Apparatus for and a method of controlling the speed of a ship
AssigneeS.E.M.I. Pielstick
InventorJean-Pierre Bourgoin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling the speed of a ship optimizing the configuration of its drive system, e.g., including its engine, geartrain, brake, clutch and screw.
Claims4
A method of controlling the speed of a ship, said ship being fitted with drive means and means for optimizing the configuration of said drive means, said drive means comprising at least one reversible internal combustion engine, a speed step-down geartrain driven by said engine, a friction-type clutch allowing the engine to be decoupled from said associated step-down geartrain, a shaft line driving a screw propeller with fixed blades and a brake allowing the shaft line to be decelerated and held stationary, said method comprising the steps of:
- choosing a desired speed for the ship,
- measuring the present speed of the ship and the parameters representing the operation of the engine, geartrain, brake, clutch and screw,
- and comprising the additional steps consisting of:
- comparing the measured values of said present ship speed and said parameters representing the operation of the engine with the values of the same parameters which would result from compliance with the desired ship speed;
- and
- sending commands for changing the states of the engine, the brake and the clutch as required to obtain said values of said parameters resulting from said desired ship speed, said commands for changing the states of the engine, the brake and the clutch being determined so that the performance required of the engine, the brake, or the clutch as a result does not exceed the maximum performance permitted for any of those components.
An apparatus for controlling the speed of a ship, said ship being fitted with drive means comprising at least one reversible internal combustion engine, a speed step-down geartrain driven by said engine, a friction-type clutch allowing the engine to be decoupled from said associated step-down geartrain, a shaft line driving a screw propeller with fixed blades and a brake allowing the shaft line to be decelerated and held stationary, said apparatus comprising optimizing means for optimizing the configuration of said drive means, and including:
- means for choosing a desired speed for the ship;
- means for measuring the present speed of the ship and the parameters representing the operation of the engine, geartrain, brake, clutch and screw;
- means for comparing the measured values of said present ship speed and said parameters representing the operation of the engine with the values of the same parameters which would result from compliance with the desired ship speed;
- and
- means for sending commands for changing the states of the engine, the brake and the clutch as required to obtain said values of said parameters resulting from said desired ship speed, said commands for changing the states of the engine, the brake and the clutch being determined so that the performance required of the engine, the brake, or the clutch as a result does not exceed the maximum performance permitted for any of those components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.