# US 2010/0167601 A1 · Method and apparatus for operation of a marine vessel hybrid propulsion system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167601 A1 - Document ID: US20100167601A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/451,763 - Filed: 2008-05-29 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2007-06-01 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Wolfgang Rzadki; Hannes Schulze Horn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167601A1 ## CPC - B63H 21/16: relating to gas turbines - B63H 21/20: the vessels being powered by combinations of different types of propulsion units - B63H 21/213: {Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers} - B63H 2021/207: {the second power unit being a gas turbine} - Y02T 70/5236: Renewable or hybrid-electric solutions - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract In one embodiment of a method for operation of a hybrid propulsion system for a marine vessel, in particular a navy vessel, including at least one electric motor and at least one internal combustion engine, in particular a gas turbine, as drive units, which, depending on the requirement, for example the vessel speed, individually of jointly drive at least one propulsion unit, for example a propeller of the marine vessel, the respective power outputs of the propulsion units to the at least one propulsion unit are, according to one embodiment of the present invention, controlled by a control device as a function of a predeterminable set value, for example a set value for the propeller rotation speed or the vessel speed, and a predeterminable operating mode such that the sum of these power outputs results in a total power, which is dependent on the set value, being output to the at least one propulsion unit, with this total power output being split between the power outputs of the individual drive units as a function of the set value and the operating mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operation of a hybrid propulsion system of a marine vessel including at least one electric motor and at least one internal combustion engine, drive units, which individually or jointly drive at least one propulsion unit, the method comprising: controlling as a function of a nominal value and a determinable operating mode, via a control device, respective power outputs of the drive units to the at least one propulsion unit such that a total power which is dependent on the nominal value is emitted to the at least one propulsion unit as a result of the sum of the power outputs, wherein the total power output is split between power outputs of the drive units as a function of the nominal value and of the operating mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during operation of the hybrid propulsion system, the at least one propulsion unit is at least one of mechanically firmly coupled and capable of being mechanically firmly coupled to the at least one electric motor and the at least one internal combustion engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during operation of the hybrid propulsion system, the at least one internal combustion engine is mechanically coupled to the at least one propulsion unit to be driven and is decoupled therefrom as a function of the requirement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connection or disconnection of the drive units to and from the at least one propulsion unit is controlled via the control of the power split. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determinable operating mode is an operating mode in which at least one of exhaust-gas emissions noise emissions and the heat emissions from the hybrid propulsion system are a minimum. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determinable operating mode is an operating mode in which the total fuel consumption of the hybrid propulsion system is a minimum. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total power output and the splitting of the total power output between the propulsion units are controlled on the basis of at least one of characteristic data and characteristic lines of the assembly of the drive units. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of different characteristic data and different characteristics stored for different operating modes in the control device, wherein the at least one of characteristic data and characteristic lines which is relevant for control of the power split for a determinable operating mode is or are selected as a function of the determinable operating mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nominal value is determined by a manually controllable speed lever or an autopilot system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a power output from at least one of the drive units is connected to or disconnected from a propulsion unit without any torque surges. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the drive units capable of emitting a maximum power which is less than the total power required as a maximum for fuel propulsion of the marine vessel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric motor is capable of emitting torque continuously variably at a rotation speed range from zero up to the maximum rotation speed of the at least one propulsion unit, below its limit characteristic line. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the total power output and the split in the total power output between the drive units is controlled taking account of limit values for their rate of change. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein ripples in actual values, which correspond to the nominal value are suppressed in the control of the power outputs of the drive units. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the split of the total power output is additionally controlled as a function of rate of change of the nominal value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric motor is used as the main propulsion system for propulsion of the marine vessel for a lower speed range of the marine vessel, and the at least one internal combustion engine is used on its own or in conjunction with the at least one electric motor, as the main propulsion system for a higher speed range of the marine vessel up to the maximum speed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the lower speed range, the at least one electric motor carries out the rotation speed control of the at least one propulsion unit and, in the higher speed range, the at least one internal combustion engine carries out the rotation speed control of the at least one propulsion unit, wherein, when the at least one electric motor is being operated together with the at least one internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine carries out the rotation speed control of the at least one propulsion unit, and the rotation speed of the electric motor is controlled by the at least one propulsion unit or by the internal combustion engine and, governed by the nominal value preset, emits a torque to the at least one propulsion unit such that the torques which are respectively emitted by the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are added in the at least one propulsion unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hybrid propulsion system is used which has two and only two electric motors and one and only one gas turbine as the drive units, and two and only two propeller shafts each having one propeller as the at least one propulsion units, wherein the propeller shafts are passed through a gearbox via which the propeller shafts are coupleable to the gas turbine, and wherein each of the propeller shafts are coupleable to one of the electric motors at its end remote from the propeller, without an intermediate gearbox. ### Claim 19 An apparatus a hybrid propulsion system in a marine vessel including at least one electric motor and at least one internal combustion engine drive units which individually or jointly drive at least one propulsion unit, the apparatus comprising: a nominal value transmitter for presetting a nominal value; an operating mode transmitter for presetting an operating mode; and a control device designed to control the power output of each of the propulsion units to the at least one propulsion unit such that a total power which is dependent on the nominal value is emittable to the at least one propulsion unit as a result of the sum of the power outputs, and the total power output being split between power outputs of the drive units as a function of the nominal value and of the operating mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein, during operation of the hybrid propulsion system, the at least one propulsion unit is mechanically firmly coupled or capable of being mechanically firmly coupled to at least two drive units. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the at least one internal combustion engine is at least one of mechanically coupleable to the at least one propulsion unit to be driven and decoupleable therefrom as a function of the requirement during operation of the hybrid propulsion system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control device is designed to also control the connection or disconnection of the propulsion units to and from the at least one propulsion unit via the control of the power split to and from the at least one propulsion unit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the nominal value transmitter is a manually operable speed lever or an autopilot system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein propulsion system controllers, which are associated with the individual propulsion units, for controlling their respective power output, and wherein the control device controls the power output of the drive units by presetting rotation speed nominal values or torque nominal values for the propulsion system controllers. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein at least one of characteristic data and characteristic lines of the propulsion units are stored in the control device, in order to control at least one of the total power output and the split in the total power output between the power outputs of individual ones of the drive units. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control device includes at least one limiting device for limiting the rates of change of at least one of the total power output and the split in the total power output between individual ones of the drive units. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein, in order to control the power output of the drive units, the apparatus includes sensors for detection of at least one actual value, which corresponds to the at least one nominal value and at least one filter device for suppression of ripples in the actual values caused by torque fluctuations of the at least one propulsion units. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control device additionally controls the split in the total power output between individual ones of the drive units as a function of the rate of change of the nominal value. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control device is provided in a redundant form. ### Claim 30 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, during operation of the hybrid propulsion system, the at least one internal combustion engine is mechanically coupled to the at least one propulsion unit to be driven and is decoupled therefrom as a function of the requirement. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the at least one internal combustion engine is at least one of mechanically coupleable to the at least one propulsion unit to be driven and decoupleable therefrom as a function of the requirement during operation of the hybrid propulsion system. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the control device is provided at least once on the bridge and once at an emergency control station.