Method and apparatus for controlling a water-jet driven marine vessel
A method for controlling a marine vessel having a first steering nozzle, a reversing deflector and at least one of a bow thruster and a second steering nozzle is disclosed. The method comprises any of the acts of inducing a net transverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to a transverse thrust component signal, without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel, or inducing a net forward-reverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to a forward-reverse thrust component signal without substantially inducing any transverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel, or inducing a net rotational thrust to the marine vessel in response to the rotational thrust component signal without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or transverse thrust to the marine vessel.
1. A method for controlling a marine vessel having a first steering nozzle, a reversing deflector and one of a bow thruster and a second steering nozzle, comprising:
receiving a first vessel control signal comprising at least one of a transverse thrust component, a forward-reverse thrust component and a rotational thrust component;
generating at least a first actuator control signal and a second actuator control signal in response to the first vessel control signal;
coupling the first actuator control signal to and controlling the first steering nozzle;
coupling the second actuator control signal to and controlling one of the second steering nozzle, the reversing deflector, and the bow thruster;
inducing a net transverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to only the transverse thrust component without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel;
inducing a net forward-reverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to only the forward-reverse thrust component without substantially inducing any transverse thrust or rotational thrust to the marine vessel; and
inducing a net rotational thrust to the marine vessel in response to only the rotational thrust component without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or transverse thrust to the marine vessel.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the reversing deflector in substantially only one degree of freedom with respect to the vessel to provide varying amounts of thrust.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the first and second steering nozzles so that they rotate substantially in unison.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an equal transverse thrust from each of the bow thruster and a combination of the reversing deflector and the steering nozzle when the first vessel control signal corresponds to a zero rotational thrust component.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the first and second actuator control signals in response to the first vessel control signal comprising a rotational thrust component to create a differential thrust between a combination of the first steering nozzle and the reversing bucket and the bow thruster, so as to induce the net rotational thrust to the marine vessel.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marine vessel comprises the first and second steering nozzles, and further comprising an act of maintaining the first and second steering nozzles at a fixed position in response to the first vessel control signal corresponding to a transverse thrust component in one of a port and starboard direction and a zero rotational thrust component.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising actuating the first steering nozzle in combination with a first reversing deflector to provide a reverse thrusting waterjet and actuating the second steering nozzle in combination with a second reversing deflector to provide a forward thrusting waterjet, in response to the first vessel control signal comprising a transverse thrust component, and providing an angle of the first steering nozzle, measured from a straight ahead position, that is less than or equal to an angle of the second steering nozzle, measured from the straight ahead position.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising configuring the reverse thrusting waterjet with a first revolutions per minute (RPM) value, and configuring the forward thrusting waterjet with a second RPM value, and configuring the first RPM value to be higher than the second RPM value.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a combination of the first steering nozzle, the reversing deflector and the bow thruster, in response to the first vessel control signal corresponding to a transverse thrust component and a zero rotational thrust component, to induce only a net transverse thrust to the marine vessel.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing the first and second actuator control signals simultaneously to control the first steering nozzle and the bow thruster.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically detecting and storing key parameters of any of the first and second steering nozzles, the reversing bucket and the bow thruster during a reference maneuver of the marine vessel.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising implementing the key parameters to perform a maneuver of the marine vessel that corresponds to the reference maneuver.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recording key parameters of any of the first and second steering nozzles, the reversing bucket and the bow thruster in response to actuating an input device during a reference maneuver of the marine vessel.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inducing to the marine vessel in combination the transverse thrust in response to the transverse thrust component, the forward-reverse thrust in response to the forward-reverse thrust component and the rotational thrust in response to the rotational thrust component.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of receiving the first vessel control signal comprises receiving a first control signal from a control device that includes the transverse thrust component, receiving a second control signal from the control device that includes the forward-reverse thrust component, and receiving a third control signal from the control device that includes the rotational thrust component.
16. A system for controlling a marine vessel having a first steering nozzle, a reversing deflector and one of a bow thruster and a second steering nozzle, comprising:
a processor that is configured to receive a first vessel control signal comprising at least one of a transverse thrust component, a forward-reverse thrust component and a rotational thrust component and to provide at least a first actuator control signal and a second actuator control signal in response to the first vessel control signal;
wherein the first actuator control signal is coupled to and controls the first steering nozzle;
wherein the second actuator control signal is coupled to and controls one of the second steering nozzle, the reversing deflector, and the bow thruster; and
wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to induce any of a net transverse thrust to marine vessel in response to only the transverse thrust component without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or rotational thrust, to induce a net forward-reverse thrust to the marine vessel in response to only the forward-reverse thrust component without substantially inducing any transverse thrust or rotational thrust, and to induce a net rotational thrust to the marine vessel in response to only the rotational thrust component without substantially inducing any forward-reverse thrust or transverse thrust.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the second actuator control signal to move the reversing deflector in substantially only one degree of freedom with respect to the vessel to provide varying amounts of thrust.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to control the first and second steering nozzles so that they rotate substantially in unison.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal so that an equal transverse thrust is provided from each of the bow thruster and a combination of the reversing deflector and the steering nozzle when the first vessel control signal corresponds to a zero rotational thrust component.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to create a differential thrust between a combination of the first steering nozzle and the reversing bucket and the bow thruster, so as to induce the net rotational thrust to the marine vessel in response to the first vessel control signal comprising a rotational thrust component.
21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to maintain the first and second steering nozzles at a fixed position in response to the first vessel control signal corresponding to a transverse thrust component in one of a port and starboard direction and a zero rotational thrust component.
22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to actuate the first steering nozzle in combination with a first reversing deflector to provide a reverse thrusting waterjet and to actuate the second steering nozzle in combination with a second reversing deflector to provide a forward thrusting waterjet, in response to the first vessel control signal comprising a transverse thrust component, and to provide an angle of the first steering nozzle, measured from a straight ahead position, that is less than or equal to an angle of the second steering nozzle, measured from the straight ahead position.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control to configure the reverse thrusting waterjet with a first revolutions per minute (RPM) value, to configure the forward thrusting waterjet with a second RPM value, and to configure the first RPM value to be higher than the second RPM value.
24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal to control a combination of the first steering nozzle, the reversing deflector and the bow thruster to induce only a net transverse thrust to the marine vessel, in response to the first vessel control signal corresponding to a transverse thrust component and a zero rotational thrust component.
25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal simultaneously to control the first steering nozzle and the bow thruster.
26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to automatically detect and store key parameters of any of the first and second steering nozzles, the reversing bucket and the bow thruster during a reference maneuver of the marine vessel.
27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to record key parameters of any of the first and second steering nozzles, the reversing bucket and the bow thruster in response to actuating an input device during a reference maneuver of the marine vessel.
28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the first actuator control signal and the second actuator control signal so as to induce to the marine vessel in combination the transverse thrust in response to the transverse thrust component, the forward-reverse thrust in response to the forward-reverse thrust component and the rotational thrust in response to the rotational thrust component.
29. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a control device that provides a first control signal that includes the transverse thrust component, a second control signal that includes the forward-reverse thrust component, and a third control signal that includes the rotational thrust component.