Marine Propulsion System Heading Control for Wave Impact Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional marine vessels experience unstable attitudes when riding over waves due to a small angle between their traveling direction and the wave direction, leading to increased impact and instability, which is mitigated by reducing speed, but this is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A marine propulsion system with a controller that adjusts the vessel's traveling direction to a predetermined angle greater than 30 degrees with respect to the wave direction when the initial angle is less than 30 degrees, reducing the impact without reducing speed, and includes features for automatic navigation and wave height considerations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the marine vessel travels at a small angle (less than 30 degrees) with respect to the wave direction, then the vessel can maintain higher speed, but the impact from waves increases and causes unstable attitude
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts the traveling direction of the marine vessel based on real-time wave direction detection. When the vessel travels at a small angle to waves, the controller automatically changes the heading to a predetermined angle (≥30 degrees) relative to wave direction, creating a dynamic response that prevents wave impact while maintaining speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses wave direction detection (via laser radar or other sensors) to provide feedback to the controller. The controller continuously monitors the angle between vessel heading and wave direction, and adjusts the traveling direction accordingly to maintain optimal sailing conditions, preventing unstable attitude while preserving speed
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the speed of the marine vessel is reduced to prevent unstable attitude when riding over waves, then wave impact is reduced, but the productivity and efficiency of the vessel decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reducing speed, the system dynamically changes the traveling direction to a predetermined angle (≥30 degrees) relative to wave direction. This dynamic heading adjustment allows the vessel to maintain high speed while reducing wave impact and preventing unstable attitude, resolving the contradiction between safety and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the directional parameter (traveling direction angle) rather than the speed parameter. By adjusting the angle between vessel heading and wave direction to be ≥30 degrees, the system modifies the geometric relationship to reduce wave impact while preserving the speed parameter, thus maintaining productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A marine propulsion system includes a controller configured or programmed to perform a marine vessel traveling direction control such that a traveling direction of a marine vessel is changed to a predetermined angle equal to or greater than a first angle with respect to a traveling direction of waves toward the marine vessel when the traveling direction of the marine vessel is less than the first angle with respect to the traveling direction of the waves toward the marine vessel.