JP2011506172A - Translational carriage for fin propulsion - Google Patents

Abstract

A marine propulsion mechanism using a swinging fin 4. The mechanism includes a carriage 3 that transmits propulsive force from the propulsive force source 10 to the fins 4. A swinging means is provided that is driven by a propulsion force source 10 having a first rotating shaft 17 so as to swing the carriage 3. The fin 4 can rotate around the second rotation axis 6, and the first rotation axis 12 forms an angle α together with the first rotation axis 6. The fin is connected to the carriage 3 through two connection points 5 and 16. The rocking means can be interposed between the two carriages 3, giving the system a flywheel effect. The force applied to the carriage is transmitted through the carriage 3 and is borne by the bearing 9.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a marine vessel propulsion system in which the propulsion means used includes flapping and lateral translational foils or fins.

  According to one aspect, the invention relates to a propulsion mechanism for a marine vessel propelled by foils or fins that interact with water.

  The fin or foil is driven to translate substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the marine vessel.

This mechanism is particularly
At least one propulsion source having an output shaft forming a first rotational axis;
At least one carriage provided in the hull of a marine vessel and transmitting propulsion from a propulsion source to the fin or foil;
Means for translating the carriage, particularly including the crank;
An apparatus for connecting the fin or foil to the carriage and for controlled rotation of the fin or foil about a second axis of rotation;
Is provided.

  The carriage is preferably provided inside the hull of the ship and is connected via a rocking means or a translation means to at least one energy source that generates at least part of the propulsive force.

  It should be understood that the ship's hull contains a propulsion system including all necessary technical means in addition to foils or fins that interact with water.

[background]
In particular, it has been recognized that fish and marine mammals that move and swim underwater by swinging their fins move with higher propulsion efficiency than current marine vessels.

  The technical equivalent of fin propulsion has not been implemented in marine vessels so far.

  The present invention provides an efficient and operable flapping propulsion based on a combination of one periodic translation and possibly one periodic rotational movement of one or more fins under the ship. It is an important practical element that easily realizes.

  At least one cyclic translation of the tail fin and one cyclic rotation, as is the case with the movement of the fishtail rocking, either by fin rotation or in the case of marine mammals and tuna fish By combination, it can be generated by simulation.

  Nowadays, almost all surface vessels are propelled by one or more rotary propulsion elements regardless of size, sailing speed and application.

  Propulsion elements, such as propellers, jets, duct propellers or pump jets, rotate about their respective axes. On larger ships, the propeller rotates at about 50 rpm to 500 rpm.

  Propellers are carefully designed for specific applications.

  One important goal of the designer is to reduce the overall fuel consumption of the ship. This is achieved by careful design of several parameters such as hull form, propulsion plant and propulsion elements.

  Currently, the most effective propeller efficiency rarely exceeds 80%, and in practice, efficiency of 30% to 70% is generally accepted, but the power plant becomes unnecessarily large and fuel Consumption increases.

  Therefore, in light of the above-mentioned disadvantages, the usefulness of the marine propulsion system that has sufficient operability and high efficiency while improving low technology is clear.

[Background technology]
Propulsion with oscillating fins is more efficient than rotary propellers and native steering, which eliminates the need for a separate rudder that has problems with associated costs and associated reliability In addition, there is nothing that obstructs the volume inside the hull in preparation for an increase in the luggage compartment. Higher efficiency is achieved by lowering impact loss, hydrodynamic friction loss, induced drag loss, and drag on the hull itself, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and installed power for prime movers Or the voyage speed increases with the same installed propulsion and fuel consumption.

  An important attempt to swing the fins is to avoid significant mechanical friction losses and to provide reliability and safety comparable to rotary propellers.

  Patent Document 1 (TRIANTAFYLLOU et al.) Published on March 28, 1995 discloses a propulsion system using a flapping foil. This patent, which teaches a system using at least one foil, discloses a propulsion system in which the foil oscillates transversely to the navigation direction of the ship and oscillates about a vertical axis. Preferably, according to Patent Document 1, the propulsion system is formed from a plurality of foils in which the thrust of the propulsion element transverse to the navigation direction is small as a result of swinging out of phase.

  When using an even number of foils, preferably half of the foil rocks out of phase with the other half of the foil by 180 degrees. For example, if three foils are used, the foils will swing out of phase with each other by 120 degrees.

  The main features of the mechanical embodiment of the propulsion system disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described below.

  4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C show an embodiment of a foil propulsion system according to US Pat. The propulsion system is formed from two foils (10), each of which is connected via a shaft (34) through a slit (36) in the rear of the hull (30) to a table (40). As seen in FIG. 4A and indicated by arrow (38), the range of slit (36) is greater than the total maximum heave amplitude of the foil. As best seen in FIG. 4B, each table (40) has two or more wheels or rollers (42) attached to the front lower surface and rear lower surface, with the wheels or rollers attached to the hull (32). On the corresponding track (44). Thus, the table (40) and the foil (10) attached to the table (40) are free to move in either direction along one axis (38) and are fixed from movement in any other direction. Has been.

  Finally, the system mechanism according to Patent Document 1 operates through a plurality of slits (36) formed in the hull (32), each slit being transverse to the ship in the forward direction of navigation, The range of 36) exceeds the range of lateral movement of the foil. The fins also rotate under power about an axis arranged so that rotation with respect to the direction of movement of the ship substantially affects the angle of the foil. All of the disclosed rotation axes are formed as substantially vertical axes. In addition, the fins are driven by a separate motor, which also rotates about a substantially vertical axis.

  So far, the teachings of Patent Document 1 have been seen only for limited practical applications in the promotion of marine vessels.

  Patent Document 2 (LIU) published on April 12, 2005 discloses a propulsion system for a submarine. U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,076 teaches propulsion based on the “tuna” movement of the foil member. The foil member is attached to the hull and reciprocally swings so as to come in contact with and away from each other, thereby compressing water between the foil members to cause forward movement. Patent Document 2 does not propose the use of fin propulsion for a surface vessel.

  U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,056 (R.R. SAIL INC) teaches propulsion means for ships having propulsion means extending below the water line. The propulsion means comprises a pair of vane members adapted to oscillate along an arcuate track in a direction generally transverse to the central longitudinal axis of the ship. Means (power application) for inputting power to the propulsion means are operatively connected to the propulsion means. The blade member is twisted to form an angle of attack for generating forward thrust with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ship during movement in either direction along the arcuate track.

  U.S. Patent No. 6,057,056 (LIU PENGFEI et al.) Teaches a propulsion system based on the "tuna-type" movement of a foil member to achieve a desired directional movement of a vessel such as an unmanned submarine. A pair of foil members are attached to the hull, and by repeating the swinging motion that makes contact with and away from each other, forward movement occurs due to compression of the fluid medium between the foil members and elimination of the compressed fluid behind the foil members. Yes. Each foil member is attached to a pivot shaft for limited rotational movement relative to the hull. During operation of the propulsion system, damping means are each connected between the pivot shaft and its associated foil member such that the damping torque offsets the hydrodynamic load applied to the foil member by the fluid medium. The damping means controls the pitch angle of the foil member during operation, which means that a thrust is generated against the rigid foil member during movement at zero forward speed.

  Patent Document 4 (Inocean), published April 3, 2003, proposes a system that uses a sinusoidal motion pattern for propulsion or energy recovery. The system includes a plurality of rigid hull elements, the hull elements being arranged in a row and rotatably mounted on each other so as to rotate about parallel axes of rotation over the longitudinal dimension of the row of hull elements. . The system further includes a motion mechanism that rotates the hull elements relative to each other or a motion mechanism that recovers energy as a result of rotating the hull elements relative to each other.

  U.S. Patent No. 5,637,028 (Clavis Biopropulsion), published April 13, 2006, proposes a device with at least one lateral translation fin. The device includes actuating means and drive means that allow substantially free vibration of the fins. The device is operated by an impulsive force established by the drive means for the number of cycles and uses a spring to store the energy of the vibration provided by the drive means.

Currently known fin propulsion systems contain a number of fundamental deficiencies, some of which are:
A transverse plane resulting from the acting force of the oscillating or translating means, including the reaction forces due to the fins, the acceleration and deceleration forces due to the oscillating or translating parts, and the hull reaction forces induced by the system Does not teach a solution in which substantial forces within are safely and reliably minimized and absorbed by the hull with minimal friction loss, and
Does not teach a solution where substantial forces in the vertical plane resulting from propulsive forces, including reaction forces on the hull, are transmitted to the hull in a safe and reliable manner with limited frictional losses. .

  Furthermore, the prior art does not propose a lateral translation fin propulsion system in which the propulsion source is a conventional engine for a marine vessel and the engine is mechanically connected directly or indirectly to the propulsion system. The required translational speed of the oscillating propulsion member is high, sometimes reaching 10 m / sec. Depending on the specific application, the gravity on the system can easily reach 5G, which realizes the need for a very rigid support structure for operation of the rocking propulsion system.

US Pat. No. 5,401,196 US Pat. No. 6,877,692 International Publication No. 99/06272 Pamphlet International Publication No. 03/026954 Pamphlet International Publication No. 06/038808 Pamphlet

The purpose of the present invention is to use known lateral translation and flapping foils or fins as disclosed above, but in accordance with the present invention, it is operable to provide different contributions and advantages over the prior art. It is to specify the propulsion mechanism that is the mechanism. Some of the benefits are:
Simple and reliable that allows a typical 2-stroke or 4-stroke marine engine arranged with a crankshaft oriented substantially parallel to the vessel's baseline to be applied with fin propulsion Providing a system wherein the fins are driven in translation transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ship; and
Less than:
a) means of propulsion interaction with water,
Providing a system capable of cooperating with b) forces due to the system itself, and c) substantial forces due to one or more of the forces due to hull deflection.

  By configuring the propulsion system described in the introductory part of the present specification, in particular, the first rotation axis of the output shaft of the propulsion source forms an angle (α) with the second rotation axis of the fin or foil. The above-mentioned obvious advantages are brought about.

  Further, according to one embodiment, the first rotational axis of the propulsion source is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship and the second rotational axis of the fin or foil is an angle ( The orientation is such that α) is 90 degrees +/− 45 degrees or less, for example 10 degrees +/− 30 degrees, and even 90 degrees +/− 20 degrees.

  According to one embodiment, the fin or foil is connected to the carriage via at least two connection points to rotate the fin or foil about the second axis of rotation.

  According to one embodiment, the propulsion mechanism comprises at least two carriages, one arranged in front of the other, and the means for translating one or more carriages is at least between the two carriages Partly intervened.

  According to one embodiment, at least some of the means for translating the carriage provide a flywheel effect to the propulsion mechanism.

  According to one embodiment, the force applied to the at least one carriage by the hull, fin or foil and means for translation of the carriage and the resulting moment are at least partially through the carriage. Transmitted or delivered to and carried by at least two bearings.

  According to one embodiment, the carriage contains means for applying the rotational movement of the fins or foils.

  According to one embodiment, the means for rotating the fins or foils are controlled so as to obtain an optimum or desired angle of attack for propelling the vessel between the fins or foils and the water.

  According to one embodiment, one or more carriages are powered from one, preferably a single propulsion source.

  According to one embodiment, the carriage is provided without accommodating fins or foils.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for propelling a marine vessel with a propulsion mechanism according to the teachings herein.

It is a principal sectional side view of a marine vessel manufactured for propulsion with flapping fins or foils. FIG. 2 is a main top view of the marine vessel according to FIG. 1. 1 is a main cross-sectional view of a marine vessel incorporating a propulsion mechanism according to the present invention. 1 is a side view of a main section of a marine vessel propulsion plant incorporating a propulsion mechanism according to the present invention.

  The elements disclosed in the above drawings are scaled with respect to each other and for convenience and serve for illustrative purposes only.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a side cross-sectional view of a marine vessel 1 with an engine room or propulsion plant 20 provided in the hull 2. It can be seen that propulsion means in the form of fins or foils 2 extend from a region below the propulsion plant 20. At least a portion of the propulsion means sinks below the water line 30 under normal operating conditions.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional top view of the marine vessel according to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in the engine room or propulsion plant 20 of the marine vessel 1. A swing or translation carriage 3 is provided in the hull 2 and connected to propulsion means in the form of fins or foils 4.

  FIG. 4 is a main sectional side view showing the propulsion mechanism according to the present invention.

  The carriage 3 is connected at one part to a propulsion force source 10 having an output shaft that defines a first rotating shaft 17 via means capable of swinging or translating the carriage 3 in a lateral direction. .

  Another part of the carriage 3 is connected to the fins or foils 4 as already described above.

  The fin or foil 4 is connected to the carriage 3 via at least two connection points 5, 16. Since the connection points 5 and 16 constitute a bearing, the fin or foil 4 can be rotated around the second rotation axis 6.

  The first rotating shaft 17 forms an angle α (shown in FIG. 4) with the second rotating shaft 6.

  Depending on the embodiment, the angle can be obtuse, acute or flat. The angle α is substantially defined by the inclination of the fin or foil 4 with respect to a substantially horizontal line 17 defined by the crankshaft of the engine 10 that generates the propulsive force.

  By the formation of the angle between the shaft 17 of the rotary propulsion to be transmitted and the fins or foils 4, the fins or foils can be powered from a reliable and available energy source which has been proved conventionally and economically. Strong demands to achieve promotion are fulfilled.

  Propulsion may be due to one or more engines, such as low speed engines or medium speed engines. Furthermore, it is possible to realize an invention using any kind of turbine powered by gas, steam or even nuclear energy.

  As already proposed above, the propulsion means 4 constitutes a fin or foil suitable for propulsion by fin propulsion using oscillating or lateral translation fins or foils.

  The characteristics of the propulsion means 4 can be selected such that an optimal generation of thrust is achieved when operated as in the introductory part of the present description.

  The carriage 3 can accommodate means 7 for pivoting or rotating the propulsion means 4. The means 7 can be in a number of different configurations, such as an electrical or hydraulic motor, a ram, a mechanical link including a spring, and the like.

  The carriage 3 may form part of a means 8 capable of swinging or translating the carriage 3 laterally, for example forming part of a crank arrangement connected to a rotatable transmission element. May be.

  3 and 4 show a rocking or lateral translation means, in particular comprising a drive wheel 8 located on the driven wheel 11. The rocking or lateral translation means prove equally beneficial in embodiments where the drive wheel 8 is located below, inside or even on the side of the driven wheel 11.

The drive wheel 8 and the driven wheel 11 may constitute a toothed wheel (interconnected or not), a friction drive, a belt / chain drive or any other suitable drive mechanism.

  Furthermore, by providing an offset gear (not shown) between the swinging or lateral translation means of the carriage 3 and the propulsive force source 10, it becomes possible to arrange the propulsive force source at a desired location. .

  The carriage 3 may form part of a seal structure where the seal structure operates as a seal and partition, ie, means for separating the interior of the hull 2 from the environment outside the hull 2.

  The carriage 3 can be made of mild steel, high-tensile steel, stainless steel or any other suitable material (such as fiber reinforced plastic or fiber reinforced metal) as an integral part or member or as an interconnected part. . Furthermore, the carriage 3 can be manufactured in any suitable profile, such as a welded structure of tubular members, an open web, or even a honeycomb structure made of non-steel material.

  According to one embodiment, two propulsion systems are provided in the body of the marine vessel, namely the port side and the starboard side, respectively.

  The system may be driven by a single propulsion source 10 that may constitute a two-stroke low speed main engine that is directly or indirectly connected to a transmission that may form part of a lateral translation or rocking means.

  The system can be offset in the longitudinal direction in the vessel 1 as shown in FIG. The offset of the system may provide space for the heave motion of the carriage 5 including providing space for lateral translation or rocking of the sealing means.

  A swinging means that can further comprise two cranks acting respectively on one carriage 3 is interposed between the carriages 3 as seen in FIG. Furthermore, the swinging means can give the mechanism a flywheel effect.

  Additional flywheels (individual or non-individual) may be further provided in the system.

  Any flywheel may be driven by one or more gears as appropriate and coupled to the system via one or more couplings or clutches.

  When the system is activated, the propulsion source rotates the first toothed wheel 8 (engaged with the second toothed wheel 11).

  The two holes 8, 11 together can form a gear whose suitability can be determined from various parameters, such as the characteristics of the selected main engine and the selection characteristics of the propulsion elements.

  The second toothed wheel 11 may be provided with a journal 12 that can be connected to the sliding device 13 with an angular displacement of 180 degrees on the rear side and the front side.

  The sliding device 13 is slidably interconnected with a sliding bar 14 that is rigidly coupled to the carriage 3.

  As the second toothed wheel 11 rotates, the sliding device 13 is operated longitudinally along the sliding bar 14 and the resulting traversing causes the carriage 3 to swing or translate, thereby The propulsive force is transmitted to the surroundings via the propulsion means 4.

  The preferred embodiments described above should in no way be considered as limiting the scope of the invention itself.

  The forces exerted on the carriage 3 by the hull 2, propulsion means 4 and rocking or lateral translation means are transmitted at least partly through the carriage 3, including the resulting moment, and are borne by at least two bearings 9. Is done. The bearing 9 may have at least two limited degrees of freedom for convenience.

  The component of the force applied by the hull 2 and the propulsion element 4 to the carriage 3 is transmitted through the carriage 3 so that any structure of the carriage 3 receives an associated moment less than 1/5 of the reference moment in the vertical plane. obtain. The forces in the longitudinal plane are borne by at least two bearings with at least two limited degrees of freedom compared to the hull.

The propulsion system according to the invention can be arranged or provided in the hull 2 of a marine vessel under a plurality of configurations, some of which are the following:
A. As shown in FIG. 2, the port side system and the starboard side system are offset in the longitudinal direction,
B. The two systems are juxtaposed or one is placed in whole or in part longitudinally before the other,
C. One single system is arranged substantially at the longitudinal centerline 8 of the ship.

  The propulsion mechanism according to the present invention is in no way limited to one configuration, apart from another configuration.

  It is preferable to be able to cancel or balance forces acting on the hull, for example forces due to acceleration (i.e. vibrations) of the components of the propulsion system, along with the lateral component of propulsion (i.e. hydraulics) transmitted to the surroundings. Embodiments that include more than one system may be preferred over some specific embodiments over systems that include only one propulsion system (item C above).

  In the embodiment according to item C above, the force on the hull can be counterbalanced / balanced by several specific configurations.

The equilibrium problem involves two aspects that can be divided into two elements:
Balancing / cancelling lateral forces due to acceleration of mass (ie, components of the propulsion system) and balancing / cancelling lateral forces due to hydropower.

  Furthermore, the balance problem can also include an energetic aspect, since the energy cycle required for the carriage 3 (which can be given to the control equation) has a constant component and a large amplitude swing component.

  The problem of vibration is that a second translation element or carriage (with or without fins), which greatly cancels the unwanted lateral forces by careful selection of mass, phase shift, amplitude and possibly hydraulic power It can be solved by providing.

The problem with the energetic aspect can be solved by the following two proposals that can offset the lateral forces caused by the interaction of the fins or foils 4 with water:
Providing two mass-translating elements that balance the vibrations of each other to form a system having harmonic energy characteristics, the energy cycle of which (systems and carriage counterweights) ) To select the phase shift so that it is in the opposite phase to the energy cycle, thereby constructing a large scale system where vibrations need to be limited during energy supply throughout the cycle, and Therefore, at least in a system that can be driven by a conventional power source, such as a diesel engine, an electric drive, etc., or that can be connected to a crankshaft connected to a carriage 3 by a slider. Providing one flywheel, the flywheel being At least one flywheel that ensures a substantially constant rotational speed of the crankshaft with a coordinated translation of the carriage by storing or supplying energy to the system (carriage + impact counterweight + power supply) To provide.

  Vibrations that are also preferably balanced when the impact would be large can be balanced by mass rather than by moving the fins back.

  The problem with the vibration aspect can be solved by a second translation element or carriage that offsets the force caused by acceleration / deceleration of the carriage / translation element. This translating element or carriage has a certain mass and demonstrates that it oscillates the lateral force due to mass acceleration and phase shift with the carefully selected carriage 3, The lateral force generated from the carriage 5 including the accommodated propulsion means 4 is at least partially offset.

  Furthermore, vibration problems may be offset by devices having different mechanical properties such as different masses and different radii as well as equilibrium problems.

  As described above, rotation or pivoting of the propulsion element 4 can be achieved by means 7. Means 7 allows flapping foils or fins to be more than the apparent flow angle caused by the flow of water around the hull on average and the translational speed of the translation element or carriage 5 for effective propulsion. It can be controlled to pitch small, so that the lift generated by the flow on the fins is directed forward on average in the case of forward propulsion.

Definition transverse plane: A plane defined by the rotation axis of the fin and the average swing direction of the carriage. This plane may be inclined forward or backward, and may slightly face the port side or starboard side.

Vertical plane: A plane defined by the vertical direction and the normal direction of the horizontal plane.

  Reference moment: The value obtained by multiplying the maximum force exerted by the rocking means by the span of the fin.

  As used herein, the word “comprises / comprising / comprised of” is used to specifically describe the presence of the stated feature, integer, step or member. It is emphasized that it does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, members or groups thereof.

Claims (12)

A propulsion mechanism for said marine vessel propelled by fins or foils (4) interacting with water, driven to translate substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the marine vessel, in particular ,
At least one propulsion source (10) having an output shaft forming a first rotational axis (17);
At least one carriage (3) provided in the hull (2) of the marine vessel and transmitting the propulsive force from the propulsive force source (10) to the fin or foil (4);
Means (8) for translating said carriage (3), in particular including a crank;
An apparatus for connecting the fin or foil (4) to the carriage (3) and for controlled rotation of the fin or foil (4) about a second axis of rotation (6);
With
Propulsion mechanism, characterized in that the first rotation axis (17) and the second rotation axis (6) of the fin or foil (4) form an angle (α).   The first rotational axis (17) of the propulsion source (10) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and the second rotational axis of the fin or foil (4). The propulsion mechanism according to claim 1, wherein (6) is oriented such that said angle (α) is 90 degrees +/- 45 degrees.   The fin or foil (4) is connected to the carriage (3) via at least two connection points (5), (16), thereby causing the fin or foil (4) to rotate in the second rotation. The propulsion mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the propulsion mechanism is rotated about an axis (6).   Propulsion mechanism according to claim 1, comprising at least two carriages (3), one carriage (3) being arranged in front of the other carriage (3).   The propulsion mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the means (8) for translating the carriage (3) is at least partly interposed between two carriages (3).   The propulsion mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of the means (8) for translating the carriage (3) provides a flywheel effect to the propulsion mechanism.   The force applied to the at least one carriage (3) by the means (8) for translating the hull (2), the fin or foil (4), and the carriage (5), and the result of the force The propulsion mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moment obtained is transmitted or delivered at least partially through the carriage (3) and is borne by at least two bearings (9).   A propulsion mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriage (3) houses means (7) for applying a rotational movement of the fins or foils (4).   The means (7) for rotating the fins or foils (4) is the angle of attack between the fins or foils (4) and the water to obtain the optimum or desired angle of attack for propelling the vessel. The propulsion mechanism according to claim 8, controlled to be controlled.   The propulsion mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the carriages (3) are powered from one propulsion source (10).   11. Propulsion mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one carriage is provided without accommodating the fins or foils (4).   A method for propelling a marine vessel by the propulsion mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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