Watercraft Wake Control Using Ballast and Orientation Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for controlling wakes behind watercraft are unreliable and unable to produce repeatable wakes due to the failure to account for variables such as weight distribution and water displacement, leading to inconsistent wake generation.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing sensors to detect pitch, roll, and yaw of the watercraft, combined with a ballast system and actuators connected to mechanisms like trim tabs, wedges, and surf gates, to dynamically adjust the watercraft's orientation and create a repeatable wake by accounting for variables like weight distribution and water displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current wake control systems are used, then wake control is attempted, but wake repeatability is poor due to unaccounted variables
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to continuously monitor the watercraft's actual orientation (pitch, roll, yaw) and feeds this information back to the control system. The control system compares the actual orientation with the desired orientation and automatically adjusts the ballast system and actuators to correct any deviations, ensuring repeatable wake generation despite changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes multiple parameters including ballast distribution, trim tab angles, wedge positions, and surf gate configurations based on real-time sensor data and detected wake characteristics. By adjusting these parameters in response to actual conditions rather than relying on fixed settings, the system achieves consistent wake repeatability.
2Reliability
If ballast system alone is used for orientation adjustment, then wake control is achieved, but response time is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the ballast system with multiple actuators that control trim tabs, wedges, and surf gates to create a hybrid orientation control system. While the ballast system provides stable, long-term orientation adjustment, the actuators provide rapid response for fine-tuning and immediate wake shape modification, achieving both accuracy and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and adjusts the appropriate mechanisms based on real-time conditions and control needs. The control algorithm determines whether to rely primarily on ballast adjustment for major orientation changes or to use actuators for rapid adjustments, creating a dynamic, adaptive control strategy that optimizes both speed and accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Example systems and methods are provided herein for controlling a wake behind a watercraft. Such systems include a ballast system, an actuator, and a sensor for determining a pitch, roll, and/or yaw of the watercraft. A processor is configured to determine or receive a desired orientation of the watercraft based on producing a desired wake behind the watercraft, determine a current orientation of the watercraft relative to a water level of the body of water based on sensor data received from the sensor, determine instructions to send to at least one of the ballast system or the actuator based on the current orientation of the watercraft and the desired orientation of the watercraft, and cause adjustment of the ballast system or the actuator according to the instructions such that the watercraft achieves the desired orientation so that the desired wake is produced by the watercraft.