Systems and methods for controlling movement of drive units on a marine vessel

摘要

A system for controlling movement of a plurality of drive units on a marine vessel has a control circuit communicatively connected to each drive unit. When the marine vessel is turning, the control circuit defines one of the drive units as an inner drive unit and another of the drive units as an outer drive unit. The control circuit calculates an inner drive unit steering angle and an outer drive unit steering angle and sends control signals to actuate the inner and outer drive units to the inner and outer drive unit steering angles, respectively, so as to cause each of the inner and outer drive units to incur substantially the same hydrodynamic load while the marine vessel is turning. An absolute value of the outer drive unit steering angle is less than an absolute value of the inner drive unit steering angle.

主权项

1. A system for controlling movement of a plurality of drive units on a marine vessel, the system comprising:
a control circuit communicatively connected to each drive unit in the plurality of drive units; an operator input device for inputting a desired steering angle to the control circuit; a speed sensor for inputting a speed of the marine vessel to the control circuit; wherein, when the marine vessel is turning, the control circuit defines one of the drive units in the plurality of drive units as an inner drive unit and another of the drive units in the plurality of drive units as an outer drive unit; wherein, based on the desired steering angle and the speed of the marine vessel, the control circuit calculates an inner drive unit steering angle and an outer drive unit steering angle that will cause each of the inner and outer drive units to incur substantially equal hydrodynamic loads while the marine vessel is turning; wherein the control circuit subsequently sends steering control signals to actuate the inner and outer drive units to the inner and outer drive unit steering angles, respectively; and wherein an absolute value of the outer drive unit steering angle is less than an absolute value of the inner drive unit steering angle.