CN119451890A

CN119451890A - Ship handling systems and methods

Info

Publication number: CN119451890A
Application number: CN202380044513.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 风间英辉; 坂本守行; 古贺毅; 野田嵩
Original assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo KK
Current assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd
Priority date: 2022-06-03
Filing date: 2023-03-06
Publication date: 2025-02-14
Also published as: KR20250012117A; WO2023233742A1; JP2023177805A

Abstract

The ship-handling system includes a plurality of propulsion devices including a propulsion machine and a ship-handling machine, a range finder for detecting a landing distance, which is a distance from the ship to a wall to be landed, a steering device for outputting a propulsion command to the propulsion devices, and a control device for obtaining the landing distance and the propulsion command, obtaining a propulsion command limit value corresponding to the landing distance based on a predetermined relationship in which the propulsion command limit value decreases with a decrease in the landing distance, and when the propulsion command output from the steering device is equal to or greater than the propulsion command limit value, distributing the propulsion command as a propulsion command limit value, distributing thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices, and controlling the plurality of propulsion devices so that the distributed thrust is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices.

Description

Ship steering system and ship steering method

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a ship, particularly when the ship is on shore, and a ship operating system for implementing the method.

Background

The series of steps from the arrival of the ship to the arrival of the ship at the berth berth include operations with a great mental burden on the operator and a great labor burden on the personnel in the ship. For this reason, there is a desire to automate the series of steps and save labor in order to reduce the burden and improve the safety. However, since the crew in the ship and the crew in the port are well matched based on the need to cope with the random strain of the fluctuation of the meteorological sea in the port, most of the work is still performed by the experience of the operator and the crew in the ship and the port.

Patent document 1 discloses an automatic arrival ship lock which automates the operation from arrival to mooring. The ship of patent document 1 includes a front-rear thrust engine that outputs a front-rear thrust of a hull, a bow-side propeller and a stern-side pod propeller that can output a lateral thrust in either of two side directions of the hull, a bow-side ship-tie machine and a stern-side ship-tie machine that can wind and unwind a mooring line, a range finder that measures a distance to a shore wall, and a controller that controls the bow-side propeller, the stern-side pod propeller, the bow-side ship-tie machine, and the stern-side ship-tie machine based on a measurement value of the range finder. The controller performs the landing/mooring operations of the ship in the order of the landing mode and the mooring mode. The controller stops the front-rear thrust engine, the bow-side ship-mooring machine and the stern-side ship-mooring machine in the landing mode, and moves the hull laterally to a ship-mooring start position 1m from the shore wall by the bow-side propeller and the stern-side pod propeller. The controller stops the front-rear thrust engine, the bow-side propeller, and the stern-side pod propulsion machine in the mooring mode, and pulls the mooring line by using the bow-side mooring machine and the stern-side mooring machine, thereby stopping the ship system on the quay wall.

Prior art literature:

Patent literature:

patent document 1 Japanese patent laid-open No. 2005-255058.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention:

It is conceivable that the operator has mishandled the handling equipment when bringing the vessel to shore (or berthing the quay). The hull also moves due to the mishandling. In a state where the ship is approaching the shore in ten directions, for example, if an erroneous operation is performed such that thrust force is generated on the ship toward the shore, the ship may collide with the shore. As the distance of the ship from the quay wall decreases, the possibility of collision of the ship with the quay wall due to erroneous operation increases.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to propose a technique for preventing a ship from colliding with a shore wall even if an erroneous operation of a steering device occurs when the ship is brought to the shore.

Means for solving the problems:

in order to solve the above problems, a steering system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes:

The ship comprises a plurality of propulsion devices, a ship body, a ship mooring machine and a plurality of power transmission devices, wherein the propulsion devices are carried on the ship body and comprise a propulsion machine and a ship mooring machine, wherein the propulsion machine outputs a thrust for propelling the ship body in the direction of the shore;

A range finder that detects a distance from the hull to a quay wall to be landed, i.e., a landing distance;

a control device for outputting a propulsion command, and

And a control device that obtains the landing distance and the propulsion command, obtains the propulsion command limit value corresponding to the landing distance based on a predetermined relation in which a propulsion command limit value decreases with a decrease in the landing distance, and when the propulsion command output from the control device is equal to or greater than the propulsion command limit value, distributes thrust corresponding to the propulsion command that is limited to the plurality of propulsion devices as the propulsion command limit value, and controls the plurality of propulsion devices so that the distributed thrust is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices.

A ship-steering method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a ship-steering method for a ship having a plurality of propulsion devices mounted on a hull, the plurality of propulsion devices including a propulsion machine that outputs a thrust force for propelling the hull in a direction to land, and a mooring machine that outputs a thrust force for propelling the hull in the direction to land by winding up a mooring line, the ship-steering method including:

obtaining a distance from the hull to a quay wall to be landed, i.e. a landing distance;

Obtaining a propulsion command for the hull;

Based on a predetermined relation in which a propulsion command limit value decreases with a decrease in the approach distance, the propulsion command limit value corresponding to the approach distance is obtained, and the propulsion command limited to the propulsion command limit value or less is obtained;

distributing thrust corresponding to the propulsion instructions being limited to the plurality of propulsion devices, and

The plurality of propulsion devices are controlled in such a way that the distributed thrust force is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices, respectively.

The invention has the following effects:

according to the present disclosure, it is possible to propose a technique of preventing a ship from colliding with a shore even if a malfunction of a steering device occurs when the ship is brought to shore.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ship to which a ship operating system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied;

fig. 2 is a view showing a schematic structure of the ship lock;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the ship operating system;

fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating functional units of the steering controller;

fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process of the propulsion control unit;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of maneuvering a shore-based ship;

Fig. 7 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the landing distance d and the propulsion command limit value Ulim;

fig. 8 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the landing distance d and the propulsion command limit value Ulim;

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the landing speed Vapp;

fig. 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the difference Δv between the coasting speed Vapp and the approaching speed threshold value Vsafe and the correction coefficient Kv;

fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the onshore disturbance force Fapp.

Detailed Description

Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ship S to which a steering system 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[ Outline Structure of Ship S ]

As shown in fig. 1, the horizontal direction connecting the bow and the stern of the ship S is referred to as the "front-rear direction", and the horizontal direction (left-right direction) orthogonal to the front-rear direction is referred to as the "lateral direction". The ship S is provided with a hull 5, at least one fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 that outputs thrust in the fore-and-aft direction to the hull 5, and at least one transverse propulsion machine 3 that outputs thrust in the transverse direction to the hull 5.

In the present embodiment, the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 includes a combination of a Variable-pitch propeller (Variable-pitch propeller) and a rudder as a main propulsion machine. The variable pitch propeller and the rudder are provided on the stern side of the hull 5. However, the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 is not limited to the above, and may be a rotary propeller or a combination of a plurality of variable-pitch propellers and rudders.

The transverse propulsion machine 3 preferably comprises at least one bow-side transverse propulsion machine 3B and at least one stern-side transverse propulsion machine 3A. In the present embodiment, the bow-side transverse propeller 3B is a side propeller (side thruster) (a bow propeller (bow thruster)) provided on the bow side. In the present embodiment, the combination of the variable-pitch propeller and the rudder provided on the stern side can output both the thrust in the front-rear direction and the thrust in the lateral direction by the direction of the rudder, and thus also has the function as the stern-side lateral propulsion machine 3A. However, the transverse propulsion machine 3 provided in the ship S is not limited to the above, and side propellers may be disposed on the bow side and the stern side of the hull 5, or rotary propellers may be disposed on at least one of the bow side and the stern side of the hull 5.

The ship S further includes at least one bow-side mooring machine 10B provided on the bow side of the deck, and at least one stern-side mooring machine 10A provided on the stern side of the deck. In the present disclosure, the ship lock 10, the fore-aft propulsion machine 2, and the transverse propulsion machine 3 are collectively referred to as "propulsion apparatuses 9". The original mooring machine 10 is an apparatus for mooring the ship S, but in the steering system 20 of the present disclosure, the mooring machine 10 is also regarded as one of the propulsion apparatuses 9 because the mooring machine 10 has a function of applying thrust to the ship S.

In the present embodiment, the bow-side ship-mooring machine 10B includes a bow-mooring machine (headline) and a forward-mooring machine (forward SPRING LINE). The bow-side mooring line 10B may also include a front cross-cable (forward breast) mooring line. In the present embodiment, the stern-side mooring device 10A includes a middle stern cable (STERN LINE) and a rear back cable (AFTER SPRING). The stern-side mooring 10A may further include a rear cross-cable (after breast) mooring. The ship' S mooring machine 10 (the reference numeral 10 is used when the bow-side mooring machine 10B and the stern-side mooring machine 10A are not distinguished) is determined by the outfitting number or the like.

Each ship lock 10 of the bow-side ship lock 10B and the stern-side ship lock 10A has substantially the same structure. As shown in fig. 2, each of the ship-tie machines 10 includes a mooring line R and a winch (winch) W capable of winding and unwinding the mooring line R. The winch W is electrohydraulic. The hoist W includes a winding drum 11 around which a mooring rope R is wound, a motor 12 that rotationally drives the winding drum 11, a hydraulic clutch 13 that switches between connection and disconnection of power transmission from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11, a decelerator 14 that is provided on a power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11, and a hydraulic release brake 15 that continuously applies braking force. However, the structure of the hoist W is not limited to the above, and the hoist W may be an electric type.

The ship lock 10 is provided with a rotational position sensor 51, a tension meter 52, a cable length meter 53, and a hoist controller 50 for controlling the operation of the hoist W based on the detected values. The rotational position sensor 51 detects the rotational position and rotational speed of the motor 12 or the winding drum 11. The cable length meter 53 measures the length of the mooring line R paid out from the winding drum 11. The hoist controller 50 measures the rotation of the motor 12 or the winding drum 11 based on the detection signal of the rotational position sensor 51 and/or the measurement value of the cable length meter 53, thereby estimating the winding length or unwinding length of the mooring cable R. Tensiometer 52 may directly or indirectly detect tension (load) acting on hawser R. The tension meter 52 is, for example, a load cell (load cell) provided in the brake 15, and can estimate the tension of the mooring line R based on the load detected by the load cell. Tensiometer 52 is, for example, a torque sensor that detects the output torque of motor 12, and can estimate the tension of mooring line R based on the torque detected by the torque sensor. The hoist controller 50 can control the rotation of the winding drum 11 based on the detection value of the tensiometer 52 so that the tension acting on the hawser R is maintained at a predetermined value not exceeding a predetermined upper limit value.

When the mooring rope R is wound around the winding drum 11, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 is connected by the clutch 13, and the winding drum 11 is rotationally driven in the winding direction. In addition, in a state where the thrust force acts in the offshore direction, the winding force of the hoisting machine W is set to a value small enough to suppress the slackening of the mooring line R. When the mooring line R is unwound from the winding drum 11, the clutch 13 is cut off, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 is cut off, and the winding drum 11 is in a state capable of idling and is rotatable in the unwinding direction. Alternatively, when unwinding the mooring line R, the power transmission path from the motor 12 to the winding drum 11 may be connected by the clutch 13, and the winding drum 11 may be rotationally driven in the unwinding direction.

Returning to fig. 1, the tip end of the mooring line R is tied to a dolphin 35 provided on the quay wall 30. The mooring line R pulled from the drum 11 is protected and guided by a suitable guide 36 such as a fairlead (mooring hole), fairlead (fairlead), deck end roller (deck End roller), stand roller (stand roller) or the like.

[ Structure of the vessel operating System 20 ]

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the ship handling system 20. As shown in fig. 3, the vessel steering system 20 of the vessel S includes a steering controller 6, and an instrument set 7, a user interface 8, and a propulsion controller set 9C electrically connected to the steering controller 6 by wires or wirelessly.

The steering controller 6 includes memories such as a processor, ROM, and RAM, and an I/O unit (both not shown). The steering controller 6 is connected to the instrument set 7, the user interface 8, and the propulsion controller set 9C via the I/O section. The steering controller 6 may be connected to a memory (not shown) via an I/O unit.

The ship-to-land communication device 31 is connected to the ship-to-ship controller 6. The ship-steering controller 6 transmits ship-steering information to a condition monitoring device 33 provided on land using a ship-to-land communication device 31. The ship operation information includes sailing conditions in the port, equipment operation data, and the like.

The instrument suite 7 includes a range finder 27, a camera 28, and various marine instruments.

The rangefinder 27 includes a bow-side rangefinder that measures the bow-side distance from the bow to the quay wall 30, and a stern-side rangefinder that measures the stern-to-quay wall 30. The range finder 27 may be a known noncontact range finder such as a laser range finder. The steering controller 6 can determine the distance (hereinafter referred to as "landing distance D") from the hull 5 to the landing direction D2 of the wall 30 to be landed based on the information obtained from the range finder 27. Here, the landing direction D2 is a direction in which the landing wall 30 approaches. Furthermore, the shore distance d may be defined as the shortest distance from the hull 5 to the shore wall 30.

The camera 28 includes a bow-side camera provided on the bow-side deck to continuously or intermittently photograph the quay wall 30 from the bow, and a stern-side camera provided on the stern-side deck to continuously or intermittently photograph the quay wall 30 from the stern. In the view of the bow-side camera, it is desirable to include the bow-side mooring line 10B and/or the mooring line R unreeled from the bow-side mooring line 10B in addition to the quay wall 30. In addition, in the view of the capturing by the stern side camera, it is desirable to include the stern side mooring line 10A and/or the mooring line R unreeled from the stern side mooring line 10A. To ensure such a wide field of view, a surround camera system (surround VIEW CAMERA SYSTEM) may be employed as the camera 28.

Examples of the various marine instruments include a compass 21 for detecting the azimuth angle of the bow, a speedometer 22 (for a water speedometer), an anemometer 25 (anemometer), a ship position measuring device 26, a tide meter 29, an echo sounding device, a radar, a chronometer (chronometer), a draft meter, and the like. The ship position measuring device 26 is a position measuring device using GPS of satellites, radio waves and/or light waves from a reference station. The steering controller 6 can determine the navigation status information including the position, heading angle, speed, etc. of the hull 5 based on information obtained from various navigation devices.

The ship-handling controller 6 obtains port information from a port information providing device 32 installed on land in due course using the ship-to-land communication device 31. The harbor information includes weather/sea image information in the harbor, harbor environment information, and the like. The weather/ocean information includes wind speed, wind direction, tide level, weather, climate and the like in the port. The port environment information includes the congestion degree, berth status, etc. in the port. The steering controller 6 also uses the information sent from the port information providing device 32 via the inter-ship-to-land communication device 31 together with the information from the instrument set 7 for calculation.

A manipulation device 80 and a display 83 are provided on the user interface 8. The user interface 8 may be provided with a setting device or an indicator for a propulsion device 9 such as a propeller or rudder, a display unit for displaying a signal from the instrument set 7 such as an azimuth display or a ship speed display, various function switches, and an indicator lamp.

In the present embodiment, as the manipulation device 80, a manipulation lever 81 and a rotary dial 82 are provided. The joystick 81 receives an instruction of the direction and magnitude of the thrust for parallel movement of the hull 5, which is input by the operator moving the joystick 81, and outputs the instruction to the steering controller 6. The rotary dial 82 receives a command of the direction and magnitude of the turning moment for turning movement, which is input by the operator moving the rotary dial 82, and inputs the command to the steering controller 6. The manipulation apparatus 80 is not limited to the above, but a well-known manipulation apparatus may be employed.

As the display device 83, at least one of various display devices such as a touch panel display and a head mounted display is known. The display device 83 may include, for example, the steering support information outputted from the steering controller 6, an image captured by the camera 28, the operating condition of the equipment, the navigation condition information, the environmental information (marine/weather information) of the hull 5, and the like. The vessel-handling support information includes at least one of the own vessel position on the sea chart, the recommended course, the refuge line, the remaining distance, the sea facilities and the target position, the moving speed vector of the hull 5, the speeds of any position of the bow and the stern, the remaining distance from the shore wall 30, and the like.

The propulsion controller group 9C controls the action of the propulsion apparatus 9. The propulsion controller group 9C specifically includes a hoist controller 50 that controls the hoist W of the ship lock 10, a forward/backward propulsion controller 91 that controls the forward/backward propulsion machine 2, and a lateral propulsion controller 92 that controls the lateral propulsion machine 3. The hoist controller 50, the forward/backward propulsion controller 91, and the lateral propulsion controller 92 are provided according to the numbers of the hoist W, the forward/backward propulsion machine 2, and the lateral propulsion machine 3 mounted on the ship S. However, in fig. 3, one of the hoist controller 50, the forward/backward propulsion controller 91, and the lateral propulsion controller 92 is illustrated, and the remainder thereof is omitted. The steering controller 6 outputs instructions to each of the propulsion controller groups 9C, and the propulsion controller groups 9C operate the corresponding propulsion devices 9 based on the instructions.

As shown in fig. 4, the steering controller 6 includes functional units of a steering support information generating unit 65, a display control unit 66, a route planning unit 67, a command generating unit 68, and a propulsion control unit 69. The ship-handling support information generation unit 65 generates ship-handling support information based on information obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32. The display control unit 66 causes the display device 83 to display the generated steering support information. The route planning unit 67 searches for an optimum route in which a predetermined evaluation index from the departure point to the destination is optimized, based on information or the like obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32, and generates the optimum route as a planned route. The command generating unit 68 generates a command in place of the operator during automatic ship operation. The propulsion control unit 69 corresponds to the control device of the claims. The propulsion control section 69 controls the propulsion device 9 via the propulsion controller group 9C.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the propulsion control section 69. As shown in fig. 5, the propulsion control unit 69 of the steering controller 6 includes an acquirer 61, a limiter 64, a corrector 60, a thrust distribution arithmetic unit 62, and an output 63.

The acquirer 61 acquires information detected or measured by the instrument cluster 7, instructions accepted by the manipulation device 80 of the user interface 8, and the like. The information detected or measured by the instrument set 7 includes the landing distance d and the landing speed Vapp. The acquirer 61 performs a/D conversion, scaling processing, and the like on the acquired information, instructions. The acquirer 61 generates a "command vector" based on the pushing command (i.e., the tilting angle and the tilting direction of the lever 81) received by the lever 81. The direction of the command vector corresponds to the tilting direction of the joystick 81, and the magnitude of the command vector corresponds to the tilting angle of the joystick 81. Here, when the propulsion command is a thrust command, the command vector is defined to indicate a thrust command acting on the hull 5 in the passing direction and the magnitude. In the case where the propulsion command is a speed command, the command vector is defined as a speed command indicating the ship body 5 in the passing direction and the size.

Limiter 64 applies a limit to the command vector as needed based on the landing distance d. The function of the limiter 64 will be described in detail later. In addition, the limiter 64 may impose limitation not only on the instruction vector based on the instruction received by the manipulation device 80 but also on the instruction vector generated by the instruction generating section 68.

The corrector 60 obtains disturbance information including the current detected by the current meter 29, the wind direction and the wind speed detected by the wind direction anemometer 25, and/or the current and the wind direction and the wind speed in the port obtained from the port information providing device 32, estimates disturbance force acting on the ship S based on the disturbance information, and corrects the command vector by applying force against the disturbance force to the command vector.

The thrust distribution calculator 62 performs calculation of distributing thrust to each of the plurality of propulsion devices 9 (the ship-mooring machine 10, the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2, and the transverse propulsion machine 3) so that the corrected command vector corresponds to the thrust vector. Here, the dolphin 10 is regarded as a propulsion device 9 that outputs a thrust for propelling the hull 5 in the direction D2 by reeling in the dolphin rope R. The "thrust vector" is defined as a resultant force representing the thrust output from the plurality of propulsion devices 9 (the bolsters 10, the fore-and-aft propulsion machines 2, and the transverse propulsion machines 3) by direction and magnitude. The thrust distribution calculation method using the thrust distribution calculator 62 will be described in detail later.

The output 63 outputs the thrust distributed to the propulsion devices 9 (the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2, the transverse propulsion machine 3, and the ship-tie machine 10) obtained by the thrust distribution arithmetic unit 62 as an operation command to the corresponding propulsion controller group 9C (the hoist controller 50, the fore-and-aft propulsion controller 91, and the transverse propulsion controller 92) after performing scaling, D/a conversion, abnormality processing, and the like. Thereby, a thrust force in the tilting direction is applied to the hull 5 by a magnitude corresponding to the tilting angle of the lever 81.

[ Method of operating a Ship ]

Here, a ship-handling method at the time of arrival/shipment of the ship S using the ship-handling system 20 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to fig. 6.

< Entering port operating ship >

The steering controller 6 starts the port-entering steering when the ship S enters the port. In the boarding operation, the boarding controller 6 generates boarding support information by using information obtained from the instrument group 7 and the port information providing device 32, and displays the information on the screen of the display device 83. Here, the steering controller 6 uses the predetermined arrival start position P2 as a target position, and obtains the optimum route from the port P1 to the arrival start position P2 as a planned route using information obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32. On the screen of the display device 83, navigation information such as a harbor chart, a bow azimuth, and a ship speed, in which a planned route composed of a plurality of route points, a target position, and a ship position are superimposed, is graphically displayed as the boarding support information. The arrival start position P2 is a position separated from the quay wall 30 at a predetermined distance (for example, about 30 to 50 m), and the forward-backward direction of the hull 5 of the ship S arriving at the arrival start position P2 is substantially parallel to the extending direction of the quay wall 30 (hereinafter referred to as "quay direction D1"), and the velocity in the forward-backward direction is substantially zero.

The operator operates the joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 based on the entry steering support information displayed on the display device 83. The steering controller 6 obtains a command vector based on the tilt angle and tilt direction of the joystick 81. However, the ship S may be automatically operated in the port. In this case, the steering controller 6 may automatically generate the command vector based on the information obtained from the instrument set 7 and the port information providing device 32, and the planned route.

The steering controller 6 obtains a command vector corrected by applying a force against the disturbance force to the command vector, and distributes the thrust to the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 so that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by synthesizing the thrust output from the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2. In the port-entering operation, the thrust distributed to the transverse propulsion machine 3 and the ship lock 10 is zero. The steering controller 6 generates a thrust target value such that the distributed thrust is output, and outputs the thrust target value to the forward/backward propulsion controller 91, and the forward/backward propulsion controller 91 controls the forward/backward propulsion machine 2 to output a thrust corresponding to the thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains a thrust corresponding to the command vector and sails along the planned route.

< Arrival vessel >

When the ship S reaches the landing start position P2, the ship-steering controller 6 starts landing ship steering. In the ship operation, the ship operation controller 6 generates the ship operation support information by using the information obtained from the instrument set 7 and the port information providing device 32, and displays the generated information on the screen of the display device 83. In the ship-to-shore operation, the ship S is moved from the ship-to-shore start position P2 to the predetermined ship-to-shore start position P3. The starting position P3 is a position separated from the quay 30 of the berth by about several to several tens of m, and the fore-and-aft direction of the hull 5 of the ship S reaching the starting position P3 is substantially parallel to the quay direction D1, and the speed in the bow direction and the transverse direction is substantially zero. On the interface of the display device 83, navigation information such as a target position, a port chart of the ship position, a bow azimuth angle, a ship speed, etc., an onshore distance d, an image captured by the camera 28, etc., are displayed as the onshore ship operation support information.

The operator operates the joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 based on the arrival maneuvering support information displayed on the display device 83. The steering controller 6 obtains a command vector based on the tilt angle and tilt direction of the joystick 81. But the vessel S may also be operated to shore automatically. In this case, the steering controller 6 may automatically generate the command vector based on information obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32.

The steering controller 6 obtains a command vector corrected by applying a force against the disturbance force to the command vector, and distributes the thrust to the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 and the lateral propulsion machine 3 so that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by combining the thrust output from the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 and the lateral propulsion machine 3. In a landed operation, the thrust assigned to the bollard 10 is zero. The steering controller 6 generates a thrust target value such that the thrust distributed to the fore-and-aft propulsion controller 91 and the lateral propulsion controller 92 is output, and outputs the thrust target value, the fore-and-aft propulsion controller 91 controls the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 to output a thrust corresponding to the given thrust target value, and the lateral propulsion controller 92 controls the lateral propulsion machine 3 to output a thrust corresponding to the given thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains a thrust corresponding to the command vector and moves mainly laterally to the mooring start position P3.

< Mooring and vessel operating >

When the ship S reaches the start position P3, the mooring line R is released from the stern-side mooring machine 10A and the bow-side mooring machine 10B, and the tip end portion of the mooring line R is tied to the mooring column 35 provided on the quay 30. During this time, the steering controller 6 maintains the ship S position at the start position P3 by the automatic azimuth maintaining function. The automatic bearing maintaining function of the steering controller 6 performs PID calculation or the like for the deviation between the set bow azimuth and the bow azimuth from the compass 21, and gives the deviation as a turning moment command to the thrust distribution calculation instead of the turning dial 82, thereby operating the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 and the transverse propulsion machine 3 so as to maintain the bow bearing.

The distal ends of all mooring lines R are tied to mooring posts 35 provided on the quay wall 30, and thereafter, the steering controller 6 starts the mooring operation. The ship-handling controller 6 generates ship-handling support information using information obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32, and displays the generated information on the screen of the display device 83. On the screen of the display device 83, navigation information such as a harbor chart, a bow azimuth, and a ship speed, an onshore distance d, and an image captured by the camera 28, which are superimposed with the target position or the own ship position, are displayed as the onshore ship operation support information.

The tutor recognizes the tutor support information displayed on the display 83, and operates the joystick 81 and rotary dial 82 of the steering device 80. The joystick 81 and the rotary dial 82 receive operations of the operator and input to the steering controller 6. But the mooring operation can also be performed automatically. In the case where the tug operation is performed automatically, the command vector is generated based on the information obtained from the instrument set 7 or the port information providing device 32 by the tug controller 6, and the tug operator can correct the command vector generated by the tug controller 6 using the control device 80.

The acquirer 61 of the steering controller 6 acquires the propulsion command received by the steering device 80 such as the joystick 81, and generates a command vector. In the course of the ship-tying operation, a transverse thrust is applied to the ship S in principle, and the ship S moves in the direction D2. Therefore, when the propulsion command Uc is a thrust command, the command vector at the time of shipping is a vector in which the thrust of the magnitude corresponding to the propulsion command is directed in the direction D2. When the propulsion command Uc is a speed command, the command vector at the time of shipping is a vector in which the speed corresponding to the propulsion command Uc is directed in the landing direction D2.

In the course of the dolphin operation, the propulsion command Uc is restricted by the limiter 64 of the steering controller 6. For example, the limiter 64 may be configured to limit the propulsion command Uc when the landing distance d is smaller than a limit distance given in advance. The limiting distance may be a distance from the quay wall 30 to the start position P3 of the mooring, or may be a distance shorter than the limiting distance.

The limiter 64 is provided with information indicating the relationship between the landing distance d and the propulsion command limit value Ulim, and the limiter 64 obtains the propulsion command limit value Ulim based on the information.

Fig. 7 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the landing distance d and the propulsion command limit value Ulim in the case where the propulsion command Uc is a thrust command. The propulsion command limit value Ulim illustrated in fig. 7 is a first value Up and constant when the landing distance d is 0 to the first threshold dth1, increases with an increase in the landing distance d when the landing distance d is the first threshold dth1 to the second threshold dth2, and is a command maximum value Umax and constant when the landing distance d is equal to or greater than the second threshold dth 2. The first value Up is greater than 0, and corresponds to the thrust for pushing the hull 5 against the shore wall 30.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the landing distance D and the propulsion command limit value Ulim in the case where the propulsion command Uc is a speed command in the transverse direction (i.e., the landing direction D2) of the ship S. The propulsion command limit value Ulim illustrated in fig. 8 is a first value Up when the landing distance d is 0, increases with an increase in the landing distance d when the landing distance d is greater than 0 and smaller than the threshold value dth, and is a command maximum value Umax and constant when the landing distance d is equal to or greater than the threshold value dth. The first value Up is greater than 0, which corresponds to the speed at which the shore wall 30 pushes against the hull 5. Or the first value Up may be 0.

Limiter 64 compares propulsion instruction Uc with calculated propulsion instruction limit value Ulim and if propulsion instruction Uc is below propulsion instruction limit value Ulim, no limit (or zero limit) is imposed on propulsion instruction Uc. On the other hand, if propulsion instruction Uc is greater than propulsion instruction limit value Ulim, limiter 64 places a limit on propulsion instruction Uc, replacing propulsion instruction Uc with propulsion instruction limit value Ulim. That is, the propulsion command Uc is limited to not more than the propulsion command limiting value Ulim regardless of the command value inputted.

As described above, the propulsion command Uc is subjected to the restriction processing by the limiter 64, whereby, for example, in the case where the operation amount of the steering apparatus 80 is excessive due to the misoperation of the operator, the propulsion command Uc is also restricted so that the ship S does not collide with the quay wall 30.

As described above, the command vector (i.e., the propulsion command Uc) processed by the limiter 64 is corrected by the corrector 60 exerting a force that overcomes the disturbance force.

The thrust distribution calculator 62 obtains the corrected command vector, and distributes thrust to the plurality of propulsion devices 9 so that a thrust vector corresponding to the corrected command vector is obtained by synthesizing the thrust output from the plurality of propulsion devices 9. More specifically, the thrust distribution arithmetic unit 62 generates thrust target values such that the thrust distributed to the hoist controller 50, the forward/backward propulsion controller 91, and the lateral propulsion controller 92 is output. The output 63 outputs the generated thrust target value to each of the propulsion controller groups 9C.

The hoist controller 50 controls the winding force or winding speed of the ship lock 10 to output a thrust corresponding to the imparted thrust target value. Specifically, the winch controller 50 controls the winding force or winding speed of the winch W to obtain the thrust target value by winding or unwinding the mooring line R and adjusting the tension and the rope length. The forward/backward propulsion controller 91 controls the forward/backward propulsion machine 2 to output a thrust corresponding to the imparted thrust target value. The lateral thrust controller 92 controls the lateral thrust machine 3 to output thrust corresponding to the imparted thrust target value. As a result, the ship S obtains a thrust corresponding to the corrected command vector, and mainly moves sideways until it approaches the shore.

In thrust distribution during a ship operation, distribution of thrust to the ship-moving machine 10 is preferentially performed. An allowable range of the tension of the mooring rope R is set in each mooring machine 10. After the start of the mooring operation, the deflection of the mooring line R is eliminated by the hoisting operation of the mooring machine 10, and then thrust is distributed to the mooring machine 10 so that the tension of the mooring line R measured by the tension meter 52 is maintained within the allowable range. Here, the allowable range of the tension is greater than 0 and less than a predetermined threshold value of the maximum winding force of the bolsters 10A and 10B. The maximum winding force of the ship-tie machines 10A, 10B is a known value inherent to each of the ship-tie machines 10A, 10B. For each of the mooring machines 10A and 10B, a threshold value (allowable range) related to the tension of the mooring line R may be set. Alternatively, the same threshold value (allowable range) regarding the tension of the mooring line R may be set for all of the mooring line 10A and 10B.

In thrust distribution during the mooring operation, first, thrust is distributed to each mooring line 10 so that the tension of each mooring line R is maintained within an allowable range. Then, a resultant vector of the thrust forces (a bollard thrust vector) output from all the bolsters 10 is obtained, and the shortages obtained by subtracting the bollard thrust vector from the command vector are complemented by the thrust forces output from the front-rear propulsion machine 2 and the lateral propulsion machine 3. In the case where the shortage is not generated, the thrust output from the front-rear propulsion machine 2 and the lateral propulsion machine 3 may be zero. By distributing the thrust in this way, the steering controller 6 causes the bow-side and stern-side mooring machines 10B and 10A to perform the winding operation of the mooring rope R in at least a part of the mooring operation, and controls the propulsion devices 9 so that at least one of the fore-and-aft propulsion machine 2 and the transverse propulsion machine 3 outputs the thrust that reduces the tension of the mooring rope R.

In the ship-tying operation, it is not necessary to generate thrust by all the ship-tying machines 10 mounted on the ship S. For example, only one stern-side and one bow-side mooring machines 10A and 10B are caused to generate thrust, and the remaining mooring machines 10 may be controlled so that the tension of the mooring line R is kept constant so that the mooring line R does not generate slack and does not hinder the generated thrust.

[ Modification 1]

The limiter 64 of the propulsion device 9 obtains the propulsion command limit value Ulim based on the landing distance d, but the propulsion command limit value obtained based on the landing distance d may be corrected by the landing speed Vapp of the ship S.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the landing speed Vapp. As shown in fig. 9, the landing speed Vapp is a component of the speed V of the ship S in the landing direction D2. The landing speed Vapp can be obtained using the speed V of the ship S detected by the speedometer 22, the azimuth angle of the bow of the ship S detected by the compass 21, the hull model stored in advance, and the wall information.

The limiter 64 of the propulsion control unit 69 corrects the propulsion command limit value Ulim to decrease as the speed Vapp in the landing direction D2 of the hull 5 increases.

For example, in the case where the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is corrected by the correction coefficient Kv, the corrected propulsion instruction limit value Ulim is expressed by the propulsion instruction limit value Ulim ×the correction coefficient Kv. The correction coefficient Kv is 1 or less, and is inversely proportional to the difference Δv between the landing speed Vapp and the predetermined approach speed threshold Vsafe. The hull 5 is not damaged to the extent that the hull 5 moving at a speed equal to or lower than the approach speed threshold value Vsafe contacts the quay wall 30, and if the hull 5 moving beyond the approach speed threshold value Vsafe collides with the quay wall 30, the hull 5 may be damaged. Fig. 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the difference Δv between the coasting speed Vapp and the approaching speed threshold value Vsafe and the correction coefficient Kv. As illustrated in fig. 10, the larger the difference Δv between the coasting speed Vapp and the approaching speed threshold Vsafe, the smaller the value of the correction coefficient Kv. Thus, the propulsion command limit value Ulim corrected by the landing speed Vapp decreases as the difference Δv between the landing speed Vapp and the approaching speed threshold Vsafe increases. Limiter 64 can apply a limit to propulsion command Uc using propulsion command limit value Ulim thus modified.

[ Modification 2]

The limiter 64 of the propulsion device 9 obtains the propulsion command limit value Ulim based on the landing distance D, but the propulsion command limit value Ulim obtained based on the landing distance D may be corrected by a disturbance force acting in the landing direction D2 of the ship S (hereinafter referred to as "landing disturbance force Fapp").

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the onshore disturbance force Fapp. As shown in fig. 11, the landing disturbing force Fapp is a component of the disturbing force F acting on the ship S in the landing direction D2. The disturbance force F may include at least one of a fluid force applied to the hull 5 by water and a wind pressure applied to the hull 5 by wind. The fluid force may be calculated, for example, based on the tide measured by the tide meter 29 and a pre-stored hull model. Or the fluid force may be calculated based on tidal current and tide level in the port and a pre-stored hull model included in the weather/ocean information. The wind pressure can be calculated based on the wind direction and wind speed measured by the anemometer 25 and the hull model, for example. Or the wind pressure may be calculated based on the wind speed, wind direction and a pre-stored hull model in the port included in the weather/ocean information. The onshore disturbance force Fapp can be obtained using the fluid force and wind pressure, the bow azimuth of the ship S detected by the compass 21, and the hull model and the quay wall information stored in advance.

The limiter 64 of the propulsion control unit 69 obtains disturbance information including the wind direction, the wind speed, and the current of the environment in which the hull 5 is located, estimates a disturbance force (landing disturbance force Fapp) acting in the landing direction D2 of the hull 5 based on the disturbance information, and corrects the propulsion command limit value based on the landing disturbance force Fapp.

For example, in the case where the propulsion command limit value Ulim is corrected by the correction value Kf, the corrected propulsion command limit value Ulim is expressed by [ propulsion command limit value Ulim-disturbance correction value Kf ]. The disturbance correction value Kf is proportional to the shore disturbance force Fapp. The positive number of disturbance correction values Kf represents a disturbance force that advances the movement of the ship S in the direction D2 of the shore, and the negative number of disturbance correction values Kf represents a disturbance force that impedes the movement of the ship S in the direction D2 of the shore (i.e., promotes the movement in the direction D3 of the shore). The relation between the coasting disturbance force Fapp and the disturbance correction value Kf is predetermined, and the limiter 64 obtains the disturbance correction value Kf based on the coasting disturbance force Fapp, and further, can obtain the propulsion command limit value Ulim corrected by the disturbance correction value Kf. In this way, the propulsion command limit value Ulim corrected by the landing interference force Fapp increases as the absolute value of the landing interference force Fapp increases in the case where the landing interference force Fapp promotes the movement of the ship S in the offshore direction D3 (i.e., in the case where the interference correction value Kf is negative). On the other hand, the propulsion command limit value Ulim corrected by the landing interference force Fapp decreases as the absolute value of the landing interference force Fapp increases in a case where the landing interference force Fapp promotes the movement of the ship S in the landing direction D2 (i.e., in a case where the interference correction value Kf is a positive value).

[ Summary ]

The first aspect of the present invention provides a steering system 20 comprising:

A plurality of propulsion devices 9 mounted on the hull 5, each of which includes propulsion machines 2 and 3 that output thrust for propelling the hull 5 in the direction D2, and a mooring machine 10 that outputs thrust for propelling the hull 5 in the direction D2 by winding up the mooring line R;

A range finder 27 that detects the distance from the hull 5 to the quay wall 30 to be landed, i.e., the landing distance;

a manipulation device 80 outputting a propulsion command Uc, and

The control device 69 obtains the landing distance d and the propulsion command Uc, obtains the propulsion command limit value Ulim corresponding to the landing distance d based on a predetermined relationship in which the propulsion command limit value Ulim decreases as the landing distance d decreases, and when the propulsion command Uc output from the manipulation device 80 is equal to or greater than the propulsion command limit value Ulim, distributes the propulsion command Uc as the propulsion command limit value Ulim, distributes thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion command Uc to the plurality of propulsion devices 9, and controls the plurality of propulsion devices 9 so that the distributed thrust is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices 9.

In the above-described steering system 20, the value of the propulsion command Uc is limited to the propulsion command limiting value Ulim or less, regardless of the value of the propulsion command Uc output from the steering device 80 and obtained by the control device 69. Since the propulsion command limit value Ulim is smaller as the hull 5 approaches the quay 30, even if the steering device 80 is erroneously operated in a state where the hull 5 is close to the quay 30, the propulsion command Uc is limited to a very small value, and the hull 5 is prevented from colliding with the quay 30.

The second aspect of the present disclosure provides the steering system 20 of the first aspect, further comprising a speedometer 22 for detecting the speed V of the hull 5, wherein the control device 69 corrects the propulsion command limit value Ulim to decrease as the speed Vapp of the hull 5 in the direction D2 increases.

In the above-described steering system 20, the landing speed Vapp of the hull 5 is taken into consideration in the propulsion command limit value Ulim, so that the propulsion command Uc can be limited so as to more reliably prevent the hull 5 from colliding with the shore wall 30.

In the ship-operating system 20 according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the ship-operating system 20 according to the first or second aspect, the control device 69 obtains disturbance information of the environment in which the hull 5 is located, estimates a disturbance force Fapp acting in the direction D2 of the hull 5 based on the disturbance information, and corrects the propulsion command limit value Ulim based on the disturbance force Fapp. The disturbance information may for example comprise wind direction, wind speed and power flow.

In the above-described steering system 20, the thrust command limit value Ulim considers the landing interference force Fapp acting on the hull 5, and therefore, the thrust command Uc can be limited so as to more reliably prevent the hull 5 from colliding with the landing wall 30.

The steering system 20 according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure further includes a tensiometer 52 for measuring the tension of the mooring line R in the steering system 20 according to any one of the first to third aspects, and the control device 69 distributes the thrust corresponding to the propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices 9 so that the tension of the mooring line R measured by the tensiometer 52 is maintained in a range of greater than 0 and less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value of the maximum winding force of the mooring line 10.

In the above-described steering system 20, the tension range of the mooring line R is maintained while the ship lock 10 is performing the reeling operation of the mooring line R in order to bring the hull 5 to shore, thereby preventing overload from being applied to the mooring line R.

The fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for operating a ship S having a plurality of propulsion devices 9 mounted on a hull 5, the plurality of propulsion devices 9 including propulsion machines 2 and 3 that output thrust for propelling the hull 5 in a direction D2 that is on shore, and a mooring machine 10 that outputs thrust for propelling the hull 5 in the direction D2 that is on shore by winding up a mooring line R, the method comprising:

obtaining a distance from the hull 5 to the quay wall 30 to be landed, i.e., a landing distance d;

obtaining a propulsion command Uc for the hull 5;

based on a predetermined relationship in which the propulsion command limit value Ulim decreases as the landing distance d decreases, a propulsion command limit value Ulim corresponding to the landing distance d is obtained, and the propulsion command Uc limited to the propulsion command limit value Ulim or less is obtained;

distributing thrust corresponding to the limited propulsion instructions Uc to a plurality of propulsion devices 9, and

The plurality of propulsion devices 9 are controlled in such a manner that the distributed thrust force is output from each of the plurality of propulsion devices 9, respectively.

In the above-described ship-steering method, the value of the propulsion command Uc is limited to the propulsion-command limiting value Ulim or less, regardless of the value of the propulsion command Uc that is initially obtained. Since the propulsion command limit value Ulim is smaller as the hull 5 approaches the quay 30, even if the steering device 80 is erroneously operated in a state where the hull 5 is close to the quay 30, the propulsion command Uc is limited to a very small value, and the hull 5 is prevented from colliding with the quay 30.

The functions of the steering controller 6 disclosed in this specification may be performed using circuitry or processing circuitry comprising general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated Circuits, ASICs (Application SPECIFIC INTEGRATED Circuits), existing circuitry, and/or combinations thereof, which are configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. The processor includes transistors, other circuits, and thus may be considered a processing circuit or circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions. The hardware may be the hardware disclosed in this specification or may be other known hardware programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. In the case of a processor where hardware is considered to be one of the circuits, a circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, the software being used for the construction of the hardware and/or the processor.

The foregoing discussion of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the manner disclosed in this specification. For example, in the foregoing detailed description, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure, but several of the various features may also be combined. Further, various features included in the present disclosure may be combined with alternative embodiments, structures, or configurations other than those discussed above.

Claims

1. A vessel operating system, comprising:

a control device for outputting a propulsion command, and

2. The vessel operating system according to claim 1, wherein,

A speedometer for detecting the speed of the hull,

The control device corrects the propulsion command limit value to decrease with an increase in the speed of the hull in the shore direction.

3. The vessel operating system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The control device obtains interference information of the environment where the ship body is located, estimates interference force acting on the ship body in the shore direction based on the interference information, and corrects the propulsion instruction limit value according to the interference force.

4. The vessel operating system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

Further comprising a tensiometer for measuring the tension of the mooring line,

The control device distributes thrust corresponding to the propulsion command to the plurality of propulsion devices so that the tension of the hawser measured by the tensiometer is maintained in a range of greater than 0 and less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value of a maximum winding force of the ship lock.

5. A method for operating a ship, in which a plurality of propulsion devices are mounted on a ship body, the plurality of propulsion devices including a propulsion machine that outputs a thrust force for propelling the ship body in a direction to land, and a mooring machine that outputs a thrust force for propelling the ship body in the direction to land by winding up a mooring line, the method comprising:

Obtaining a propulsion command for the hull;