Boat Propulsion Angle Alignment for Stable Steering Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional boat control systems experience unintended movement or turning immediately after initiating a steering mode due to the change in thrust before the steering angles of the propulsion devices reach the target angle relationship.
Innovation Solution
A boat control system that includes a controller programmed to adjust the steering angles of multiple propulsion devices to achieve a target angle relationship where thrusts cancel each other out before changing the thrusts to the desired mode, thereby preventing unintended movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the thrust of boat propulsion devices is changed before the steering angles reach the target angle relationship, then the thrust change process is simplified and faster, but the boat body moves or turns in an unintended direction immediately after the steering mode is initiated
Solution Approach 1:
The steering angles of the boat propulsion devices are adjusted to the target angle relationship before changing the thrust. This preliminary adjustment of steering angles ensures that when thrust is applied, the boat body does not move or turn in an unintended direction, thereby resolving the technical contradiction between response speed and control accuracy.
2Reliability
If the steering angles of boat propulsion devices are adjusted before changing thrust, then the boat body remains stable during mode transition, but the overall response time of the steering mode initiation is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The mode transition process is segmented into two distinct sequential steps: first adjusting the steering angles to the target angle relationship, then changing the thrust. This segmentation allows each parameter to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system stability and reducing unintended boat movement.
3Productivity
If both steering angles and thrust are changed simultaneously, then the response time is minimized, but the boat body experiences unstable movement and unintended turning during the transition
Solution Approach 1:
The steering angles are adjusted to the target angle relationship as a preliminary action before thrust is changed. This sequential approach prevents the boat body from experiencing unstable movement and unintended turning during the transition, while still maintaining a relatively fast response time.
Data Source
AI summary
A boat control system includes a plurality of boat propulsion devices, a controller, a manual operator, and a sensor. When the manual operator accepts an operation to request a steering mode, based on detection results of the sensor with respect to at least two of the plurality of boat propulsion devices, the controller is configured or programmed to change a steering angle of at least one of the at least two boat propulsion devices to achieve a target angle relationship such that a degree to which thrusts cancel each other out is greater than before the steering mode is requested, and when the steering angles of the at least two boat propulsion systems come to be the target angle relationship, to change the thrusts of the at least two boat propulsion devices to thrusts corresponding to the steering mode.