Fin stabilizer
A fin stabilizer is for the roll-stabilizing of a watercraft in motion, at anchor, or at zero speed, including a shaft on which a stabilizing fin is disposed. The shaft is drivable by a drive unit for changing at least one angle of attack of the stabilizing fin in the water. A cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin is changeable by at least one actuator, and the stabilizing fin forms a closed surface geometry. Due to the hydraulically effective cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin, which cross-sectional geometry is largely changeable by at least one actuator, a significantly increased energy efficiency of the fin stabilizer results with a simultaneously improved stabilizing effect of the fin stabilizer, in particular with respect to suppressing rolling movements of the watercraft.
1 . A fin stabilizer for roll-stabilizing a watercraft in motion, at anchor, or at zero speed, the fin stabilizer comprising:
a shaft,
a stabilizing fin disposed on the shaft and forming a self-contained surface geometry,
a drive unit for driving the shaft and for changing at least one angle of attack of the stabilizing fin in water, and
at least one actuator configured to change a cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin,
wherein the stabilizing fin comprises an inflow body spaced from an outflow body by an elastomeric connecting body, the elastomeric connecting body connecting the inflow body to the outflow body, and
wherein the change of the cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin is effected solely by an elastic deformation of the elastomeric connecting body.
2 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 , wherein in an undeformed base state of the elastomeric connecting body, a central plane of the inflow body, a central plane of the outflow body, and a central plane of the elastomeric connecting body extend substantially in one base plane.
3 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 2 , wherein the inflow body and the outflow body are connected to each other by the elastomeric connecting body such that in a deformation state of the elastomeric connecting body, an outflow angle is defined between the central plane of the outflow body and the central plane of the inflow body.
4 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator is integrated into the inflow body.
5 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one actuator is connected to the outflow body by at least one coupling link.
6 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 5 , wherein a first end of the coupling link is connected to the at least one actuator and a second end of the coupling link is connected to the outflow body outside the central plane of the outflow body.
7 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator is configured to change at least one outflow angle between a central plane of the outflow body and a central plane of the inflow body.
8 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator is controllable by a control and/or regulating unit to increase an energy efficiency and/or to increase a stabilizing effect of the fin stabilizer.
9 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the self-contained surface geometry comprises a surface free from steps, shoulders, recesses, grooves, notches, channels, gaps, holes or bores.
10 . A fin stabilizer for roll-stabilizing a watercraft in motion, at anchor, or at zero speed, the fin stabilizer comprising:
a shaft,
a stabilizing fin disposed on the shaft and forming a self-contained surface geometry,
a drive unit for driving the shaft and for changing at least one angle of attack of the stabilizing fin in water, and
at least one actuator configured to change a cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin,
wherein the stabilizing fin comprises an inflow body spaced from an outflow body by an elastomeric connecting body, the elastomeric connecting body connecting the inflow body to the outflow body, and
wherein an outermost surface of the inflow body forms a first portion of the self-contained surface geometry and an outermost surface of the elastomeric connecting body forms a second portion of the self-contained surface geometry and an outermost surface of the outflow body forms a third portion of the self-contained surface geometry.
11 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 10 ,
wherein the outermost surface of the elastomeric connecting body does not overlap and is not overlapped by the outermost surface of the inflow body, and
wherein the outermost surface of the elastomeric connecting body does not overlap and is not overlapped by the outermost surface of the outflow body.
12 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 10 ,
wherein the change of the cross-sectional geometry of the stabilizing fin is effected solely by an elastic deformation of the elastomeric connecting body.
13 . The fin stabilizer according to claim 1 ,
wherein an outermost surface of the inflow body forms a first portion of the self-contained surface geometry and an outermost surface of the elastomeric connecting body forms a second portion of the self-contained surface geometry and an outermost surface of the outflow body forms a third portion of the self-contained surface geometry.