Outboard Motor Thrust Control for Smooth Watercraft Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watercraft control systems require skilled operators to adjust velocity and direction simultaneously while bow turning, as they necessitate abrupt changes in thrust direction between forward and rearward, leading to non-continuous thrust and increased operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising left and right outboard motors and a controller that receives bow turning and propulsion signals, adjusting thrust magnitudes and directions based on command value ranges to ensure continuous balance and smooth operation, allowing for easy adjustment of vessel velocity and direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each outboard motor generates thrust in forward or rearward direction during bow turning, then the watercraft can turn while moving forward or rearward, but the thrust direction switches abruptly between forward and rearward requiring skilled operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the thrust generation dynamic rather than static. During bow turning, the system dynamically adjusts which motors generate thrust and in what directions based on the propulsion signal magnitude. The control device transitions from a fixed thrust pattern to a dynamic one where motors can switch between generating forward thrust, rearward thrust, or no thrust, allowing smooth velocity adjustment without abrupt directional switches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of thrust magnitude and direction control. Instead of fixed forward/rearward thrust directions during bow turning, the system varies the thrust parameters continuously based on the propulsion signal. When the propulsion signal magnitude exceeds a threshold, the control device adjusts motor thrust to provide forward movement while maintaining bow turning, effectively changing the operational parameters to achieve smoother control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each outboard motor generates thrust in forward or rearward direction during bow turning, then the watercraft can turn while moving forward or rearward, but the thrust changes in a non-continuous manner
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic thrust control where the magnitude and direction of thrust from each outboard motor are continuously adjusted based on the propulsion signal. This dynamic approach ensures that thrust changes are smooth and continuous rather than abrupt, maintaining stable and predictable watercraft motion during composite operations of bow turning and forward/rearward movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining continuous thrust generation from the outboard motors during bow turning. The control device prevents abrupt interruption or discontinuous switching of thrust by smoothly transitioning between different thrust patterns, ensuring that the motors continuously provide the necessary force for both bow turning and velocity adjustment without gaps or sudden changes.
Data Source
AI summary
In a watercraft propulsion system, when a magnitude of a command value indicated by a propulsion signal falls within a first range in a composite operation, a controller controls a first outboard motor to increase a thrust in a propulsion direction and simultaneously causes a second outboard motor to reduce a thrust in an opposite direction. When the magnitude of the command value falls within a second range in the composite operation, the controller controls the first outboard motor to make the thrust in the propulsion direction greater than when the magnitude of the command value falls within the first range and simultaneously maintains the second outboard motor in a neutral state. When the magnitude of the command value falls within a third range in the composite operation, the controller controls the first outboard motor to make the thrust in the propulsion direction greater than when the magnitude of the command value falls within the second range and simultaneously controls the second outboard motor to generate a thrust in the propulsion direction.