Marine Thruster Vectoring for Low-Speed Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional propulsion methods for underwater vehicles face challenges in maneuvering efficiently and stably at low speeds due to the reliance on fluid flow for control surface lift and drag, which decreases efficiency and increases energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method for piloting a marine vehicle with two propellers, where each propeller generates a flow directed towards and reaching the flow generated by the other propeller, allowing for stable and efficient maneuvering by controlling the combined thrust force to have a non-zero radial component, enabling movement at zero speed and precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional propulsion with control surfaces is used, then vehicle steering is achieved through fluid flow, but efficiency decreases inversely with the square of flow velocity and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using control surfaces that require fluid flow to generate lift for steering, the patent inverts the approach by using propellers to directly generate thrust vectors for steering. The twin propellers can be independently controlled to produce differential thrust, enabling steering without relying on fluid flow over control surfaces, thus eliminating the efficiency degradation at low speeds and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the control surfaces (rudders, elevators) from the conventional propulsion system. By removing these surfaces that require significant fluid flow to function, the system achieves steering capability through propeller thrust vectoring alone, resolving the contradiction between steering ease and energy consumption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If control surfaces are used for maneuvering, then vehicle direction is changed, but hydrodynamic drag increases proportionally to the square of speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes control surfaces from the vehicle architecture, replacing them with a twin propeller system that provides maneuvering capability through differential thrust. This extraction eliminates the source of hydrodynamic drag associated with control surfaces while maintaining full maneuvering versatility through vector propulsion.
Solution Approach 2:
The twin propeller system serves multiple functions: primary propulsion, steering, and maneuvering. By making the propellers universal components that can perform all these functions through independent speed and pitch control, the patent eliminates the need for separate control surfaces, thereby reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If twin propellers are used for vector propulsion, then mobility is increased and architecture is simplified, but control difficulties arise particularly at low speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control mechanisms to monitor and adjust propeller speeds and pitches in real-time, particularly at low speeds where control stability is challenging. This feedback system ensures that the twin propellers maintain stable and predictable thrust vectors, resolving the control difficulties while preserving the mobility advantages of vector propulsion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for stable and efficient maneuvering of underwater vehicles at low speeds, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for additional maneuvering systems, thereby enhancing mobility and control without generating hydrodynamic drag.
Implementation Method 1
each propeller generates a flow directed towards and reaching the flow generated by the other propeller
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for controlling a thruster of a marine vehicle (1) that is at least partially submerged in a liquid and includes a body (2) and a thruster (3) that includes two propellers (AV, AR). Each propeller includes blades intended to turn about an axis of rotation of said propeller. The method includes a low-speed maneuver control step, during which the thruster is controlled such that each propeller (AV, AR) generates a flow directed toward and reaching the flow generated by the other propeller.