Marine Propulsion Control System via Communication Bus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine propulsion control systems require direct connections between multiple actuators and sensors or switches, lacking redundancy and efficient communication between controllers, which can lead to operational inefficiencies and failures if sensors or switches become inoperable.
Innovation Solution
A marine propulsion control system where a manually operable device provides signals to a first controller, which then communicates control signals to other controllers via a common signal bus, allowing actuators to operate without direct connections to sensors or switches, and incorporating redundancy through alternative sensors or switches to ensure system reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct connections are made between multiple actuators and sensors/switches, then control reliability is improved, but device complexity and wiring requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A communication bus is introduced as an intermediary component between controllers and sensors/switches. The bus allows multiple controllers to receive sensor signals and send control commands without requiring direct point-to-point connections, thereby reducing wiring complexity while maintaining system reliability through centralized communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication bus serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transmits sensor signals to multiple controllers, carries control commands from controllers to actuators, and provides a standardized interface for various device types. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated connections for each control path.
2Reliability
If redundant sensors or switches are added, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication bus acts as a mediator that allows multiple controllers to access the same sensor signals. When one sensor fails, other controllers can continue to receive signals through the bus, providing functional redundancy without requiring duplicate physical sensors for each controller.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple controllers are merged into a unified communication network where they share access to sensors and actuators through the common bus. This consolidation allows the system to tolerate individual controller or sensor failures while maintaining overall functionality, achieving reliability without proportional increases in component quantity.
3Device complexity
If fewer sensors or switches are used, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent controllers that each process sensor signals and generate control commands. This segmentation allows the system to use fewer physical sensors while maintaining precision, as each controller can independently process the same sensor data or share the workload, distributing the precision requirement across multiple processing units rather than requiring redundant sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A marine propulsion control system receives manually input signals from a steering wheel or trim switches and provides the signals to first, second, and third controllers. The controllers cause first, second, and third actuators to move control devices. The actuators can be hydraulic steering actuators or trim plate actuators. Only one of the plurality of controllers requires connection directly to a sensor or switch that provides a position signal because the controllers transmit signals among themselves. These arrangements allow the various positions of the actuated components to vary from one device to the other as a result of calculated positions based on a single signal provided to one of the controllers.