JP6769611B2 - Automatic Positioning Boat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic positioning boat capable of automatically holding a position.

When trying to enjoy fishing at sea on a small boat, there is a problem that the small boat with the thrust stopped is swept away by the wind, so it moves away from the point where you want to fish. There are the following three methods as conventional means for solving this problem.

The first method, which is often seen on fishing boats, is to put a sail called a spanker on the stern so that the spanker receives the wind so that the bow side stands upwind and advances to the extent that it resists wind power. It maintains the position of the ship at sea by giving thrust.

The second method is to maintain the offshore position by lowering an electric propulsion motor with a propeller from the bow and automatically controlling the direction and thrust of this electric propulsion motor according to the wind direction and speed.

The third method is to install two electric propulsion units at the stern, attach their thrust axes so that they intersect each other in the stern direction, and automatically adjust the strength and direction of those thrusts according to the wind direction and speed. It is intended to change and maintain the position of the boat so that it will not be swept by the wind.

The second method and the third method described above are by the present inventor and are described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, respectively.

JP-A-10-59291 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-352371

However, the first method is mainly used for fishing boats, and when used for small boats, it occupies a large space and is an obstacle, which is not suitable for design.

The second method is effective for small boats of a certain size or less, but for slightly larger boats, the shaft from the bow to the electric propulsion motor to be lowered becomes longer, and the strength and durability of the shaft is improved. In addition to the problem of a decrease in propulsion capacity due to the bending of the shaft, when the size and shape of the boat changed, it was not possible to properly control the wind direction and speed, and it was necessary to manually adjust each time it was used.

Furthermore, in the third method, there is a problem that fine adjustment must be made each time the boat is used because the size of the attached boat and the characteristics of how it is swept by the wind are different for each boat. This problem is the same for the second method.

In this way, if a small boat or a medium-sized pleasure boat that is easily swept by the wind at sea is to have an automatic boat position holding function even in the wind, the characteristics of how it is swept by the wind depends on the size and shape of the boat. It was difficult to get the boats to wind well using the same control program, as it varies from boat to boat.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and even if the characteristics peculiar to the boat such as the size, shape, and the way of being swept by the wind change, the boat can be easily dealt with automatically. The purpose is to provide an automatic positioning boat that can hold a boat at a certain point on the ocean.

In order to solve the above problems, the automatic positioning boat of the present invention is provided with a motor, a wind direction and speed sensor, and a controller in the hull, and a propeller is connected to the motor via a propeller shaft for electric propulsion. It is an automatic positioning boat in which a vessel is formed, the unique motion characteristics of the hull are learned, and the initial setting value is stored in the controller. The magnitude of the thrust of the electric propeller and the propulsion direction in the front and rear are the wind direction and speed sensor. It is characterized in that the hull position is maintained by being automatically controlled by a controller according to the wind direction and speed detected by.

The unique motion characteristics of the hull are learned and stored in the controller as initial setting values, and the magnitude of the thrust of the electric propeller and the forward and backward propulsion directions are controlled according to the wind direction and speed detected by the wind direction and wind speed sensor. Since it is automatically controlled by the vessel, the boat can maintain its position at a certain point on the ocean without making fine adjustments to the ever-changing wind speed and direction during operation. In addition, since the initial setting value is set for each boat, it is possible to easily respond to changes in the size, shape, and wind flow of the boat.

In the automatic hull holding boat of the present invention, the initial setting values are a thrust correction coefficient based on the difference between the forward thrust and the reverse thrust of the electric propulsion device, and the hull is advanced with respect to the wind to move the hull to a certain point. It can be determined by the resistance coefficient obtained from the thrust value remaining in the hull and the turning coefficient indicating the resistance at the time of turning obtained from the angular speed when the hull is turned 360 degrees in the in-situ turning.

Since the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient are stored for each boat, the electric propulsion required to maintain the ship position is based on the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient for the ever-changing wind speed and direction. The thrust of the vessel is calculated, which allows the boat to hold its position at a certain point on the ocean without fine-tuning, even if the size, shape, and wind-induced flow characteristics of the boat change. Easy to handle.

In the automatic positioning boat of the present invention, it is possible that two electric propulsion devices are installed on the left and right sides of the hull.

By equipping two electric thrusters, the structure can be simplified compared to the case of equipping one, so it is hard to break and the output can be increased, so that it can be easily turned on the spot. Easy to hold the ship position.

According to the present invention, even if the characteristics peculiar to the boat such as the size, shape, and how the boat is swept by the wind change, it can be easily dealt with, and the boat can be automatically held at a certain point on the ocean. An automatic positioning boat can be realized.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the automatic positioning boat which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the conversion example of a resistance coefficient and a step value with respect to a wind speed. It is a figure which shows the conversion example of the motor speed control step value with respect to an error angle. It is a figure which shows the state of the right-and-left motor thrust and turning in this embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram of the strength of the motor thrust and the forward / reverse rotation in this embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which showed the method of initial setting.

Hereinafter, the automatic positioning boat of the present invention will be described based on the embodiment thereof.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an automatic positioning boat according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a side view of the automatic positioning boat, and FIG. 1 (b) is a plan explanatory view of the automatic positioning boat.

A motor 3, a battery 4, and a controller 5 are installed inside the hull 2 of the automatic positioning boat 1, and a wind direction and speed sensor 6 is attached to the upper part of the hull 2. A propeller 8 is connected to the motor 3 via a propeller shaft 7.

In FIG. 1, two motors 3 to which the propeller 8 is connected via the propeller shaft 7 are mounted on the left and right sides of the stern of the hull 2. The motor 3 to which the propeller 8 is connected via the propeller shaft 7 functions as an electric propeller 9 that propels the hull 2 of the automatic positioning boat 1. The controller 5 functions as an automatic control unit that controls a learning function for maintaining the ship position, which will be described below.

If the electric propulsion unit 9 itself has a function of changing the direction of thrust, the electric propulsion unit 9 may be equipped with only one unit, but by equipping two electric propulsion units 9, one unit is equipped. Since the structure can be simplified as compared with the case of, it is hard to break, and the output can be increased, so that there are merits such as easy turning on the spot. In addition, when the base hull is a catamaran type (catamaran type), it is easy to mount two units.

The learning function for holding the ship position, which the controller 5 has, will be described below.
This learning function automatically controls the magnitude of the thrust of the electric propulsion device 9 installed at the stern of the hull 2 and the propulsion direction in the front-rear direction according to the wind direction and the wind speed detected by the wind direction and wind speed sensor 6. In performing this automatic control, the following initial settings are made to learn the characteristics unique to the boat, and the coefficient in the control program obtained by this learning is changed for each boat equipped with this controller 5. I am doing it.

The initial setting of the learning function for holding the ship position is made by the following process by causing the boat to perform a certain operation by the operator.
In the first process, the difference between the full forward speed and the full reverse speed is measured to derive the thrust correction coefficient of the thrust of the motor 3 when moving forward and the thrust of the motor 3 when moving backward.

The thrust correction coefficient obtained here is a coefficient for the difference between the forward thrust and the reverse thrust, and determines the magnitude of the reverse thrust corresponding to the forward thrust. The propeller 8 is originally designed on the assumption that it moves forward, and the propulsion efficiency when moving backward is significantly inferior to that when moving forward, so it is necessary to calculate this coefficient. For example, in order to make a left turn on the spot, if the right motor has a forward thrust of 0.5 and the left motor has a reverse thrust of 1.0, the ship will turn on the spot. At this time, twice the backward thrust corresponds to the forward thrust 1. In this way, the thrust correction coefficient becomes the basic data for knowing the characteristics of turning.

In the second process, the boat is advanced with respect to the wind, the thrust value that stays at a certain point is measured, and the thrust value is used as the degree of resistance that the boat receives from the wind to derive the drag coefficient Sws. FIG. 2 shows an example of conversion of the resistance coefficient and the step value with respect to the wind speed for the resistance coefficient Sws.

In FIG. 2, the step value represents the magnitude of the motor thrust, and the maximum value of the motor thrust is set as the step value 14, which is equally divided and used as the scale on the vertical axis. As the wind speed increases, the step value increases in proportion to this, and the resistance coefficients related to the relationship between the wind speed and the step value are set to Sws1, Sws2, and Sws3, and one of the coefficients is selected according to the characteristics of the hull receiving the wind. Once this resistance coefficient is selected, the appropriate step value for the wind speed is automatically set by the resistance coefficient.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the horizontal axis is the wind speed and the vertical axis is the step value (thrust), the larger the inclination, the easier it is for the wind to flow. In Sws1, Sws2, and Sws3, which are examples of drag coefficients, the wind is blown. The drag coefficient of the hull that is easily received and swept is Sws3, and the resistance coefficient of the hull that is difficult to be swept is Sws1.

In the third process, the boat is turned 360 degrees in-situ and its angular velocity is measured to derive a turning coefficient f indicating the resistance that the boat applies when turning. FIG. 3 shows an example of conversion of the motor speed control step value with respect to the error angle for this turning coefficient f.

Fig. 3 shows the setting of the coefficient for producing the thrust required for turning the hull, and the bow flows due to the wind with respect to the desired traveling direction (usually the angle that points straight upwind). It means the angle when the bow is turned sideways. When the error angle is large, a large motor thrust is required to turn the hull, but the amount of thrust varies depending on whether the hull is susceptible to wind or not. When the bow changes direction from the windward side, the motor thrust is increased to try to restore it, and the coefficients at that time are set to f1, f2, and f3.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the horizontal axis is the error angle and the vertical axis is the step value (thrust), the larger the inclination, the easier it is to change the direction of the bow due to the wind, and f1, f2, f3, which are examples of the turning coefficient. Then, the coefficient of the boat whose bow is easily changed by the wind is f1. The apex of the graph shown in FIG. 3 peaks at the step value 14 because this is the maximum output of the motor.

The thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient obtained by the above process are stored as initial setting values in the storage unit of the controller 5 as boat-specific characteristics. Since the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient are stored for each boat, the step value required to maintain the ship position is based on the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient for the ever-changing wind speed and direction. That is, the magnitude and direction of thrust are calculated. Therefore, the boat can maintain its position at a certain point on the ocean without making any fine adjustments, and it can easily respond to changes in the size, shape, and characteristics of how the boat is swept by the wind.

FIG. 4 shows the thrust of the left and right motors and the state of turning in the present embodiment.
In FIG. 4, when two motors 3 are mounted on the left and right sides of the stern of the hull 2, a forward thrust is given by the left motor and a reverse thrust is given by the right motor, so that a turning moment is generated and the hull 2 is provided. Shows the situation where is turning. The rotation angle at the time of this turning is set to an appropriate angle based on the initial setting value stored in the controller 5.

FIG. 5 shows a conceptual diagram of the strength of the motor thrust and the forward / reverse rotation in the present embodiment.
A forward thrust is obtained by an appropriate forward rotation speed based on the initial setting value, and a reverse thrust is obtained by an appropriate reverse rotation speed based on the initial setting value. As a result, turning with an appropriate rotation angle is realized.

In this way, the magnitude of the thrust of the electric propulsion device 9 and the propulsion direction in the front-rear direction are automatically controlled by the controller 5 according to the wind direction and the wind speed detected by the wind direction and wind speed sensor 6, and the ship position is maintained. .. Therefore, if the electric propulsion device 9 travels to the destination and the ship position is to be maintained there, the thrust of the two left and right electric propulsion devices 9 can be controlled in the front-rear direction and the strength by turning on the switch of the controller 5. Automatically holds the ship position.

FIG. 6 shows a conceptual diagram showing how to make initial settings.
When the initial setting program is started, the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient described above are measured, and are stored as initial setting values in the storage unit of the controller 5 as characteristics unique to the boat. Is done. After that, in the normal use state, the ship position is automatically maintained by controlling the front-rear direction and the strength of the thrusts of the two left and right electric propulsion units 9 based on this initial setting. Therefore, the boat can maintain its position at a certain point on the ocean without any particular fine adjustment, and even if the size, shape, and characteristics of how the boat is swept by the wind change, it can be easily dealt with.

As described above, in the automatic positioning boat of the present invention, the boat operator makes the boat perform a certain motion, so that the unique motion characteristics of the hull are learned and stored in the controller as the initial setting value, and the boat is electrically propelled. A major feature is that the magnitude of the thrust of the vessel and the propulsion direction in the front-rear direction are automatically controlled by the controller according to the wind direction and speed detected by the wind direction and wind speed sensor to maintain the hull position.

There may be various unique motion characteristics of the hull, but the thrust correction coefficient, resistance coefficient, and turning coefficient used as the initial setting values in the present invention are the basics for determining the unique motion characteristics of the hull. Data, and by using these data as initial setting values, an appropriate hull position holding function can be effectively realized.

The present invention can easily respond to changes in boat-specific characteristics such as the size, shape, and wind flow of the boat, and can automatically hold the boat at a certain point on the ocean. It can be widely used as a boat for maintaining the position.

1 Automatic Positioning Boat 2 Hull 3 Motor 4 Battery 5 Controller 6 Wind Direction Wind Speed Sensor 7 Propeller Shaft 8 Propeller 9 Electric Propulsion

Claims (2)

The hull is equipped with a motor, a wind direction and speed sensor, and a controller. A propeller is connected to the motor via a propeller shaft to form an electric propulsion device, and the unique motion characteristics of the hull are learned and the initial setting value. It is an automatic hull holding boat stored in the controller, and the magnitude of the thrust of the electric thruster and the forward and backward propulsion directions are automatically controlled by the controller according to the wind direction and speed detected by the wind direction and wind speed sensor. The ship position is maintained,
The initial setting values are a thrust correction coefficient based on the difference between the forward thrust and the reverse thrust of the electric propulsion device, and a resistance coefficient obtained from the thrust value obtained by moving the hull forward with respect to the wind and keeping the hull at a fixed point. An automatic hull-holding boat, characterized in that it is determined by a turning coefficient that indicates resistance during turning obtained from the angular speed when the hull is turned 360 degrees on the spot . The automatic positioning boat according to claim 1, wherein two electric propulsion devices are mounted on the left and right sides of the hull.

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