Marine Vessel Thrust Control for Position and Heading Hold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine vessel positioning systems require active manual control to maintain a selected position or heading without an anchor, which is inefficient and limits operator availability for tasks like fishing.
Innovation Solution
A marine vessel control system comprising propulsion units, steering, shift, and throttle actuators, along with sensors and a controller that automatically adjusts thrust and direction to maintain a selected position or heading by detecting position and heading errors and counteracting disturbances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual control is used to maintain vessel position and heading, then the operator can actively manage the vessel, but the operator's attention is consumed and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vessel positioning system operates autonomously without requiring continuous manual intervention. The controller automatically processes sensor data, calculates position and heading errors, and adjusts propulsion units to maintain the desired position and heading, enabling the operator to perform other tasks simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the vessel's actual position and heading through sensors, compares these measurements with the desired setpoints, and uses the error differences to automatically adjust propulsion unit commands, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains accuracy without manual input
2Productivity
If automatic positioning systems are implemented, then operator efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: it processes position data from GPS sensors, calculates position errors, processes heading data from compass sensors, calculates heading errors, generates propulsion commands, and adjusts multiple propulsion units simultaneously. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex subsystems into one unified controller
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines position control and heading control functions into a single integrated control loop. The controller simultaneously processes both position and heading error differences and coordinates multiple propulsion units to achieve both objectives, reducing the need for separate control systems for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A marine vessel control system comprises a propulsion unit and a steering actuator for steering the propulsion unit. There is a shift actuator for shifting gears in the propulsion unit and a throttle actuator for increasing or decreasing throttle to the propulsion unit. There is an input device for providing user inputted steering commands to the steering actuator and for providing user inputted shift and throttle commands to the shift actuator and the throttle actuator. There is a sensor for detecting a global position and a heading direction of the marine vessel. A controller receives position and heading values of the marine vessel from the sensor. The controller compares the received position value to a pre-programmed position value to determine a position error difference. The controller also compares the received heading value to a pre-programmed heading value to determine a heading error difference.