rotation speed that consumes relatively little fuel, the amount of fuel consumed by the main engine 74 can be reduced.

[0035] In this example, the propulsion control unit 30 has a preset combinator curve that defines the relationship between the rotation speed command (hereinafter referred to as "target rotation speed N1") for the main engine 74 and the blade angle command for the propeller blades 73, which corresponds to the handle position P of the operating handle 51 of the remote controller 50. The combinator curve defines the relationship between each handle position P of the operating handle 51 and the target rotation speed N1 and target blade angle W1, such that when the handle position P is STOP, the target rotation speed N1 = 80 rpm and the target blade angle W1 = 0 deg, and when the handle position P is N / FMAX, the target rotation speed N1 = 120 rpm and the target blade angle W1 = 25 deg.

[0036] In addition, in order to mitigate the effects of sudden changes in the wing angle, the propulsion control unit 30 also has a control that changes the target wing angle W1 at a preset speed (hereinafter referred to as the ``CPP wing angle change speed'') even if the handle is operated suddenly.

[0037] The propulsion mechanism 70 has a limiter 60 that performs limiter control to protect the main engine 74. The limiter 60 may be equipped with limiter mechanisms based on various principles. In this embodiment, the limiter 60 is equipped with an ALC limiter 69 that performs limiter control to protect the main engine 74 from overload. The ALC limiter 69 reduces the blade angle of the propeller blades 73 when the current actual load (hereinafter referred to as the "actual load") of the main engine 74 exceeds a preset target load.

[0038] The ALC limiter 69 of this embodiment compares the target load and actual load of the main engine 74, and if the actual load is higher than the target load (hereinafter referred to as an "overload state"), executes control (hereinafter referred to as "ALC (Automatic Load Control) control") to reduce the blade angle of the propeller blades 73. Reducing the blade angle through ALC control prevents the main engine 74 from becoming overloaded.

[0039] The overload prediction unit 32 predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load. In this example, the command signal is a signal that commands a target rotation speed N1 of the main engine 74, and the actual signal is an actual rotation speed N2 that is the current rotation speed of the main engine 74 (hereinafter referred to as "actual rotation speed N2"). In this embodiment, the overload prediction unit 32 monitors the load of the main engine 74 in a load state before the ALC limiter 69 is activated. In particular, the overload prediction unit 32 predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load according to the target rotation speed N1 of the main engine 74, the actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74, and the current fuel input amount of the main engine 74 (hereinafter referred to as "fuel input amount S2").

[0040] In this embodiment, the bubble control unit 20 performs the following control according to the prediction result of the overload prediction unit 32. The bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted when it is predicted that the predetermined load will be exceeded. In other words, the overload prediction unit 32 and the bubble control unit 20 increase the air lubrication effect at the load state before the ALC limiter 69 is activated. In this case, it is possible to prevent the load on the main engine 74 from exceeding the predetermined load. Furthermore, the bubble control unit 20 maintains the state of bubble B being emitted when it is predicted that the predetermined load will not be exceeded.

[0041] Next, an example will be described in which the command signal is the target blade angle W1 of the controllable pitch propeller 72 and the actual signal is the actual blade angle W2 of the controllable pitch propeller 72. The overload prediction unit 32 of this embodiment further predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on the target blade angle W1 and the actual blade angle W2 of the controllable pitch propeller 72. In this case, in a ship equipped with a controllable pitch propeller 72, the load on the main engine 74 can be prevented from exceeding the predetermined load. For example, the overload prediction unit 32 can predict the load state of the main engine 74 from a combinator curve. As a result, it is possible to reduce cases in which the blade angle is reduced due to ALC control by the ALC limiter 69, thereby reducing the ship speed.

[0042] High prediction accuracy is desirable. Therefore, the overload prediction unit 32 of this embodiment may predict whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on at least one of a preset target value for the speed at which the blade angle is changed and a target value for the speed at which the rotational speed of the main engine 74 is changed. The target value for the speed at which the blade angle is changed and the target value for the speed at which the rotational speed of the main engine 74 is changed are sometimes collectively referred to as "change rate settings." In this case, it is possible to more accurately predict whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed the predetermined load.

[0043] For example, a target value for the speed at which the CPP blade angle is changed is set in advance, and the blade angle setting unit 71 outputs a blade angle command in accordance with the target value. The overload prediction unit 32 predicts whether a predetermined load on the main engine 74 will be exceeded based on the target blade angle, the actual blade angle, and the target value for the speed at which the CPP blade angle is changed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the blade angle from being reduced by the ALC control of the ALC limiter 69, which would result in a decrease in ship speed. In another example, a target value for the speed at which the rotational speed of the main engine 74 is changed is set in advance, and the propulsion control unit 30 outputs a rotational speed command in accordance with the target value. The overload prediction unit 32 predicts whether a predetermined load on the main engine 74 will be exceeded based on the target rotational speed N1, the actual rotational speed N2, and the target value for the speed at which the rotational speed of the main engine 74 is changed.

[0044] By providing the overload prediction unit 32, it becomes possible to increase the amount of bubbles B emitted at the optimal timing, thereby avoiding overload on the main engine 74 and allowing the ship speed to be increased smoothly.

[0045] The operation S110 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation S110 of the control device 10.

[0046] When the operator operates the handle position P of the operating handle 51 of the remote controller 50 to the speed increase side, the propulsion control unit 30 increases the target rotation speed N1 of the main engine 74 or increases the target blade angle W1 of the controllable pitch propeller 72 according to the combinator curve. This increases the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism 70 and increases the load on the main engine 74.

[0047] Here, when operation S110 is started, the overload prediction unit 32 predicts the load condition of the main engine 74 based on the combinator curve (step S111). In this step, the overload prediction unit 32 predicts the load condition of the main engine 74 from the rate of change of the load due to the CPP blade angle turning speed setting in addition to the combinator curve.

[0048] The bubble control unit 20 determines whether the load on the main engine 74 exceeds a predetermined load based on the prediction result of the overload prediction unit 32 (step S112). If it is determined that the load on the main engine 74 does not exceed the predetermined load (N in step S112), the control device 10 ends operation S110.

[0049] If it is determined that the load on the main engine 74 exceeds a predetermined load (Y in step S112), the bubble control unit 20 activates the ejection mechanism 80 to begin ejecting bubbles B, and if the ejection mechanism 80 is already activated, increases the amount of bubbles B ejected (step S113). As a result, the action of bubbles B enhances the air lubrication effect, and the hull 90 accelerates smoothly.

[0050] After step S113 is executed, step S110 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0051] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. The control device 10 includes a bubble control unit 20 that controls a jetting mechanism 80 that jets bubbles into the water from an air outlet 84 provided in the hull 90 of the vessel 1, and a propulsion control unit 30 that controls the propulsion force of a propulsion mechanism 70 that propels the hull 90. Either the propulsion control unit 30 or the bubble control unit 20 is controlled in accordance with the control of the other.

[0052] According to this configuration, the ejection mechanism 80 and the propulsion mechanism 70 are controlled in cooperation with each other, so that the air lubrication effect can be appropriately exerted.

[0053] In this embodiment, the bubble control unit 20 controls the jetting mechanism 80 in accordance with the control of the propulsion control unit 30. In this case, the air lubrication effect can be exerted at an appropriate time in accordance with the control of the propulsion control unit 30.

[0054] This embodiment includes a command receiving unit 36 ​​that receives a command signal that commands the magnitude of the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 and an actual signal that indicates the magnitude of the current propulsion force. In this embodiment, the propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 based on the results of comparing the command signal with the actual signal, and the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble ejection when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreases the amount of bubble ejection when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed. In this case, the time required to reach the target speed can be shortened.

[0055] In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75, the command signal is a signal that commands a target rotation speed N1 of the main engine, and the actual signal is an actual rotation speed N2 that is the current rotation speed of the main engine. This embodiment includes an overload prediction unit 32 that predicts whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on the target rotation speed of the main engine 74, the actual rotation speed of the main engine 74, and the current amount of fuel input to the main engine 74. The bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble emission when the overload prediction unit 32 predicts that the predetermined load will be exceeded. In this case, the load on the main engine 74 can be kept below the predetermined load.

[0056] In this embodiment, the propeller 75 is a controllable pitch propeller 72 that can change the blade angle of the propeller blades 73, the command signal is a target blade angle W1 of the controllable pitch propeller 72, and the actual signal is an actual blade angle W2 that is the current blade angle of the controllable pitch propeller 72. The overload prediction unit 32 also predicts whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on the target blade angle and the actual blade angle of the controllable pitch propeller 72. As a result, when the controllable pitch propeller 72 is provided, the load on the main engine 74 can be kept below the predetermined load.

[0057] In this embodiment, the overload prediction unit 32 predicts whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on at least one of the target value of the speed when the blade angle is changed from the actual blade angle to the target blade angle and the target value of the speed when the rotation speed of the main engine is changed from the actual rotation speed to the target rotation speed. In this case, the prediction accuracy of the load on the main engine 74 can be improved.

[0058] The above is the description of the first embodiment.

[0059] Second to eighth embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the drawings and descriptions of the second to eighth embodiments, the same or equivalent components and members as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0060] [Second embodiment] A control device 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a block diagram that schematically shows the control device 10 of this embodiment. The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, a command receiving unit 36, a gear shift determination unit 35, and a memory unit 47. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes the gear shift determination unit 35, and therefore the gear shift determination unit 35 will be mainly described.

[0061] Torsional vibration stress is applied to the propeller shaft 78, which transmits the rotation of the prime mover 79 (main engine 74 in this example) to the propeller 75. The torsional stress generated in the propeller shaft 78 fluctuates in synchronization with the rotation of the main engine 74, and the propeller shaft 78 has a natural frequency for each vibration mode. Therefore, if the rotation of the main engine 74 coincides with the natural frequency of the propeller shaft 78, the torsional stress increases and may exceed the allowable range of the propeller shaft 78. Therefore, in this embodiment, a rotation speed range of the main engine 74 (hereinafter referred to as the "bird range") at which the torsional stress of the propeller shaft 78 increases is preset, and the control device 10 controls the propeller shaft 78 to shorten the bird range passage time during acceleration. In particular, when accelerating from a low speed and reaching or below the bird range, the control device 10 activates the injection mechanism 80 via the bubble control unit 20 to increase the amount of injected bubbles B. As a result, the air lubrication effect is enhanced, the hull 90 accelerates smoothly, and the bird range passage time can be shortened.

[0062] When the current actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74 is outside the bird range, the gear shift determination unit 35 determines whether it has received a gear shift command (hereinafter referred to as a "gear shift command") to bring the actual rotation speed N2 into the bird range. In particular, the gear shift command is a command to change the speed from the actual rotation speed N2 to a target rotation speed N1 that is different from the actual rotation speed N2 and exceeds the bird range. When the gear shift determination unit 35 determines that it has received a gear shift command, the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted. In this case, the time it takes to pass through the bird range can be shortened. In this embodiment, the gear shift determination unit 35 determines whether it has received a gear shift command based on the handle position P of the remote control 50. In this case, the gear shift determination can be made earlier.

[0063] The operation S120 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation S120 of the control device 10.

[0064] When operation S120 is started, the shift determination unit 35 acquires the current actual rotation speed N2 and determines whether the actual rotation speed N2 is outside the bird range (step S121). If the actual rotation speed N2 is not outside the bird range (N in step S121), the control device 10 ends operation S120.

[0065] If the actual rotation speed N2 is outside the bird's eye range (Y in step S121), the control device 10 acquires the handle position P via the command receiving unit 36 ​​(step S122). After executing step S122, the gear shift determining unit 35 identifies the target rotation speed N1 based on the acquired handle position P, and determines whether a gear shift command that puts the target rotation speed N1 within the bird's eye range has been received (step S123). If a gear shift command has not been received (N in step S123), the control device 10 ends operation S120.

[0066] If it is determined that a speed change command has been received (Y in step S123), the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted (step S124). In this step, if the ejection mechanism 80 has not yet been activated, the ejection mechanism 80 is activated to eject bubble B, and if the ejection mechanism 80 has already been activated, the amount of bubble B emitted is increased.

[0067] After step S124 is executed, step S120 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0068] When decelerating the vessel 1, if the frictional resistance is low while the bubbles B are still being ejected, it takes a long time to decelerate, and therefore the time to pass through the bird range becomes longer. For this reason, the control device 10 of this embodiment controls the amount of bubbles B ejected to decrease when a deceleration command targeting a speed lower than the bird range is received when the current actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74 is equal to or higher than the bird range. In this case, by reducing the amount of bubbles B ejected, frictional resistance is increased, allowing for smooth deceleration and shortening the time to pass through the bird range.

[0069] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a prime mover 79 that rotates a propeller 75. This embodiment also includes a speed change determination unit 35 that determines whether a speed change command to enter the bird range has been received when the current actual rotation speed of the prime mover 79 is outside a preset rotation speed range (bird range). When the speed change determination unit 35 determines that a speed change command to enter the bird range has been received, the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble ejection. In this case, the time it takes to pass through the bird range can be shortened.

[0070] In this embodiment, the gear shift determination unit 35 determines whether a gear shift command to enter the bird range has been received based on the operating state of an operating unit that remotely controls the motor 79. In this case, the gear shift determination can be made earlier.

[0071] The above is the description of the second embodiment.

[0072] [Third embodiment] A control device 10 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a block diagram that schematically shows the control device 10 of this embodiment. The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, a command receiving unit 36, a position determination unit 33, an acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34, and a memory unit 47. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes the position determination unit 33 and the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34, and therefore the position determination unit 33 and the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 will mainly be described.

[0073] The acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines whether to accelerate or decelerate the hull 90 based on at least one of the amount of fuel input to the main engine 74 and the actual rotation speed. The bubble control unit 20 executes at least one of a first operation to increase the amount of bubble B emitted when the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that acceleration is required, and a second operation to decrease the amount of bubble B emitted when the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that deceleration is required. In this case, the time required to reach the target speed can be shortened.

[0074] In ports, ships 1 often travel at low speeds. When traveling at low speeds, the air lubrication effect is small, and therefore the air lubrication effect on the fuel consumption of the jetting mechanism 80 is small and inefficient. Therefore, the control device 10 of this embodiment controls the ship 1 to reduce the amount of bubbles B jetted when the ship 1 is located in a port.

[0075] In this embodiment, the position determination unit 33 determines whether the ship 1 is located within a port based on a position signal indicating the position of the ship 1. The bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted when the position determination unit 33 determines that the ship 1 is located outside the port (not within the port). In this case, smooth acceleration is possible outside the port. Furthermore, the bubble control unit 20 decreases the amount of bubble B emitted when the position determination unit 33 determines that the ship 1 is located within the port. In this case, the use of ineffective air lubrication can be avoided within the port, improving energy efficiency.

[0076] The position determination unit 33 can determine whether the ship 1 is located within the port based on the handle position P of the remote controller 50. For example, when the handle position P is a position where the handle is operated toward outside the port area (hereinafter referred to as the "navigation area"), the position determination unit 33 can determine that the ship 1 is located within the port. Furthermore, the position determination unit 33 can acquire the position of the ship 1 using a known positioning system. Examples of such positioning systems include a satellite positioning system such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), and a positioning system using a gyro sensor or the like.

[0077] The operation S130 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation S130 of the control device 10.

[0078] When operation S130 starts, the position determination unit 33 determines whether the ship 1 is located within the port based on the position signal indicating the position of the ship 1 (step S131). If it is determined that the ship 1 is located within the port (Y in step S131), the control device 10 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted (step S136). After step S136 is executed, operation S130 ends.

[0079] If it is determined that the ship 1 is not located within the port (outside the port) (N in step S131), the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines whether to accelerate the hull 90 based on information J1 of at least one of the amount of fuel input S2 to the main engine 74 and the actual rotation speed N2 (step S132).

[0080] If the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that the hull 90 should be accelerated (Y in step S132), the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubbles B emitted (step S133). In this step, if the ejection mechanism 80 has not yet been activated, the ejection mechanism 80 is activated to eject bubbles B, and if the ejection mechanism 80 has already been activated, the amount of bubbles B emitted is increased. After step S133 has been executed, S130 ends.

[0081] If the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines not to accelerate the hull 90 (N in step S132), the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines whether to decelerate the hull 90 based on the information J1 (step S134). If the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines not to decelerate the hull 90 (N in step S134), operation S130 ends.

[0082] If the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that the hull 90 should be decelerated (Y in step S134), the control device 10 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted (step S135). After step S135 is executed, operation S130 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0083] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75. This embodiment also includes an acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 that determines whether to accelerate or decelerate the hull 90 based on at least one of the amount of fuel input to the main engine 74 and the actual rotation speed. The air bubble control unit 20 executes at least one of a first operation that increases the amount of air bubbles emitted when the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that acceleration is required, and a second operation that decreases the amount of air bubbles emitted when the acceleration / deceleration determination unit 34 determines that deceleration is required. In this case, the time required to reach the target speed can be shortened.

[0084] This embodiment includes a position determination unit 33 that acquires a position signal indicating the position of the ship 1 and determines whether the ship 1 is located within a port based on the position signal. The air bubble control unit 20 reduces the amount of air bubbles emitted when the position determination unit 33 determines that the ship 1 is located within a port. In this case, the use of ineffective air lubrication can be avoided within the port, improving energy efficiency.

[0085] This concludes the description of the third embodiment.

[0086] [Fourth embodiment] A control device 10 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a block diagram that schematically shows the control device 10 of this embodiment. The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, a command receiving unit 36, a load prediction unit 37, and a memory unit 47. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes the load prediction unit 37, and therefore the load prediction unit 37 will be mainly described.

[0087] If the load on the main engine 74 increases during a voyage and continues to exceed a load set in advance for the main engine (hereinafter referred to as a "predetermined load F1") (hereinafter referred to as a "high load state") for a long period of time, fuel consumption and fuel costs during the voyage will increase, making the voyage uneconomical. In other words, limiting the high load state of the main engine 74 to a short period during a voyage will reduce fuel costs during the voyage and extend the life of the main engine 74. The predetermined load F1 in this case can be set through sailing experiments or the like using parameters such as the deterioration state of the main engine 74 and fuel consumption.

[0088] Depending on the ocean conditions and the state of the main engine 74, a high load state of the main engine 74 may occur during unintended acceleration due to an increase in speed command from a control device such as the remote controller 50. Also, when the load on the main engine 74 exceeds a predetermined load F1, the amount of fuel input to the main engine 74 may increase sharply.

[0089] After a high-load state occurs, the jetting mechanism 80 can be operated to reduce the load on the main engine 74. However, the jetting mechanism 80 starts the engine 81, generator 82, and compressor 83 after receiving a start command, and it takes a certain amount of time (hereinafter referred to as the "start-up time") for the bubbles B to cover the bottom of the ship 92 in a predetermined state. For this reason, it is desirable to determine the load state of the main engine 74 before the above-mentioned high-load state occurs and send a start-up preparation signal to the jetting mechanism 80 to cause it to perform a bubble generation preparation operation. For this reason, in this embodiment, the load of the main engine 74 is monitored by the load prediction unit 37, and before the main engine 74 exceeds a predetermined load F1, a start-up preparation command is sent to cause the jetting mechanism 80 to perform a bubble generation preparation operation.

[0090] By performing the generation preparation operation, bubbles B are released from the ejection mechanism 80 promptly after an acceleration command is issued, and the air lubrication effect can suppress high load conditions during acceleration. The generation preparation operation includes checking the operation of each element such as the engine 81, generator 82, and compressor 83, idling each element, checking the pressure of the air for bubble injection, and if the pressure is below a threshold, driving the compressor to replenish compressed air to the tank.

[0091] In this embodiment, the load prediction unit 37 predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1 based on the current fuel input amount S2 to the main engine 74 and the actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74. For example, the fuel input amount S2 can be acquired from the speed governor 77. The speed governor 77 in this example includes a rack and pinion (not shown) and is configured to supply the main engine 74 with an amount of fuel that corresponds to the rack position, and can determine the fuel input amount S2 based on the rack position.

[0092] For example, the load prediction unit 37 compares the acquired fuel input amount S2 and actual rotation speed N2 with preset reference values ​​for these, and based on the comparison result, predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1. Specifically, for the main engine 74, reference values ​​for the fuel input amount are set for each rotation speed from the low speed side to the high speed side within the usage range, and these reference values ​​are stored in the memory unit 47. The load prediction unit 37 acquires the reference value for the fuel input amount corresponding to the actual rotation speed N2 from the stored information in the memory unit 47, and predicts that the main engine 74 will exceed the predetermined load F1 if the deviation of the fuel input amount S2 from the acquired reference value exceeds a threshold value.

[0093] The reference value of the fuel input amount for each rotation speed described above may be set in advance, or may use a machine learning model generated by learning. As an example, this machine learning model can be generated by machine learning (supervised learning) during sea trials or during a voyage of the ship, using information related to the actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74, the rack position of the governor 77, and the handle position P of the remote control 50 as inputs and fluctuations in the load of the main engine 74 as output.

[0094] The machine learning model can also be generated by applying parameters for the operation of the main engine 74 to a calculation formula for the output of the main engine 74 and the load of the main engine 74. In this case, it is possible to create a reference value that better reflects the characteristics of the main engine 74, thereby improving the prediction accuracy of the load prediction unit 37.

[0095] In addition, the load prediction unit 37 may predict whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1 by performing table processing using a table created in advance for the acquired fuel input amount S2 and actual rotation speed N2.

[0096] When the load prediction unit 37 predicts that the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1, the bubble control unit 20 causes the ejection mechanism 80 to perform a preparation operation for generating bubbles B. In this case, a sudden increase in the amount of fuel input when the predetermined load F1 is exceeded can be suppressed.

[0097] The prediction accuracy of the load prediction unit 37 decreases depending on the state of disturbances (hereinafter simply referred to as "disturbances"), which are predetermined factors that affect at least one of the propulsion speed and propulsion direction of the vessel 1. For example, disturbances to the hull 90 include the tidal current in the waters in which the vessel 1 navigates (hereinafter simply referred to as "tidal current"), wind, the planned route along which the vessel 1 is to navigate (hereinafter simply referred to as "route"), the hull draft, the target rotation speed N1, and the target fuel input S1. Therefore, the load prediction unit 37 of this embodiment further predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1 based on at least one of the tidal current, wind, route, hull draft, target rotation speed N1, and target fuel input S1. In this case, the prediction accuracy of whether the predetermined load F1 will be exceeded can be improved. The state of these disturbances is visually determined by the operator and input to the control device 10.

[0098] The operation S140 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation S140 of the control device 10.

[0099] When operation S140 starts, the load prediction unit 37 acquires the fuel input amount S2 and the actual rotation speed N2 (step S141). The load prediction unit 37 predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1 based on the acquired fuel input amount S2 and actual rotation speed N2 (step S142). In this step, the load prediction unit 37 further predicts whether the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load F1 based on at least one of the tidal current, wind, course, hull draft, target rotation speed N1, and target fuel input amount S1.

[0100] If the load prediction unit 37 predicts that the main machine 74 will not exceed the predetermined load F1 (N in step S142), the control device 10 ends operation S140. If the load prediction unit 37 predicts that the main machine 74 will exceed the predetermined load F1 (Y in step S142), the bubble control unit 20 performs a preparation operation for generating bubbles B (step S143). After step S143 is executed, S140 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0101] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75. This embodiment also includes a load prediction unit 37 that predicts whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on the current amount of fuel input to the main engine 74 and the actual rotation speed of the main engine 74. When the load prediction unit 37 predicts that the load on the main engine 74 will exceed the predetermined load, the bubble control unit 20 causes the jetting mechanism 80 to perform a preparation operation for generating bubbles. In this case, a sudden increase in the amount of fuel input when the predetermined load is exceeded can be suppressed.

[0102] The load prediction unit 37 further predicts whether the load on the main engine 74 will exceed a predetermined load based on at least one of the tidal currents in the waters in which the vessel 1 is sailing, the wind, the planned route of the vessel 1, the draft of the vessel, the target rotation speed, and the target fuel input amount. In this case, the accuracy of predicting whether the predetermined load will be exceeded can be improved.

[0103] This concludes the description of the fourth embodiment.

[0104] [Fifth embodiment] A control device 10 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the control device 10 of this embodiment. The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, a command receiving unit 36, a restriction signal receiving unit 38, a release signal receiving unit 39, a period determination unit 31, and a memory unit 47. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes the restriction signal receiving unit 38, the release signal receiving unit 39, and the period determination unit 31. Therefore, the restriction signal receiving unit 38, the release signal receiving unit 39, and the period determination unit 31 will mainly be described.

[0105] As described above, the propulsion mechanism 70 is equipped with the limiter 60 to prevent an overload condition of the main engine 74. However, depending on the state of the hull 90 or the state of external disturbances, there may be cases where it is necessary to avoid activation of the limiter 60 and to input fuel beyond the threshold of the limiter 60. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the load on the main engine 74 exceeds a predetermined load, the amount of air bubbles B ejected is increased to avoid or mitigate activation of the limiter 60 through the air lubrication effect.

[0106] In this embodiment, the limiter 60 includes a torque limiter 67, a scavenging pressure limiter 68, and an ALC limiter 69. The torque limiter 67 detects the torque of the main engine 74, and when the detection result exceeds a preset torque threshold T1, it limits the amount of fuel supplied to the main engine 74 to suppress an increase in the load on the main engine 74. The scavenging pressure limiter 68 detects the scavenging pressure of the main engine 74, and when the detection result exceeds a preset scavenging pressure threshold T2, it limits the amount of fuel supplied to suppress an increase in the load on the main engine 74. The ALC limiter 69 compares the target load and actual load of the main engine 74, and when the actual load is higher than the target load, indicating an overload state, it reduces the blade angle of the propeller blades 73 to suppress an increase in the load on the main engine 74.

[0107] In this embodiment, the torque limiter 67 generates and provides to the control device 10 a first limit signal L1 when the torque of the main engine 74 exceeds a threshold T1, and generates and provides to the control device 10 a first limit release signal Q1 when the torque of the main engine 74 is equal to or less than the threshold T1. The scavenging pressure limiter 68 generates and provides to the control device 10 a second limit signal L2 when the scavenging pressure of the main engine 74 exceeds a threshold T2, and generates and provides to the control device 10 a second limit release signal Q2 when the scavenging pressure of the main engine 74 is equal to or less than the threshold T2. The ALC limiter 69 generates and provides to the control device 10 a third limit signal L3 when the actual load is higher than the target load, and generates and provides to the control device 10 a third limit release signal Q3 when the actual load is equal to or less than the target load.

[0108] The first limit signal L1, the second limit signal L2, and the third limit signal L3 are collectively referred to simply as "limit signals," and the first limit release signal Q1, the second limit release signal Q2, and the third limit release signal Q3 are collectively referred to simply as "limit release signals."

[0109] The limit signal receiving unit 38 receives a limit signal indicating that the load on the main engine 74 has exceeded a predetermined load. The bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted when the limit signal is received. In this case, smooth speed increase or speed maintenance during disturbances can be achieved. In particular, the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B emitted when the limit signal receiving unit 38 receives at least one of the first limit signal L1, second limit signal L2, and third limit signal L3.

[0110] The release signal receiving unit 39 receives the limit release signal. The bubble control unit 20 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted when the release signal is received. In this embodiment, the release signal receiving unit 39 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted when predetermined release conditions, including the reception of the limit release signal, are met. In this case, by reducing the amount of bubble B emitted, the fuel consumption of the ejection mechanism 80 can be reduced. In particular, the bubble control unit 20 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted when the release signal receiving unit 39 receives the first limit release signal Q1, the second limit release signal Q2, and the third limit release signal Q3.

[0111] There are no particular limitations on the predetermined cancellation condition as long as it relates to the state of disturbance and the load state of the main engine 74. In this embodiment, the predetermined cancellation condition includes the actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74 reaching the target rotation speed N1. If the actual rotation speed N2 reaches the target rotation speed N1, the boat speed can be maintained, and therefore the amount of bubbles B ejected can be reduced, thereby reducing the fuel consumption of the ejection mechanism 80.

[0112] If the period between turning on and off the jetting mechanism 80 (hereinafter referred to as the "ON / OFF period") is short, it may lead to deterioration. Therefore, the bubble control unit 20 of this embodiment reduces the amount of jetting bubbles B after a predetermined waiting period has elapsed since receiving the limit release signal. In this case, the ON / OFF period of the jetting mechanism 80 can be lengthened.

[0113] As described above, the vessel 1 may be subject to disturbances, which are predetermined factors that affect at least one of the propulsion speed and propulsion direction. In this embodiment, if the magnitude of the disturbance at the time the limit release signal is received (hereinafter referred to as "second disturbance data G2") is greater than the magnitude of the disturbance at the time the limit signal is received (hereinafter referred to as "first disturbance data G1"), it is desirable to lengthen the standby period. Conversely, if the second disturbance data G2 at the time the limit release signal is received is smaller than the first disturbance data G1 at the time the limit signal is received, the standby period can be shortened. Therefore, the control device 10 of this embodiment further includes a period determination unit 31 that determines the standby period based on the first disturbance data G1 at the time the limit signal is received and the second disturbance data G2 at the time the limit signal is received. The standby period can be set experimentally. The first disturbance data G1 and the second disturbance data G2 are collectively referred to simply as disturbance data.

[0114] Although there is no limitation on this disturbance, examples of the disturbance include tidal currents, wind, sea route, and draft. In this embodiment, the first disturbance data G1 and the second disturbance data G2 are visually determined by an operator and input to the control device 10. Based on the input disturbance data, the period determination unit 31 stores the first disturbance data G1 at the time of receiving the limit signal and the second disturbance data G2 at the time of receiving the limit release signal in the memory unit 47. The period determination unit 31 determines the standby period based on the stored first disturbance data G1 and second disturbance data G2.

[0115] In order to lengthen the ON / OFF period of the jetting mechanism 80, the bubble control unit 20 of this embodiment increases the jetting amount of bubbles B after a predetermined start waiting period has elapsed since receiving the limit signal. The start waiting period can be set by experiment.

[0116] As described above, the limit signal in this embodiment includes the first limit signal L1 or the second limit signal L2.

[0117] As described above, the control device 10 of this embodiment controls the propulsion mechanism 70 having the controllable pitch propeller 72. Therefore, the limit signals of this embodiment further include the third limit signal L3. Note that when the control device controls a propulsion mechanism that does not have a controllable pitch propeller, the limit signals do not include the third limit signal L3.

[0118] The operation S150 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation S150 of the control device 10.

[0119] When operation S150 starts, the control device 10 determines whether the limit signal receiving unit 38 has received a limit signal (step S151). If the limit signal has not been received (N in step S151), the control device 10 ends operation S150.

[0120] If the limit signal is received (Y in step S151), the control device 10 acquires first disturbance data G1 from the disturbance sensor 53 (step S152). In this step, the control device 10 stores the first disturbance data G1.

[0121] After executing step S152, the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble B to be ejected (step S153).

[0122] After executing step S153, the control device 10 determines whether the release signal receiving unit 39 has received a limit release signal (step S154). If the limit release signal has not been received (N in step S154), the control device 10 returns the process to the beginning of step S154 and repeats step S154.

[0123] If the limit release signal is received (Y in step S154), the control device 10 acquires second disturbance data G2 from the disturbance sensor 53 (step S155). In this step, the control device 10 stores the second disturbance data G2 in the storage unit 47.

[0124] After executing step S155, the period determination unit 31 determines the standby period based on the first disturbance data G1 and the second disturbance data G2 (step S156).

[0125] After executing step S156, the control device 10 determines whether the waiting period has elapsed (step S157). If the waiting period has not elapsed (N in step S157), the control device 10 returns the process to the beginning of step S157 and repeats step S157.

[0126] If the waiting period has elapsed (Y in step S157), the bubble control unit 20 reduces the amount of bubble B emitted (step S158). After step S158 is executed, S150 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0127] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75. This embodiment also includes a limit signal receiver 38 that receives a limit signal indicating that the load on the main engine 74 has exceeded a predetermined load. When the limit signal receiver 38 receives the limit signal, the bubble control unit 20 increases the amount of bubble ejection. In this case, limiter activation can be avoided or alleviated, allowing for smooth acceleration and maintaining speed during disturbances.

[0128] In this embodiment, a release signal receiver 39 is provided to receive a limit release signal indicating that the load on the main engine 74 is equal to or less than a predetermined load, and the bubble controller 20 reduces the amount of bubble ejection when the release conditions, including the fact that the release signal receiver 39 has received the limit release signal, are met. In this case, the energy consumption (fuel consumption) of the ejection mechanism 80 can be reduced.

[0129] In this embodiment, the predetermined cancellation condition includes the actual rotation speed of the main engine 74 reaching the target rotation speed. In this case, when the target rotation speed is reached, the energy consumption of the jetting mechanism 80 can be reduced.

[0130] In this embodiment, the predetermined release condition includes the lapse of a predetermined waiting period after the reception of the limit signal, which can prevent the ON / OFF period from becoming excessively short.

[0131] In this embodiment, the vessel 1 further includes a period determination unit 31 that determines the standby period based on first disturbance data, which is the disturbance data at the time the limit signal is received, and second disturbance data, which is the disturbance data at the time the limit release signal is received, and which is the magnitude of the disturbance, which is a predetermined factor that affects at least one of the propulsion speed and propulsion direction of the vessel 1. In this case, when the disturbance becomes smaller, the standby period can be shortened, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the jetting mechanism 80.

[0132] In this embodiment, the limit signals include a limit signal generated by the torque limiter when the torque of the main engine 74 exceeds a threshold value, and a limit signal generated by the scavenging air pressure limiter when the scavenging air pressure of the main engine 74 exceeds a threshold value. In this case, even in a situation where the torque limiter or the scavenging air pressure limiter is activated, it is possible to achieve smooth speed increase and speed maintenance during disturbances.

[0133] In this embodiment, the propeller 75 is a variable-pitch propeller 72 whose blade angle can be changed, the propulsion mechanism 70 has an ALC limiter that reduces the output of the main engine 74 when the actual load is higher than the target load, and the limit signal includes a limit signal generated by the ALC limiter when the actual load is higher than the target load. In this case, even in a situation where the ALC limiter is activated, smooth speed increase and speed maintenance during disturbances can be achieved.

[0134] The above is the description of the fifth embodiment.

[0135] [Sixth embodiment] A control device 10 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12, 13, and 14. Figure 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control device 10 of this embodiment. The control device 10 of this embodiment includes a bubble control unit 20, a propulsion control unit 30, and a memory unit 47. In particular, the propulsion control unit 30 differs from the first embodiment in that it controls the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the control of the bubble control unit 20. In other words, the propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the ejection state of the bubble B from the ejection mechanism 80.

[0136] Also, in this embodiment, the propulsion control unit 30 differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a position acquisition unit 41, a propulsion force determination unit 42, and a mechanism control unit 48. Also, in this embodiment, the bubble control unit 20 acquires the operation result from the operation unit 58, and controls the operation of the jetting mechanism 80 based on the operation result. Therefore, the position acquisition unit 41, the propulsion force determination unit 42, the mechanism control unit 48, and the operation unit 58 will be mainly described.

[0137] The operation unit 58 is installed on the bridge of the ship 1 or the like so that an operator can operate it. When the operator operates the operation unit 58 to start the operation of the jetting mechanism 80, the operation unit 58 provides operation start information (hereinafter referred to as "ON information") to the control device 10. When the operator operates the operation unit 58 to stop the operation of the jetting mechanism 80, the operation unit 58 provides operation stop information (hereinafter referred to as "OFF information") to the control device 10. The ON information and OFF information are collectively referred to as "ON / OFF information." The ON / OFF information is provided to the air bubble control unit 20 and the propulsion control unit 30 in the control device 10. The air bubble control unit 20 controls the jetting mechanism 80 to jet air based on the ON information, and controls the jetting mechanism 80 not to jet air based on the OFF information. The propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsion mechanism 70 based on the ON / OFF information. In other words, the propulsion control unit 30 controls the target propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the control of the air bubble control unit 20 on whether to jet air.

[0138] The position acquisition unit 41 acquires a handle position P of the operating handle 51 of the remote control 50. The position acquisition unit 41 exemplifies an operation state acquisition unit. The remote control 50 transmits a signal corresponding to the handle position P of the operating handle 51 to the position acquisition unit 41. The position acquisition unit 41 acquires the handle position P based on the result of receiving the signal from the remote control 50.

[0139] The thrust determination unit 42 determines a target thrust E1 for the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the acquired handle position P. The mechanism control unit 48 controls the thrust by changing at least one of the rotation speed and blade angle W of the main engine 74 in accordance with the determined target thrust E1. For example, if the target thrust E1 increases, the mechanism control unit 48 increases the rotation speed of the main engine 74 or increases the blade angle W to increase the thrust. If the target thrust E1 decreases, the mechanism control unit 48 decreases the rotation speed of the main engine 74 or decreases the blade angle W to decrease the thrust.

[0140] For example, if the air bubble control unit 20 ejects air while maintaining a constant propulsive force, an air lubrication effect occurs, making the boat speed faster than when air is not being ejected. In order to suppress fluctuations in boat speed, it is effective to make the propulsive force when air is being ejected smaller than when air is not being ejected. Therefore, in this embodiment, the propulsive force determination unit 42, based on the control of the air bubble control unit 20, determines the target propulsive force E1-A when the ejection mechanism 80 is ejecting air (when ejecting) to be smaller than the target propulsive force E1-B when air is not being ejected (when not ejecting). In this case, fluctuations in boat speed due to the air lubrication effect can be suppressed.

[0141] The target propulsive force E1 may be any element that indicates propulsive force, and is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the target propulsive force E1 is the target rotation speed N1 of the main engine 74. By reducing the target rotation speed N1 as the target propulsive force E1, changes in boat speed due to reduced frictional resistance can be easily suppressed, and fuel consumption by the main engine 74 can be saved. As another example, the target propulsive force E1 may be the target blade angle W1 of the propeller blades 73. By reducing the target blade angle W1 as the target propulsive force E1, changes in boat speed due to reduced frictional resistance can be easily suppressed, and the load on the main engine 74 can be reduced, thereby saving fuel consumption.

[0142] An example in which the target propulsive force E1 is the target rotational speed N1 will be described in detail. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a table TBL1 relating to the target propulsive force E1-B (second target rotational speed N1-B) when no thrust is applied, the target propulsive force E1-A (first target rotational speed N1-A) when thrust is applied, and the target boat speed, corresponding to the handle position P of the operating handle 51. The unit of rotational speed is [rpm], and the unit of boat speed is [knot]. The handle position P is shown as 100% when the operating handle 51 is in the upper limit position, 0% when in the intermediate position, and -100% when in the lower limit position.

[0143] The propulsion force determination unit 42 uses the table TBL1 to determine the target rotation speed N1 as either a first target rotation speed N1-A corresponding to the handle position P and ON information or a second target rotation speed N1-B corresponding to the handle position P and OFF information.

[0144] For example, when the boat is sailing with the steering wheel position P = 55% and the second target rotation speed N1-B = 60 rpm without jetting, the boat speed will be 14 knots (target boat speed) in calm water and without any disturbances. In this state, if the jetting mechanism 80 jets air while maintaining the second target rotation speed N1-B, the boat speed will increase due to the air lubrication effect. Here, by switching the target rotation speed to the first target rotation speed N1-A = 58 rpm, the boat speed will become 14 knots, and boat speed fluctuations can be suppressed. In other words, by switching the target rotation speed N1 between when the boat is not jetting and when jetting for the same steering wheel position P, boat speed fluctuations can be suppressed.

[0145] Next, we will explain the decrease DWE of the target thrust force E1-A during ejection relative to the target thrust force E1-B during non-ejection. The decrease DWE is the target thrust force E1-A subtracted from the target thrust force E1-B. Here, we will explain the decrease DWN of the first target rotation speed N1-A during ejection relative to the second target rotation speed N1-B during non-ejection as an example. The decrease DWN is the subtraction of the first target rotation speed N1-A from the second target rotation speed N1-B.

[0146] The air lubrication effect varies depending on various fluctuation factors. Examples of fluctuation factors that change the air lubrication effect include ship speed, actual rotation speed, and draft. For example, when the ship speed is fast, when the actual rotation speed N2 of the main engine 74 is high, or when the draft is deep, the air lubrication effect increases relatively. When the air lubrication effect increases, if the propulsive force reduction width DWE is constant, the suppression of ship speed fluctuations during and without injection becomes insufficient. For this reason, in this embodiment, the propulsive force determination unit 42 changes the propulsive force reduction width DWE in accordance with the fluctuation factors of the air lubrication effect.

[0147] In this embodiment, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target thrust E1 so that the thrust reduction amount DWE increases as the boat speed increases. In this example, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target rotation speed N1 so that the rotation speed reduction amount DWN increases as the boat speed increases.

[0148] The decrease amounts DWE and DWN may increase or decrease continuously or stepwise with respect to the boat speed. The propulsive force determination unit 42 has a plurality of tables TBL1 corresponding to a plurality of boat speeds, and determines the propulsive force using a table TBL1 selected from the plurality of tables TBL1 according to the actual boat speed. For example, the propulsive force determination unit 42 can obtain the boat speed from a boat speed sensor that can detect the boat speed.

[0149] In this embodiment, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target thrust E1 so that the thrust force reduction DWE increases as the actual rotation speed N2 increases. In this example, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target rotation speed N1 so that the rotation speed reduction DWN increases as the actual rotation speed N2 increases.

[0150] The decrease widths DWE and DWN may increase or decrease continuously or stepwise with respect to the actual rotation speed N2. The thrust force determination unit 42 has a plurality of tables TBL1 corresponding to a plurality of actual rotation speeds N2, and determines the thrust force using a table TBL1 selected from the plurality of tables TBL1 according to the actual rotation speed N2. For example, the thrust force determination unit 42 can obtain the actual rotation speed N2 from a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the actual rotation speed N2.

[0151] In this embodiment, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target thrust E1 so that the thrust reduction amount DWE increases as the draft deepens. In this example, the thrust determination unit 42 determines the target rotation speed N1 so that the rotation speed reduction amount DWN increases as the draft deepens.

[0152] The reduction amounts DWE and DWN may increase or decrease continuously or stepwise with respect to the draft. The propulsive force determination unit 42 has a plurality of tables TBL1 corresponding to a plurality of drafts, and determines the draft using a table TBL1 selected from the plurality of tables TBL1 according to the actual draft. For example, the propulsive force determination unit 42 can obtain the draft from a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the draft.

[0153] As described above, by changing the reduction width DWE and the reduction width DWN in accordance with one or more of the ship speed, actual rotation speed, and draft, fluctuations in ship speed can be further suppressed.

[0154] The operation S160 of the control device 10 of this embodiment configured as above will now be described. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation S160 of the control device 10.

[0155] When the operation S160 is started, the position acquisition unit 41 acquires the handle position P of the operating handle 51 from the remote controller 50 (step S161).

[0156] After executing step S161, the propulsive force determination unit 42 acquires fluctuation factors such as ship speed, actual rotation speed, and draft (step S162). After acquiring the fluctuation factors, the propulsive force determination unit 42 selects table TBL1 according to the fluctuation factors (step S163). In this step, the propulsive force determination unit 42 selects table TBL1 to which the reduction widths DWE and DWN according to the fluctuation factors have been applied.

[0157] After executing step S163, the propulsive force determination unit 42 determines whether or not it is time for ejection based on the ON / OFF information (step S164). If it is not time for ejection (non-ejection) (N in step S164), the propulsive force determination unit 42 provides the second target rotation speed N1-B for non-ejection to the mechanism control unit 48, and the mechanism control unit 48 controls the propulsion mechanism 70 at the second target rotation speed N1-B for non-ejection (step S165). After executing step S165, S160 ends.

[0158] If it is during ejection (Y in step S164), the propulsive force determination unit 42 provides the first target rotation speed N1-A during ejection to the mechanism control unit 48, and the mechanism control unit 48 controls the propulsion mechanism 70 at the first target rotation speed N1-A during ejection (step S166). After step S166 is executed, S160 ends. The above steps are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0159] The features of the control device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the control of the bubble control unit 20. In this case, the energy consumption (fuel consumption) of the propulsion mechanism 70 can be reduced in accordance with the control of the bubble control unit 20.

[0160] In this embodiment, the propulsion mechanism 70 has a main engine 74 that rotates a propeller 75. The propulsion control unit 30 controls the propulsion mechanism 70 so that the target propulsive force when the air bubble control unit 20 is ejecting air is smaller than the target propulsive force when air is not being ejected. In this case, fluctuations in boat speed between when air is not being ejected and when air is being ejected can be suppressed.

[0161] In this embodiment, the propulsion control unit 30 increases the amount of reduction in the target propulsive force when jetting relative to the target propulsive force when jetting is not in operation as the vessel speed of the vessel 1 or the actual rotation speed of the main engine 74 increases. In this case, fluctuations in vessel speed when jetting is not in operation and when jetting is in operation can be further suppressed.

[0162] In this embodiment, the target propulsive force is the target rotation speed of the main engine 74. In this case, fluctuations in boat speed between when no fuel is ejected and when fuel is ejected can be suppressed.

[0163] In this embodiment, the propeller 75 is a variable pitch propeller 72 that can change the blade angle of the propeller blades 73, and the target thrust is the target blade angle of the propeller blades 73. In this case, fluctuations in boat speed between when no jet is ejected and when jet is ejected can be suppressed.

[0164] This completes the description of the sixth embodiment. Table TBL1 of this embodiment can be set based on theoretical values ​​obtained by simulation or predetermined calculation. Table TBL1 may be set based on data obtained during sea trials, or may be updated based on data obtained during sea trials or data during operation. Table TBL1 may include data on the actual engine speed and ship speed, data on the actual engine speed and the load (shaft horsepower) of the main engine 74, or data on the actual engine speed and the fuel consumption of the main engine 74.

[0165] [Seventh embodiment] The seventh embodiment of the present invention is a control method for the control device 10. The control device 10 controls a jetting mechanism 80 that jets bubbles B into water from an air outlet 84 provided in a hull 90 of the vessel 1, and a propulsion mechanism 70 that propels the hull 90, and the control method includes a step of controlling either the jetting mechanism 80 or the propulsion mechanism 70 in response to control of the other.

[0166] According to this embodiment, the same actions and effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0167] [Eighth embodiment] The eighth embodiment of the present invention is a control program 100 (computer program) for the control device 10. The control device 10 controls a jetting mechanism 80 that jets bubbles B into water from an air outlet 84 provided in a hull 90 of the vessel 1, and a propulsion mechanism 70 that propels the hull 90. The control program 100 causes the computer to execute steps for controlling either the jetting mechanism 80 or the propulsion mechanism 70 in accordance with the control of the other.

[0168] These functions of the control program 100 may be installed in the storage (e.g., memory unit 47) of the control device 10 as an application program in which a plurality of modules corresponding to the functional blocks of the control device 10 are implemented. The control program 100 may be read into the main memory of a processor (e.g., CPU) of a computer incorporated in the control device 10 and executed.

[0169] According to this embodiment, the same actions and effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0170] The above describes in detail examples of embodiments of the present invention. The above-described embodiments merely illustrate specific examples of implementing the present invention. The contents of the embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and many design changes, such as changes, additions, and deletions of components, are possible within the scope of the inventive concept defined in the claims. In the above-described embodiments, content that allows such design changes is described using notations such as "in the embodiment" or "in the embodiment," but this does not mean that design changes are not permitted in content that does not have such notations.

[0171] [Variations] The following describes modified examples. In the drawings and descriptions of the modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the embodiment.

[0172] In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the propulsion mechanism 70 obtains propulsive force by rotating the propeller 75 using the prime mover 79, but the present invention is not limited to this. The propulsion mechanism may be any mechanism that can propel the hull, and may be, for example, a mechanism that obtains propulsive force by discharging gas or the like and using the reaction force.

[0173] In the description of the embodiment, an example has been given in which the prime mover 79 is a diesel engine, but this is not limiting. The prime mover may be, for example, an internal combustion engine other than a diesel engine, an external combustion engine, an electric motor, or the like.

[0174] In the description of the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the disturbance data is input to the control device 10 by an operator, but this is not limiting. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a sensor capable of detecting disturbance data is provided, and the control device acquires the detection result of this sensor.

[0175] The above-described modified examples have the same functions and effects as the respective embodiments.

[0176] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of the combined embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1 Ship, 10 Control device, 20 Air bubble control unit, 30 Propulsion control unit, 31 Period determination unit, 32 Overload prediction unit, 33 Position determination unit, 34 Acceleration / deceleration determination unit, 35 Speed ​​change determination unit, 36 Command receiving unit, 37 Load prediction unit, 38 Limit signal receiving unit, 39 Release signal receiving unit, 41 Position acquisition unit, 42 Propulsion force determination unit, 47 Memory unit, 50 Remote control, 51 Operating handle, 58 Operating unit, 67 Torque limiter, 68 Scavenging pressure limiter, 69 ALC limiter, 70 Propulsion mechanism, 72 Controllable pitch propeller, 73 Propeller blade, 74 Main engine, 75 Propeller, 78 Propulsion shaft, 79 Prime mover, 80 Jet mechanism, 84 Air outlet, 90 Hull, bottom 92.

Claims

1. an air bubble control unit that controls a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into the water from an air outlet provided in the hull of the ship; a propulsion control unit that controls the propulsive force of a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull; a command receiving unit that receives a command signal instructing the magnitude of the thrust of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating the magnitude of the current thrust; Equipped with the bubble control unit controls the ejection mechanism in response to control by the propulsion control unit; the propulsion control unit controls the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; the bubble control unit increases the amount of bubbles ejected when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreases the amount of bubbles ejected when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; the propulsion mechanism has a main engine that rotates a propeller, the command signal is a signal that commands a target rotation speed of the main engine, The actual signal is an actual rotation speed, which is the current rotation speed of the main engine, an overload prediction unit that predicts whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load in accordance with the target rotation speed, the actual rotation speed, and a current fuel input amount of the main engine, The bubble control unit is a control device that increases the amount of bubbles emitted when the overload prediction unit predicts that the predetermined load will be exceeded.

2. the propeller is a variable pitch propeller capable of changing the blade angle of the propeller blades, the command signal is a target blade angle of the controllable pitch propeller, the actual signal is an actual blade angle that is a current blade angle of the controllable pitch propeller, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the overload prediction unit predicts whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on the target blade angle and the actual blade angle.

3. 3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the overload prediction unit predicts whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on at least one of a target value of a speed when the blade angle is changed from the actual blade angle to the target blade angle and a target value of a speed when a rotation speed of the main engine is changed from the actual rotation speed to the target rotation speed.

4. an air bubble control unit that controls a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into the water from an air outlet provided in the hull of the ship; a propulsion control unit that controls the propulsive force of a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull; a command receiving unit that receives a command signal instructing the magnitude of the thrust of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating the magnitude of the current thrust; Equipped with the bubble control unit controls the ejection mechanism in response to control by the propulsion control unit; the propulsion control unit controls the propulsive force of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; the bubble control unit increases the amount of bubbles ejected when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreases the amount of bubbles ejected when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; the propulsion mechanism has a prime mover that rotates a propeller, a speed change determination unit that determines whether or not a speed change command that brings the actual rotation speed of the prime mover into a predetermined rotation speed range is received when the actual rotation speed of the prime mover is outside the predetermined rotation speed range; The bubble control unit increases the amount of bubbles ejected when the shift determination unit determines that a shift command has been received that falls within the rotation speed range.

5. 5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the speed change determining unit determines whether a speed change command within the rotational speed range has been received based on an operating state of an operating unit that remotely controls the prime mover.

6. an air bubble control unit that controls a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into the water from an air outlet provided in the hull of the ship; a propulsion control unit that controls the propulsive force of a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull; Equipped with the bubble control unit controls the ejection mechanism in response to control by the propulsion control unit; the propulsion mechanism has a main engine that rotates a propeller, a load prediction unit that predicts whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on a current amount of fuel input to the main engine and an actual rotation speed of the main engine, The bubble control unit is a control device that causes the ejection mechanism to perform a preparatory operation for generating bubbles when the load prediction unit predicts that the load of the main engine will exceed a predetermined load.

7. 7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the load prediction unit further predicts whether the load of the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on at least one of a tidal current in a water area in which the vessel is to sail, wind, a planned route in which the vessel is to sail, a hull draft, a target rotation speed, and a target fuel input amount.

8. an air bubble control unit that controls a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into the water from an air outlet provided in the hull of the ship; a propulsion control unit that controls the propulsive force of a propulsion mechanism that propels the hull; Equipped with the bubble control unit controls the ejection mechanism in response to control by the propulsion control unit; the propulsion mechanism has a main engine that rotates a propeller, a limit signal receiving unit that receives a limit signal indicating that the load of the main engine has exceeded a predetermined load; The bubble control unit increases the amount of bubbles ejected when the limit signal receiving unit receives the limit signal.

9. a release signal receiving unit that receives a limit release signal indicating that the load of the main engine is equal to or less than a predetermined load, The control device according to claim 8 , wherein the bubble control unit reduces the amount of bubbles ejected when a predetermined release condition is satisfied, including the release signal receiving unit receiving the limit release signal.

10. The control device according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined release condition includes an actual rotation speed of the main engine reaching a target rotation speed.

11. The control device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the predetermined release condition includes a predetermined waiting period having elapsed since the limit signal was received.

12. Disturbance data is a magnitude of a disturbance that is a predetermined factor that affects at least one of a propulsion speed and a propulsion direction of the vessel, 12. The control device according to claim 11, further comprising a period determination unit that determines the standby period based on first disturbance data, which is the disturbance data at the time when the limit signal is received, and second disturbance data, which is the disturbance data at the time when the limit release signal is received.

13. 13. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the limit signals include a limit signal generated by a torque limiter when a torque of the main engine exceeds a threshold value, and a limit signal generated by a scavenging air pressure limiter when a scavenging air pressure of the main engine exceeds a threshold value.

14. the propeller is a variable pitch propeller capable of changing the blade angle of the propeller blades, the propulsion mechanism has an ALC limiter that reduces the output of the main engine when an actual load is higher than a target load, The control device according to claim 8 , wherein the limit signal includes a limit signal generated by the ALC limiter when an actual load is higher than a target load.

15. the propulsion mechanism has a main engine that rotates a propeller, an acceleration / deceleration determination unit that determines whether to accelerate or decelerate the hull based on at least one of the amount of fuel input to the main engine and the actual rotation speed, A control device described in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the bubble control unit performs at least one of a first operation that increases the amount of bubbles emitted when the acceleration / deceleration judgment unit judges that acceleration is occurring, and a second operation that decreases the amount of bubbles emitted when the acceleration / deceleration judgment unit judges that deceleration is occurring.

16. a position determination unit that acquires a position signal indicating the position of the ship and determines whether the ship is located within a port based on the position signal; The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the bubble control unit reduces the amount of bubbles emitted when the position determination unit determines that the ship is located within a port.

17. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a command signal instructing a magnitude of the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating a current magnitude of the propulsion force; controlling the thrust of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; Equipped with the command signal is a signal that commands a target rotation speed of the main engine, The actual signal is an actual rotation speed, which is the current rotation speed of the main engine, predicting whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load according to the target rotation speed, the actual rotation speed, and a current fuel input amount of the main engine; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when it is predicted that the load will exceed the predetermined load; The control method for the control device further comprises:

18. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a command signal instructing a magnitude of the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating a current magnitude of the propulsion force; controlling the thrust of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; on the computer, the command signal is a signal that commands a target rotation speed of the main engine, The actual signal is an actual rotation speed, which is the current rotation speed of the main engine, predicting whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load according to the target rotation speed, the actual rotation speed, and a current fuel input amount of the main engine; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when it is predicted that the load will exceed the predetermined load; A control program for a control device that causes the computer to further execute the above.

19. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a prime mover that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a command signal instructing a magnitude of the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating a current magnitude of the propulsion force; controlling the thrust of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; a step of determining whether or not a gear shift command has been received that brings the actual rotation speed of the prime mover into a preset rotation speed range when the actual rotation speed is outside the preset rotation speed range; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when it is determined that a speed change command that falls within the rotational speed range has been received; A control method for a control device comprising:

20. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a prime mover that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a command signal instructing a magnitude of the propulsion force of the propulsion mechanism and an actual signal indicating a current magnitude of the propulsion force; controlling the thrust of the propulsion mechanism based on a comparison result between the command signal and the actual signal; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates an increase in speed, or decreasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the command signal indicates a decrease in speed; a step of determining whether or not a gear shift command has been received that brings the actual rotation speed of the prime mover into a preset rotation speed range when the actual rotation speed is outside the preset rotation speed range; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when it is determined that a speed change command that falls within the rotational speed range has been received; A control program for a control device that causes a computer to execute the above.

21. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; predicting whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on a current fuel input amount to the main engine and an actual rotation speed of the main engine; a step of causing the ejection mechanism to perform a preparation operation for generating bubbles when it is predicted that the load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load; A control method for a control device comprising:

22. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; predicting whether a load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load based on a current fuel input amount to the main engine and an actual rotation speed of the main engine; a step of causing the ejection mechanism to perform a preparation operation for generating bubbles when it is predicted that the load on the main engine will exceed a predetermined load; A control program for a control device that causes a computer to execute the above.

23. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a limit signal indicating that the load on the main engine has exceeded a predetermined load; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the limit signal is received; A control method for a control device comprising:

24. A control device for controlling a jetting mechanism that jets air bubbles into water from an air outlet provided in a hull of a ship, and a propulsion mechanism having a main engine that rotates a propeller and propels the hull, controlling the ejection mechanism in response to control of the propulsion mechanism; receiving a limit signal indicating that the load on the main engine has exceeded a predetermined load; increasing the amount of bubbles ejected by the ejection mechanism when the limit signal is received; A control program for a control device that causes a computer to execute the above.

Images