SHIP MANEUVERING CONTROL METHOD AND SHIP MANEUVERING CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120259489A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hamamatsu, Masanori, Baino, Makoto, Saito, Yasuo, Mori, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/15 for monitoring environmental variables, e.g. wave height or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/20 using models or simulation, e.g. statistical models or stochastic models
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/40 for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/04 automatic, e.g. reacting to compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/00 Maritime or waterways transport
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/10 Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls

Abstract

A short-term planned route from a start position that is a ship position at a first time up to an end position that is the ship position at a second time is designed based on a planned route, an estimated encounter marine phenomenon information, operation performance information measured on a ship, and a hull motion model of the ship, the estimated encounter marine phenomenon information being measured on the ship based on actually encountered marine phenomenon information. The short-term planned route makes a first evaluation function optimal, the first evaluation function containing: an index indicating an influence of a fluctuation portion between a planned position that is a ship position planned at the second time on the planned route and the end position; a fuel consumption index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route; and a safety index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route.

Claims

1. A ship maneuvering control method of optimizing a route of a ship, comprising the steps of:

acquiring estimated encounter marine phenomenon information based on actually encountered marine phenomenon information and marine phenomenon statistical information which are acquired by measuring, on the ship, marine phenomena that the ship encounters during sail, the estimated encounter marine phenomenon information being information from a first time that is a current time until a second time that is a near-future time in a route surrounding marine area;

acquiring operation performance information by measuring, on the ship, an operation performance of the ship during the sail; and

designing a short-term planned route which is a route from a start position that is a ship position at the first time up to an end position that is the ship position at the second time and by which a value of a first evaluation function becomes an optimal value, the short-term planned route being designed based on a planned route, the estimated encounter marine phenomenon information, the operation performance information, and a hull motion model of the ship, the planned route being designed based on meteorological and marine phenomena prediction information and the performance information of the ship such that the ship sails from a starting point up to a destination, wherein

the first evaluation function contains;

an index indicating an influence of a fluctuation portion between a planned position that is the ship position planned at the second time on the planned route and the end position;

a fuel consumption index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route; and

a safety index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route.

2. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a ship maneuvering condition for sailing along the short-term planned route; and

performing ship maneuvering control based on the ship maneuvering condition.

3. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of designing a new planned route from a new starting point that is the end position of the short-term planned route up to the destination.

4. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of designing the short-term planned route, a target route passing through the start position and the planned position is set, and the short-term planned route from the first time until the second time is searched on the basis that an end time is fixed and an end state quantity is free on the target route.

5. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, wherein:

the planned route is designed such that a second evaluation function becomes optimal; and

the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the influence of the fluctuation portion between the planned position and the end position indicates a fluctuation portion from the second evaluation function.

6. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, wherein the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the influence of the fluctuation portion between the planned position and the end position indicates a deviation between the planned position and the end position.

7. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 1, wherein the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the influence of the fluctuation portion between the planned position and the end position contains a first function and a second function, the first function being a function of a component of a deviation between the planned position and the end position in a proceeding direction of the planned route, the second function being a function of a component of the deviation in a direction perpendicular to the proceeding direction of the planned route.

8. The ship maneuvering control method according to claim 7, wherein weight coefficients are respectively given to the first function and the second function, and each of these weight coefficients is a function which changes in relation to a sail distance from the end position to the destination.

9. A ship maneuvering control system comprising:

a planned route designed based on meteorological and marine phenomena prediction information and performance information of a ship such that the ship sails from a starting point up to a destination;

estimated encounter marine phenomenon information which is information from a first time during the sail until a second time that is a near-future time in a route surrounding marine area and is estimated based on marine phenomenon statistical information of a marine area in which the ship sails and marine phenomenon information that the ship has actually encountered;

operation performance information of the ship, the operation performance information being measured until the first time during the sail;

a hull motion model of the ship; and

a short-term planned route designing unit configured to design a short-term planned route which is a route from a start position that is a ship position at the first time up to an end position that is the ship position at the second time and by which a value of a first evaluation function becomes an optimal value, the short-term planned route being designed based on the planned route, the estimated encounter marine phenomenon information, the operation performance information, and the hull motion model, wherein

the first evaluation function contains;

an index indicating an influence of a fluctuation portion between a planned position that is the ship position planned at the second time on the planned route and the end position;

a fuel consumption index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route; and

a safety index when the ship sails along the short-term planned route.

10. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, further comprising a ship maneuvering unit configured to maneuver the ship, wherein

the short-term planned route designing unit is configured to:

calculate a ship maneuvering condition used by the ship maneuvering unit to sail along the short-term planned route; and

supply the ship maneuvering condition to the ship maneuvering unit.

11. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, further comprising a planned route designing unit configured to supply the planned route to the short-term planned route designing unit, wherein

the planned route designing unit is configured to:

design a new planned route from a starting point that is the end position of the short-term planned route up to the destination; and

supply the new planned route to the short-term planned route designing unit.

12. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, wherein the short-term planned route designing unit sets a target route passing through the start position and the planned position and searches the short-term planned route, which is a route from the first time until the second time, on the basis that an end time is fixed and an end state quantity is free on the target route.

13. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, wherein:

the planned route is designed such that a value of a second evaluation function becomes an optimal value; and

the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the influence of the fluctuation portion between the planned position and the end position indicates a fluctuation portion from the second evaluation function.

14. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, wherein the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the influence of the fluctuation portion between the planned position and the end position indicates a deviation between the planned position and the end position.

15. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 9, wherein the index contained in the first evaluation function and indicating the fluctuation portion of a deviation between the planned position and the end position contains a first function and a second function, the first function being a function of a component of the deviation between the planned position and the end position in a proceeding direction of the planned route, the second function being a function of a component of the deviation in a direction perpendicular to the proceeding direction of the planned route.

16. The ship maneuvering control system according to claim 15, wherein weight coefficients are respectively given to the first function and the second function, and each of these weight coefficients is a function which changes in relation to a sail distance from the end position up to the destination.