Unmanned Marine Vessel Current Compensation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment, relocation, and recovery of unmanned marine surveying vessels in marine seismic surveys are inefficient due to challenges in navigating against strong sea currents, which leads to increased power consumption and potential drift away from intended positions.
Innovation Solution
The use of computer processors on the vessels to account for sea current and other water movement data to optimize deployment and steering, minimizing the need for propulsion by selecting advantageous initial positions and adjusting vessel angles to counteract currents, thereby reducing power consumption and ensuring timely arrival at destination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional propulsion methods are used to navigate against strong sea currents, then the vessel can maintain its course, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control system receives water movement information (currents, waves, wind) in advance and uses this data to pre-calculate an optimized travel plan that accounts for external forces. By planning the trajectory beforehand based on predicted water movement, the system can minimize the need for active propulsion corrections, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining navigation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by adjusting the vessel's angle of attack and orientation relative to water flow based on real-time and predicted water movement data. This allows the vessel to passively utilize favorable current directions and minimize resistance, reducing the energy required for active propulsion while maintaining course accuracy.
2Reliability
If the vessel actively compensates for water movement during travel, then it can reach the destination accurately, but the complexity of control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary calculations of the optimized travel plan by integrating predicted water movement information with the desired trajectory. This pre-computation approach simplifies real-time control by reducing the need for complex continuous adjustments, as the majority of compensation is built into the initial path planning based on forecasted conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from actual water movement measurements (from sensors on the vessel) to compare against predicted conditions and make minor real-time adjustments. This feedback mechanism allows the simple control system to maintain high destination accuracy by correcting only deviations from the pre-calculated optimal path, rather than requiring complex continuous control.
3Ease of operation
If the vessel deploys perpendicular to current direction, then deployment is straightforward, but the vessel drifts away from intended position
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the deployment parameter by calculating and executing an angled deployment orientation relative to the current direction, rather than deploying perpendicular to currents. By adjusting the deployment angle based on water movement information, the vessel maintains a trajectory that accounts for drift, achieving both simple automated deployment and high position accuracy.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the vessel uses minimal propulsion to conserve power, then energy expenditure is reduced, but the vessel cannot counteract strong currents effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the vessel's orientation parameters (angle of attack, heading) to align with favorable current directions during parts of the journey. By strategically orienting the vessel to ride currents rather than always fighting them, the system conserves energy while still achieving effective progress toward the destination, reducing the need for high-power 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 reduces the need for active propulsion, conserves power, and ensures accurate navigation to seabed positions with minimal energy expenditure, even in areas with strong currents, by strategically deploying and recovering vessels to align with current directions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one directional device that is exposed to the movement of water past the vehicle when the vehicle travels in a forward direction, the directional device having a first position that provides an angle of attack through the water flow
Implementation Method 2
at least one propulsion device that has a first setting that does not provide steering force to the vessel, and a second setting that provides a steering force to the vessel
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned water vessel can include a body defining an internal volume and having a shape adapted to travel through water, with a front and a back; at least one directional device that is exposed to the flow of water past the vehicle when the vehicle travels in a forward direction, the directional device having a first position that provides an angle of attack through the water flow and a second position that provides a second angle of attack through the water flow; and a control system that provides commands to the at least one directional device in view of a starting point, an end point, and at least information about water flow expected to be encountered by the water vessel during travel.