Automatic Vessel Berthing Control for Wake Disturbance Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The automatic berthing system for vessels faces difficulties due to disturbances caused by the wake of another vessel, which can lead to collisions with the pier, especially when the wake is large and occurs just before berthing.
Innovation Solution
An automatic berthing system that includes a controller, input part, peripheral sensors, speed sensor, and shaking sensor to detect the position, speed, and shaking of another vessel, allowing for controlled berthing by stopping or restarting the berthing process based on predetermined distances and speeds, and calculating the arrival timing of the wake to avoid collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automatic berthing control is performed continuously, then berthing efficiency is improved, but vessel safety deteriorates due to wake-induced collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of another vessel's position and speed using peripheral sensors before the wake reaches the berthing vessel. The controller calculates the wake arrival time in advance and stops the automatic berthing control before the wake arrives, preventing collision while maintaining efficient berthing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the position and speed of another vessel using peripheral sensors and feedback loops. Based on this real-time feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts the automatic berthing control, stopping it when wake influence is predicted and restarting it when safe, thereby maintaining both safety and efficiency.
2Reliability
If automatic berthing control is stopped frequently to avoid wake, then vessel safety is improved, but berthing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the wake arrival time in advance based on another vessel's speed and distance. By stopping the automatic berthing control just before the wake arrives rather than continuously, the system minimizes the loss of berthing time while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the automatic berthing control based on real-time conditions. It stops control only when necessary (when wake influence is predicted) and restarts it when safe, creating an adaptive control system that balances safety with minimal interruption to berthing operations.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If peripheral sensors are added to detect another vessel, then wake detection capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral sensors are designed to serve multiple functions: detecting another vessel's position, measuring its speed, and providing data for wake arrival time calculation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that processes sensor data and calculates wake arrival time using algorithms based on another vessel's speed and distance. This computational approach avoids the need for complex direct wake detection sensors, simplifying the overall system while maintaining detection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic berthing system and method for a vessel are provided. The automatic berthing system comprises a controller, controlling the vessel; an input part, receiving an input to perform the automatic berthing mode; at least one peripheral sensor, detecting position information and speed information of another vessel other than the vessel to determine whether a wake caused by the another vessel has influence on the vessel. The controller performs an automatic berthing control when the input to perform the automatic berthing mode is received until the vessel reaches a berthing position, and the controller stops the automatic berthing control when the another vessel is located within a predetermined distance from the vessel based on the position information.