Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
  • B63H5/07—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers
  • B63H5/08—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers of more than one propeller
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
  • B63H5/02—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of paddle wheels, e.g. of stern wheels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H21/00—Use of propulsion power plant or units on vessels
  • B63H21/22—Use of propulsion power plant or units on vessels the propulsion power units being controlled from exterior of engine room, e.g. from navigation bridge; Arrangements of order telegraphs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
  • B63H5/07—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers
  • B63H5/125—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction, e.g. podded azimuthing thrusters
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H5/00—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water
  • B63H5/07—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers
  • B63H5/125—Arrangements on vessels of propulsion elements directly acting on water of propellers movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction, e.g. podded azimuthing thrusters
  • B63H2005/1254—Podded azimuthing thrusters, i.e. podded thruster units arranged inboard for rotation about vertical axis
  • B63H2005/1258—Podded azimuthing thrusters, i.e. podded thruster units arranged inboard for rotation about vertical axis with electric power transmission to propellers, i.e. with integrated electric propeller motors

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and an apparatus to control a ship, whereby the ship is propelled and/or steered at least by two propulsion means. More precisely the invention relates to a method according to the preamble part of the claim 1 and to an apparatus ac- cording to the preamble part of the claim 10.
• the propulsion system for large water vessels often consists of several propeller apparatus, whose operation, control and structure varies from each other case by case.
• a system which is composed of main propellers and of separate steering propellers or a system which is composed of two fixed main propellers and of separate steering device.
• propellers with fixed blades and propellers with adjustable blades in the propeller system.
• the steering commands In ship drives, where the steering and/or the propulsion action is caused by two different propulsion devices, the steering commands must be given in a manner that corresponds the characteristics of the propulsion device. Roughly grouped e.g. the control command defining the direction of the ship and the control command defining the speed of the ship must be given separately.
• the ship operator may give the steering command by one con- trol device, like by a control stick, but the actual controlling signal of the propulsion devices is separate to different type of devices.
• the control of the blade angles with the controllable pitch propeller may be separate from the control of the propeller's rotating speed or the mutual control of the CRP-system's propellers is separate.
• the purpose of the ship's propulsion system is as efficiently as possible to carry out the control commands of the ship's operator under all circumstances.
• the mutual control of the adjustable drives must thus carry out the control commands in such a way that all parts of the system operate optimally.
• the total efficiency must also be as high as possible in all operation situations.
• the steering command given by a control stick in a azimuth type system when running a specific speed can cause to a control action, which has a right direction, but the propulsion power is no more optimal because of the changed position of the steering propeller and the fixed propeller.
• mere adjustment of the blade angle may cause reduction of overall efficiency, if the propellers speed is not simultaneously as required by the CRP-function.
• the drive and energy system of the ship is closed where the available energy and power are variously limited both under normal drive situation and especially under exceptional circumstances.
• the limitations may be caused both by the energy or power production and by the adjustability characteristics of the apparatus.
• the control may affect except the efficiency of the propulsion system but also the reliability of the propulsion system.
• the forces applied to the propeller vary significantly, when e.g. the deflection angle of the steering propeller of the CRP-system realized with the azimuth mechanism.
• the purpose of this invention is to create a new propulsion system, by which the control of the drive mechanism in a ship having several propulsion apparatus will be carried out as efficiently as possible.
• This problem will be solved by the method, which is characterized by the features of the characterizing part of the claim 1.
• the invention according to the invention is characterized by the features of characterizing part of the claim 10.
• the solution according to the invention results a very favorable overall efficiency of the ship's propulsion apparatus.
• the control command from the vessel's bridge, or from another steering place like machine room, is conducted to the main controller, which processes and delivers the control command as control signals, which deal with the various propulsion devices.
• the main controller notices the operational situation of the propulsion devices, the selected drive mode of the vessel, the limitations of the propul- sions devices, the status of the energy and power supply systems.
• the optimal operating point of the propulsion devices when generating the control signals is defined based to their characteristics or to their corresponding operating values.
• the first and the second propeller drive are essentially separated from each other, whereby they are not coupled onto the same shaft.
• the shafts of the propellers have neither coaxial structure, but they are arranged physically apart from each other.
• the counter rotating propellers which are one after the other in the longitudinal direction of the ship, are generally arranged essentially on the same horizontal level. It is essential for the propulsion arrangement that propellers cause a propulsion effect that is as advantageous as possible. Accordingly the invention is applicable to such propulsion systems, where the propellers have a mutual propulsion effect.
• the vessel's propulsion system consists of a fixed propulsion means and a turnable, so-called azimuth propulsion means.
• the main control thus generates a control signal to the fixed propulsion means, e.g. directly to power engine, which rotates the shaft, on which the propulsion means is fixed.
• the main control generates another control signal, by which the power and rotating speed of the azimuth propulsion means is controlled.
• How each control signal effects to the propulsion means that it controls is determined by the internal attributes and the adjusting means of that propulsion means.
• the emergency stop is carried out by the invention.
• the blade angle of the first propeller and the operating speed of the second propeller are adjusted simultaneously so that they concurrently have zero value and that they both are adjusted towards negative values causing the stop of the ship.
• - Fig. 1 describes a propulsion arrangement of a ship controlled in accordance with the invention
• - Fig. 2 describes a schematic diagram of a control system according to the invention
• Fig. 3 describes the characteristics of the propulsion arrangement.
• the propulsion system of a vessel described in the Figure 1 consists of a main propeller 2 and a steering propeller 4, which are fit on the same longitudinal line of the ship 6.
• the propellers are arranged in the normal mode to rotate in contrary directions, whereby they compose a so-called CRP propulsion system.
• the shaft 8 of the main propeller is supported by the bearings 9 to the hull 6 and the main engine 10 of the ship, like diesel engine supplies drive power to the shaft.
• Two diesel engines are shown in the figure and the propeller shaft 8 is coupled to the engine via a gear 11 and/or via a coupling. In case that only one main engine is used the main engine may be directly coupled to the propeller shaft. If the main propeller 2 has adjustable blades, they are controllable in the way known as such.
• the main propeller may also have fixed blades.
• the steering propeller 4 is arranged to a turning, so called azimuth apparatus 12, whereby the allowed turning angle of the apparatus may vary from ⁇ 35 degrees as far as ⁇ 360 degrees.
• the electric network of the ship which is energized by generators 18 rotated by the main engine 10 or other power engines 16, supplies an electric motor 14 rotating the steering propeller.
• the steering propeller 4 and the main propeller 2 are controlled by their own control devices, by the azimuth control device 20 and by thruster control device 22, respectively.
• the azimuth control 20 and the thruster control 22 receive their control signals from a CRP control.
• the invention may be applied except to the apparatus comprising the turning steering propeller also to a propeller system with a fixed pod, in which case the steering is carried out by a separate rudder.
• the propulsion system of the figure 1 is controlled by a control scheme of the Figure 2. It is to be understand that the scheme only shows the essential parts that effect to the solution of the invention and the other parts of the control system, especially the parts effecting solely to different propulsion devices or to their internal control operations are shown suggestively.
• the control commands are given on the bridge 26, which control commands determine the speed and direction of the vessel. Depending on the command location the commands are given from the middle 28 of the bridge or from the command device of port 27 or starboard 29.
• the effective command device is selected by a selecting device in a known manner. If required the control commands can also be given by the control device 32 locating in the machine room.
• the control commands are transferred to the CRP control unit 34, which defines based to the operation stage the control signals to be forwarded to different propulsion units, to the azimuth unit and to main propeller.
• the control signals are affected among other things by the power available on board, the combined propulsion power of the propulsion units, the operation mode of the vessel.
• a control signal is sent to the control unit 36 of the azimuth propulsion, which defines the rotation speed of the motor 14 driving the propulsion unit and the rotation speed of the propeller 4 fixed on its shaft.
• Another control signal from the CRP control is sent to the control unit 38 of the main propeller, which based on the control signal defines rotation speed of the propeller 2 and the blade angle of the propeller so that the required propulsion power is generated.
• a separate control signal 40 is forwarded to the blade angle control 42 and a separate control signal 44 to the speed control 46 of the main propeller like the Figure 2 shows or a common control signal of the main propeller is forwarded to the thruster control, which controls the pitch and the speed of the main propeller.
• the CRP control defines according to the invention separate control signals both to the azimuth propulsion unit and to the main propeller as response to the control command. Accordingly in order to perform the control commands it is formed separately the control values for the azimuth unit to generate the required power and rotation speed, and correspondingly, the control values to control the rotation speed and blade angle of the main propeller.
• the CRP control defines both to the main propeller and to the steering propeller the speed references, by which an optimal overall efficiency of the vessel is achieved.
• power curves of the propulsion motors which are utilized when defining the control signal to the propeller drives. As adjustable variances there are the speeds of the motors and the pitch of the propeller, by which the best overall efficiency of the drive is determined in each situation
• the controls for different propulsion systems are ramped so that the mutual power ratio of the propulsion systems remain in the desired limits.
• the azimuth propulsion and the main engine propulsion are driven by a determined mutual power/speed ratio. If the azimuth motor or the main engine is not capable to keep its reference value, the reference value of the other system is restricted in order to maintain the desired power/speed ratio. In the fault situa- tion of the system the power/speed is kept, however, to the point where the full power of the failing system is achieved.
• Both propulsion systems may have a back-up mode, which bypasses the CRP control. This is illustrated by the control inputs 36', 42' and 46' in the Figure 2. The use of this mode may be selected independently to each system or to both systems simultaneously.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Control Of Vehicle Engines Or Engines For Specific Uses (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
• Control Of Multiple Motors (AREA)
• Control Of Velocity Or Acceleration (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (6)

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Citations (5)

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• 2003
  • 2003-04-11 FI FI20030556A patent/FI20030556A0/fi unknown
• 2004
  • 2004-04-13 CA CA2522068A patent/CA2522068C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-04-13 US US10/552,727 patent/US7442100B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-04-13 WO PCT/FI2004/000225 patent/WO2004089740A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-04-13 RU RU2005134950/11A patent/RU2342282C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-04-13 AU AU2004228443A patent/AU2004228443B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-04-13 JP JP2006505638A patent/JP2006522711A/ja active Pending
  • 2004-04-13 ES ES04727030T patent/ES2395903T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-04-13 EP EP04727030A patent/EP2112982B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-04-13 KR KR1020057019363A patent/KR20060019512A/ko not_active Ceased
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  • 2004-04-13 CN CNB2004800152460A patent/CN100465067C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-11-08 NO NO20055247A patent/NO334017B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation

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