Dynamic active control system with engine control
AssigneeSeakeeper, Inc.
InventorsMichael Gallagher, Andrew Semprevivo, John Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dynamic active control system (DACS) configured for: (1) total vessel pitch axis control by fast symmetric deployment of water engagement devices (WEDs) or controllers, coupled with engine trim adjustments; (2) total roll and heading control by differentially deploying WEDs to counter rolling motions while simultaneously adjusting engine steering position to counter the steering moment associated with WED delta position; and (3) adjustment of the engine steering angle to counter yaw moments produced by gyroscopic stabilization systems.
Claims25
A dynamic active control system for a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- at least one sensor;
- a plurality of water engagement devices (each, a WED), each including an actuator configured to retract and deploy a water engagement element connected to the actuator, and each further configured to be mounted on a transom of the marine vessel, and wherein at least one of the plurality of water engagement devices is disposed on a first side of a longitudinal axis of the marine vessel and at least one of the plurality of water engagement devices is disposed on a second side of the longitudinal axis;
- a steering actuator, wherein the steering actuator is configured to adjust a heading of the marine vessel;
- a software module that is communicatively and operatively connected to the at least one sensor, the plurality of water engagement devices, and the steering actuator, wherein the software module is configured to:
- (a) receive, from the at least one sensor, a roll rate, a pitch rate, a yaw rate, a WED position for each of the plurality of water engagement devices, and a steering angle;
- (b) determine a water engagement device delta position based on a difference between the WED position received for the at least one water engagement device disposed on the first side of the longitudinal axis and the WED position received for the at least one water engagement device disposed on the second side of the longitudinal axis;
- (c) generate a first control signal based on the roll rate, pitch rate, yaw rate, and the water engagement device delta position, wherein the first control signal is configured to counteract dynamic motions of the marine vessel;
- (d) send, to the actuator for each of the plurality of water engagement devices, the first control signal, wherein the actuator of each of the plurality of water engagement devices is configured to change the WED position of the respective water engagement device in response to receiving the first control signal to counteract dynamic motions of the marine vessel;
- (e) generate a predicted roll moment of the marine vessel, wherein the predicted roll moment of the marine vessel is based on the roll rate, pitch rate, yaw rate, the water engagement device delta position, steering angle, and the first control signal;
- (f) generate a second control signal based on the predicted roll moment of the marine vessel and the steering angle, wherein the second control signal is configured to counteract a roll moment introduced to the dynamic motions of the marine vessel by the first control signal;
- and
- (g) send, to the steering actuator, the second control signal, wherein the steering actuator is configured to change the steering angle of the marine vessel in response to receiving the second control signal to counteract a roll moment introduced to the dynamic motions of the marine vessel by the first control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.