Supervisory control and data acquisition system for energy extracting vessel navigation

• US 8,260,476 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integrated Power Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Integrated Power Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Gizara, Andrew Roman, Cicali, Michael Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen, Lin B
• Application Number:
  US13/073,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20110172852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• 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: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/06 using liquid flow with predominantly kinetic energy conversion, e.g. of swinging-flap type , "run-of-river", "ultra-low head" F03B13/264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/932 which is a catamaran-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/97 on a submerged structure
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/8041 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/806 Sonars
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• 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 Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system guides navigation of a vessel enabled to extract energy from wind and/or water currents primarily in offshore marine environments. An exemplary SCADA system could embody server and client software applications running on microprocessor systems at a remote control central service logging and energy distribution facility, and the vessel itself. The remote control service facility runs Human Machine Interface (HMI) software in the form of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) allowing choices to maximize system performance. The central server accesses information to control vessel position based on transmitted Global Position Satellite (GPS) data from the vessel, and weather information from the Geographic Information System (GIS) provided by multiple spatial temporal data sources. A server-side optimization algorithm fed the parameters delivered from vessel aerodynamic/hydrodynamic performance simulation software models, the vessel onboard sensor data, and integrated real-time weather and environmental data determines an optimal navigation through weather systems and presents choices to the HMI.

Claims

1. A supervisory control and data acquisition system for an offshore energy recovery system comprising:

one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems;

said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems including sensors configured to track position of, velocity of, and amount of energy recovered by said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems;

a remote control central service facility, said remote control central service facility configured to govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery, said remote control central service facility further configured to provide control of one or more mechanisms that govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery;

said remote control central service facility further including a microprocessor system configured to run a server software system;

wherein said control of one or more mechanisms that govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery includes a processor configured for supervisory control and data acquisition systems.

2. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein said remote control central service facility further comprises a prediction of energy recovery of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems, said prediction including access to a primary geographic information system data and a predictive performance model for velocity.

3. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 2 wherein said microprocessor system is further configured to access transmitted sensor or Global Position Satellite data from said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems, and weather and environmental data from secondary geographic information systems from one or more sources to govern said navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery.

4. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 3 wherein said server software system further comprises an algorithm to optimize said energy recovery based on said predictive performance model for velocity to predict energy recovery, said sensors of said mobile buoyant energy recovery system, and said weather information.

5. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 3 wherein said server access to data from said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems sensors occurs over one or more wireless radio frequency signal channels.

6. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 5 wherein said wireless radio frequency signal channel is point-to-point Ultra High Frequency Radio.

7. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 5 wherein said wireless radio frequency signal channel is Code Division Multiple Access Radio.

8. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 5 wherein said wireless radio frequency signal channel is satellite communications.

9. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor system is further configured to run a client software, said client software including a graphical user interface, said graphical user interface in communication with said server software system.

10. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 9 wherein said client software accesses a server running human machine interface software to display data from an optimization algorithm upon said graphical user interface.

11. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 10 wherein said microprocessor system is further configured to access data or communicate through Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol.

12. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 9 wherein said graphical user interface comprises one or more virtual reality representations of various view angles.

13. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 12 wherein said mobile buoyant energy recovery system sensors further comprise one or more video camera data streams to enhance said virtual reality representations of various view angles.

14. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein said control of one or more mechanisms that govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery comprises control of one or more motors located at said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems that rotate a rudder of said mobile buoyant energy recovery system.

15. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 further comprising one or more motors located at said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems coupled to propellers which drive said mobile buoyant energy recovery system wherein said control of one or more mechanisms that govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery comprises control of said one or more motors.

16. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein said control of one or more mechanisms that govern navigation of said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems during energy recovery comprises control of one or more motors located at said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems that rotate a boom about a mast of a sailing vessel.

17. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein said server software system further comprises an algorithm to analyze yield of energy for said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems on a predicted path based on weather and environmental data and predictive performance models for velocity to predict energy recovery of said mobile buoyant energy recovery system.

18. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 17 wherein said sensors further comprise radar or sonar;

wherein said algorithm to analyze yield of energy for said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems accesses data from said radar or sonar for physical object detection, identification, and avoidance;

wherein said algorithm to analyze yield of energy for said one or more mobile buoyant energy recovery systems analyzes yield of energy for a path for said avoidance.

19. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 18 wherein said mobile buoyant energy recovery system sensors further comprise one or more video camera data streams;

wherein said algorithm accesses said video camera data streams to further classify or confirm said physical object detection, identification, and avoidance.

20. The supervisory control and data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein a client software accesses said server software system through a secure remote client control connection software application.