Automatic Berthing Parameter Tuning for Diverse Ship Configurations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional berthing pier support systems are limited to ships with specific propulsion and rudder configurations, failing to accommodate ships with one propulsion force generating apparatus and one rudder, thus preventing automatic berthing control based on ship specifications.
Innovation Solution
A navigation support device that generates candidate values for berthing control parameters, simulates ship behavior, evaluates these parameters, and determines optimal control parameters using a black box optimization algorithm, considering ship shape, pier disturbances, and environmental conditions to achieve precise automatic berthing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pier berthing support systems are used, then ships with specific propulsion and rudder configurations can be supported, but ships with one propulsion force generating apparatus and one rudder cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal automatic berthing control system that can handle multiple ship configurations (single rudder, synchronized rudders, single propulsion, multiple propulsion units) through a unified control apparatus. The system uses a motion model generator that adapts to different ship specifications and a parameter determination unit that automatically adjusts control parameters based on the detected ship configuration, making the system universally applicable without requiring separate specialized systems for each ship type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If automatic berthing control is implemented for various ship configurations, then adaptability improves, but the complexity of determining appropriate control parameters increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus employs a self-service mechanism where the parameter determination unit automatically detects the ship's configuration (single rudder, synchronized rudders, propulsion setup) and autonomously determines appropriate control parameters without requiring external manual configuration. The motion model generator automatically creates suitable motion models based on detected ship specifications, and the simulation unit self-adjusts by simulating berthing behavior with determined parameters to validate and refine them, enabling the system to self-configure for any ship type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes control parameters based on detected ship configurations. The parameter determination unit adjusts key parameters such as rudder control gains, propulsion force coefficients, and motion model characteristics according to whether the ship has single or synchronized rudders and single or multiple propulsion units. This parameter adaptation allows the same control apparatus to optimally control diverse ship types without hardware modifications.
3Measurement precision
If simulation-based parameter evaluation is performed, then control parameter accuracy improves, but computational time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-generating candidate control parameters and pre-simulating berthing behavior for different ship configurations before actual berthing operations. The motion model generator creates appropriate motion models in advance based on ship specifications, and the simulation unit pre-evaluates multiple candidate parameter sets to identify optimal parameters before the ship needs to berth, reducing real-time computational requirements during actual berching operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The navigation support device includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates a set of candidate values for a plurality of parameters associated with an automatic berthing control of a ship, performs simulations of a berthing behavior of the ship based on each set of candidate values for the plurality of parameters, performs evaluations of the berthing behavior for each set of candidate values for the plurality of parameters based on results of the simulations, and determines a control parameter associated with the automatic berthing control from the set of candidate values for the plurality of parameters, based on the results of the evaluation of the berthing behavior.