CYCLOIDAL MARINE-PROPULSION SYSTEM

• US 20150321740A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: BRADLEY, Stuart, URZON, Arkadiusz Janusz
• Application Number:
  US14/709,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20150321740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 1/10 of Voith Schneider type, i.e. with blades extending axially from a disc-shaped rotary body
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2001/105 with non-mechanical control of individual blades, e.g. electric or hydraulic control
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/002 with individually adjustable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/06 characterised by use of non-mechanical actuating means, e.g. electrical B63H3/002 takes precedence

Abstract

A cycloidal marine-propulsion system is disclosed. The system comprises a blade-mounting disc and a plurality of propeller blades. Each of the plurality of propeller blades has a respective primary blade axis and is connected to the disc in a manner allowing the blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation of every other one of the propeller blades. The system also includes a plurality of electric actuators, each actuator being connected to a respective one of the propeller blades. The system further includes a controller in communication with the electric actuators for controlling selectively each of the electric actuators.

Claims

1. A cycloidal marine-propulsion system, comprising:

a blade-mounting disc;

a plurality of propeller blades, each having a respective primary blade axis and being connected to the disc in a manner allowing the respective propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation of every other one of the propeller blades;

a plurality of electric actuators, each electric actuator being connected to a respective one of the propeller blades; and

a controller in communication selectively with each of the electric actuators for controlling each of the electric actuators.

2. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control separately each of the electric actuators according to a control map.

3. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 2, further comprising:

a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and

a primary-axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, turning the lower disc,

wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the primary-axis drive according to the control map.

4. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising:

a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and

a primary axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, the lower disc,

wherein the primary-axis drive comprises an electric motor connected directly to the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.

5. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising:

a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and

a primary axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, the lower disc,

wherein the controller is in communication with the primary-axis drive for controlling the drive according to a control map.

6. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of propeller blades is connected to the blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing each of the propeller blades to tilt independent of any tilting of every other one of the propeller blades.

7. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to control separately each of the electric actuators, to control blade tilt independently, according to a control map.

8. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 2, wherein the control map produces output, used in controlling separately each of the electric actuators, based on at least one data input selected from a group consisting of:

on-blade sensor data;

adjacent-blade-angle-sensor data;

main-assembly-angle-sensor data;

present system-power data;

available-system-power data;

present vessel-speed data;

requested-vessel-speed data;

wind-speed data;

ambient-water-temperature data;

present-vessel-heading data;

requested-vessel-heading data;

present-vessel position data;

requested-vessel-position data;

water-depth data;

water-current data;

vessel-type data;

propulsion-layout data;

vessel-captain command; and

controller auto-generated command.

9. The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising:

a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc;

wherein each of the plurality of propeller blades is connected to the disc in a manner allowing each of the propeller blades to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.

10. A method, for controlling a cycloidal-machine-propulsion system being used in a marine vessel, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a processor of a controller, a vessel-kinematic command;

accessing, by the processor, a control map;

obtaining, by the processor, input data indicative of at least one present condition associated with the marine vessel;

determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of a plurality of cycloidal propeller blades; and

transmitting the blade-control commands to a plurality of actuators connected to respective ones of the cycloidal propeller blades.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the actuators comprises an electric motor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the vessel-kinematic command indicates a request to stop the vessel, maintain a present motion characteristic of the vessel, or to maintain a present non-motion characteristic of the vessel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the vessel-kinematic command is a previous vessel-kinematic command, the method further comprising:

determining whether a new vessel-kinematic command is present, and acting on the new vessel-kinematic command if present.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and input data, a main-axis-drive-control command for controlling a main-axis drive of the cycloidal-machine-propulsion system; and

transmitting the main-axis-drive-control command to the main-axis drive.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the blade-control commands request at least one change selected from a group consisting of:

a change of position of the respective cycloidal propeller blade;

a change to a blade rotation about a blade-axis; and

a tiling of the cycloidal propeller blade.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the marine vessel comprises a primary vertical-axis drive shaft,

each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades is connected to a blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing the respective cycloidal propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft, and

determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of the cycloidal propeller blades, comprising determining blade-control commands for controlling the cycloidal propeller blades wherein each cycloidal propeller blade is not limited mechanically to only one blade position based on about-axis rotational movement, non-movement, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.

17. A method for controlling a cycloidal-machine-propulsion system being used in a marine vessel, the method comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a control map;

obtaining, by the processor, input data indicative of at least one present condition associated with the marine vessel;

determining, using the control map and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of a plurality of cycloidal propeller blades; and

transmitting the blade-control commands to a plurality of actuators connected to respective ones of the cycloidal propeller blades.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, using the control map and the input data, a main-axis-drive-control command for controlling a main-axis drive of the system; and

transmitting the main-axis-drive-control command to the main-axis drive.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the marine vessel comprises a primary vertical-axis drive shaft,

each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades is connected to a blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing the respective cycloidal propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft, and

determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades, comprising determining blade-control commands for controlling the cycloidal propeller blades wherein each cycloidal propeller blade is not limited mechanically to only one blade position based on about-axis rotational movement, non-movement, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the blade-control commands request at least one of a change to a blade rotation about a blade-axis and/or a tiling of the cycloidal propeller blade.