CN117794811A - Water engagement device actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

A water-engaging actuator system and apparatus are provided that include a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a vessel. The rotary actuator includes a driven shaft and a non-driven shaft disposed opposite to the driven shaft. The rotary actuator further includes at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean, sealed environment; a water engaging device having an arcuate blade connected to a driven shaft; at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft. A controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engaging device automatically moves to a position between the retracted position and the deployed position to provide dynamic active control of the vessel. The rotary actuator is also configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals and to counteract any unexpected disturbances by automatically deploying the arcuate blades into the water at a speed of 100mm/s or faster and to provide dynamic active control of the vessel.

Description

Water engagement device actuator

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. Nos. 17/877785 and 63/230253, filed on 7/29/2021, and filed on 6/8/2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to an improved water engagement system and apparatus for providing optimal performance and dynamic active motion control (DAC) of a vessel. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a water engaging device actuator having a rotary actuator configured and capable of horizontal installation and rapid deployment of arcuate blades to optimize dynamic active control of a vessel while minimizing the power consumption required for such dynamic active control of the vessel.

Background

The following terms and related definitions are used in the offshore stabilization industry. "trim control" refers to control of the average angle of the vessel about the roll or pitch axis, averaged over 1 second or more. "roll control" or "roll control" refers to control of the average angle of the vessel about the longitudinal or roll axis, averaged over 1 second or more. "yaw (yaw) control" refers to control of the average angle of the vessel about the yaw axis, averaged over 1 second or more. "Water engaging device (Water Engagement Device)" or "WED" refers to a mechanical or electromechanical device configured to generate variable lift of a vessel by selectively engaging or entering the device with or near a water flow below or near a transom (transom) surface of the vessel as the vessel is traveling in a certain (or forward) direction, or by varying the angle of attack of the device relative to the water flow during operation of the vessel in the forward direction. In the systems disclosed herein, WEDs may also be referred to as controllers, and references to controllers and/or WEDs refer to the same device. WED delta position is defined as the difference between port and starboard WED deployments. "deployment" refers to selective engagement of the WED with or into the water stream, or change in angle of attack of the WED. The roll moment of the vessel is a result of forces exerted on the vessel that cause the vessel to rotate about its longitudinal or roll axis. The pitching moment of the vessel is a result of forces exerted on the vessel that cause the vessel to rotate about its transverse or pitching axis. The yaw moment of a vessel is the result of a force exerted on the vessel that causes the vessel to rotate about its vertical or yaw axis. For example, (1) if port and starboard WEDs are deployed asymmetrically in a vessel, a "roll moment" can be generated, which can cause the vessel to roll; (2) When the port and starboard WEDs are deployed asymmetrically, a "yaw moment" can be generated, which can cause a change in heading; and (3) if the port and starboard WEDs are deployed symmetrically, or if a single WED is deployed around the center of the vessel, a "pitching moment" can be created, which can cause the vessel to pitch.

In the systems disclosed herein, WEDs are referred to as controllers, and references to controllers and/or WEDs refer to the same device. WED delta position is defined as the difference between port and starboard WED deployments. "deployment" refers to selective engagement of the WED with or into the water stream, or change in angle of attack of the WED. The roll moment of the vessel is a result of forces exerted on the vessel that cause the vessel to rotate about its longitudinal or roll axis. The pitching moment of the vessel is a result of forces exerted on the vessel that cause the vessel to rotate about its transverse or pitching axis. The yaw moment of a vessel is the result of a force exerted on the vessel that causes the vessel to rotate about its vertical or yaw axis.

If port and starboard WEDs are deployed asymmetrically in the vessel, a "roll moment" can be created, which can cause the vessel to roll. When the port and starboard WEDs are deployed asymmetrically, a "yaw moment" can be generated, which can cause a change in heading, and if the port and starboard WEDs are deployed symmetrically, or if a single WED is deployed around the center of the vessel, a "pitch moment" can be generated, which can cause the vessel to pitch.

Conventional offshore stabilization techniques allow WEDs to be deployed proportionally to produce continuous lift while allowing trim and roll angles of the vessel to be adjusted. Several examples of commercially available WEDs (not considered exhaustive in any way) are interceptors, trim pieces, fins and other similar devices, which can engage and provide similar functionality in a similar manner. The marine stabilization technique is critical to experiencing the enjoyment of water cruising without accompanying random environmental disturbances of the vessel. These disturbances (e.g., sudden unexpected roll) can be annoying and damaging to the occupant.

In prior art systems, WEDs are designed and configured to control roll and trim to achieve an average angle of the vessel on the roll and pitch axes. Small vessels used in the recreational market typically have manually actuated WEDs, while large vessels operating in commercial space use automatic actuation systems to stabilize motion. However, such prior art systems are typically high power devices and have certain minimum vertical height requirements for installation on the transom in order to achieve rapid deployment of the WEDs (deployment speeds of 100mm/s or faster). As shown in fig. 4, a linear actuation system having a certain minimum high vertical height and mounted on the stern transom of a ship is shown as follows. The DAC (by deployment of WEDs as disclosed herein) is configured to control the acceleration, rate and angle on the roll, pitch and yaw axes of the vessel simultaneously.

Conventional rapid linear movement of the actuator is difficult in achieving a watertight seal. This is mainly due to the fact that the shaft surface being sealed is constantly changing and any marine growth on the shaft surface or seal must be cleaned. Furthermore, the segments of the shaft must be moved from a clean, sealed environment to a dirty, saline environment. In contrast to the fast linear motion seal disclosed herein, it is much more economical to make the fast rotational motion impermeable to water because it always seals the same shaft surface.

The entertainment and commercial fin roll stabilization systems currently available that use linear hydraulic actuators have a number of drawbacks. For example, actuators for deploying WEDs are almost always located inside a vessel. During operation of the actuator, since the actuator is located inside the vessel, hydraulic oil leakage associated with any seal failure does not enter the water (e.g., sea). Conventional actuators are mostly configured with an electric linear actuator located inside the vessel to prevent damage to the motor due to seal failure. In other words, conventional WED actuators do not include WEDs without linear actuators and/or linear shaft seals. The WED actuator disclosed herein allows for the installation of the speed actuator outside of the vessel, which significantly reduces installation problems and attendant costs.

As disclosed herein, WED actuators using rotary actuators with concave arcuate blades can address various drawbacks of prior art WED actuator systems, including, but not limited to, being able to deploy/retrieve WEDs in significantly shorter times, 100mm/s or faster than the fastest recreational marine stability control systems currently available. The WED actuator provides significant power savings due to the limited number of shaft seals coupled with the arcuate blades and the plurality of bearings in a sealed, clean environment.

The present disclosure is directed to a WED actuator with a uniquely designed and configured rotary actuator that is capable of rapid deployment (deployment speed of 100mm/s or faster) of WEDs without a linear shaft seal for providing Dynamic Active Control (DAC) of a vessel.

Disclosure of Invention

A water engaging device actuator system includes an actuator assembly including a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a vessel such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel. The rotary actuator includes a driven shaft (driven shaft) and a non-driven shaft (undriven slave shaft) opposite the driven shaft. A water engagement device is connected to the driven shaft and a controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device automatically moves to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position to provide dynamic active control of the vessel.

The water engaging means comprising arcuate blades is connected to the driven shaft and at least one encoder is disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft. In another embodiment, the arcuate blade is a concave arcuate blade. The controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator and is configured to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device automatically moves to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position during offshore operations. The rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals. Further, the rotary actuator is configured to counteract any unexpected disturbances by automatically deploying the arcuate blades into the water at a speed of 100mm/s or faster, and to provide dynamic active control of the vessel.

The actuator assembly includes a rotary shaft seal configured for easy installation and rapid vertical deployment of a dynamically actively controlled water-engaging device for a marine vessel. The rotary actuator is arranged between an actuator plate and a sealing plate adapted to be connected to a support structure of the vessel such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. In addition to the seal plates and the actuator plates, the support structure includes wedges and transom plates that are interconnected to provide structural support for retraction and deployment of the water engagement devices (the cambered vanes) during offshore operations. The water engaging means or the arcuate blade connected to the water engaging means actuator (the rotary actuator) comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean sealed environment.

As described above and in further detail below, the water engaging device actuator assembly, and in particular the rotary actuator, is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals. The support structure may be mounted above or below the waterline of the vessel such that hydrodynamic forces generated by the deployment of the arcuate blades intersect at the center of rotation of the driven shaft of the rotary actuator, as described in further detail below. The controller is further configured to command rotation of the rotary actuator such that the water engaging device is moved to a retracted position when the rotary actuator fails or is deactivated. The rotary actuator further includes first and second actuator arms integrated to the driven shaft at first and second ends, respectively, the first and second actuator arms extending in a radial direction from the rotary actuator along a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator. In another embodiment, the first and second actuator arms are further connected to a blade support arm or other equivalent structure within the water engagement device or the rotary actuator assembly. The arcuate blade is rotatably connected to the rotary actuator by the first and second actuator arms, the WEDA system providing for deployment of the arcuate blade into water at a speed of 100mm/s or more.

The installation of the WEDA on the transom of a ship does not require significant power to overcome the hydrodynamic losses associated with the forces on the blades. The arcuate blades are rotatably connected to an actuator by actuator arms extending in a radial direction from a cylinder of the rotary actuator, at least partially attached and positioned in front of the sealing plate. As further described in the detailed disclosure below, the arcuate blades are further configured with side shrouds that are molded as one assembly with the blades. The blade is further connected (fastened) and secured to the actuator arm using standard industrial fasteners (e.g., bolts) and positioned to be loaded under tension. The devices disclosed herein are designed to prevent water from splashing into other components of the WEDA and/or the engine of the watercraft. The rotary actuator is also configured to enable easy horizontal installation and vertical deployment of the arcuate blades. During operation of the vessel, the rotary actuator is configured to pivotally move the water engaging means (arcuate blades) relative to the support structure between a fully/partially deployed state and a fully/partially retracted state to counteract any unintended disturbances in the vessel motion.

Drawings

Certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a generally conventional linear actuation system for vessel stabilization.

Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of a stern rail of a vessel depicting two water engaging device actuators mounted on the stern rail of the vessel in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 illustrates fully deployed and fully retracted states of a water engagement device (arcuate blade) relative to a flow of water from a vessel motion, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4A-4C illustrate perspective (exploded) and cross-sectional views of a water engagement device actuator assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 illustrates a water engaging device actuator assembled to connect along a stern rail of a vessel in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 illustrates a mechanism used by a water engagement device actuator to absorb hydrodynamic drag loads with minimal frictional losses, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of promoting and understanding the principles disclosed herein, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure provide a new and improved water engaging device actuator assembly, WEDA 1000, as will be described with reference to fig. 1-6. Furthermore, preferred and alternative embodiments of the water engaging device actuator assembly will be disclosed.

Fig. 1 is a general conventional linear actuation system for ship stabilization. Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of a stern rail of a vessel depicting two water engaging device actuators mounted on the stern rail of the vessel in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 illustrates a water engagement device, an arcuate blade 500, deployed and retracted relative to a water flow from a vessel motion, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the cambered vane 500 is in a fully extended (or deployed) state and a fully retracted state.

Fig. 4A-4C show perspective (exploded) and cross-sectional views of a water engaging device actuator assembly (WEDA 1000) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the WEDA 1000 configured to be attached to a stern rail of a vessel 2000. The WEDA 1000 disclosed herein is configured to attach to a substantially vertical surface of the stern, with the stern rail edge along the stern of the vessel 2000 extending along a portion of the horizontal width of the vertical surface. Fig. 4A-4C illustrate one WEDA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to such an amount. The invention may be implemented with two, three or more WEDA's, for example, as shown in fig. 2, depending on the needs of the application. In one aspect, the vessel 2000 may include at least a pair of WEDAs, one rotary actuator 800 positioned on the port side and one on the starboard side of the vessel 2000, as shown in fig. 2. The two WEDA (two rotary actuators) can be actuated in series, meaning that each rotary actuator 800 is actuated in the same manner at a given time. Alternatively, each rotary actuator 800 may be differentially actuated to provide dynamic active control of the vessel 2000.

As shown in fig. 4A-4C, the water engaging device actuator assembly 1000 includes a rotary actuator 800, an arcuate blade 500, and a support structure (including a seal plate 600, an actuator plate 300, a wedge 400, a transom 700) for mounting the WEDA assembly 1000 (including the rotary actuator 800 and the arcuate blade 500) on a transom of a vessel 2000. As shown, the rotary actuator 500 is disposed between an actuator plate 300 and a sealing plate 600 adapted to be connected to a support structure of the vessel 2000 such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator 800 is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel 2000. An arc vane 500 shaped as a concave arc vane is connected to a driven shaft of the rotary actuator 800. The rotary actuator 800 also includes a driven shaft and a non-driven shaft opposite the driven shaft. The controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator 800 to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the arcuate blades 500 automatically move to a position between the retracted position and the deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the vessel 2000 (as shown in fig. 3).

The configuration and installation of the WEDA 1000 (and in particular the rotary actuator 800) ensures that the hydrodynamic forces generated by the deployment of the arcuate blades 500 intersect at the center of rotation of the driven shaft. As described above, the rotary actuator 800 further includes the non-driven shaft disposed opposite to the driven shaft and at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft of the rotary actuator 800 from the driven shaft. As shown, the rotary actuator 800 further includes at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean sealed environment, the rotary actuator 800 further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals. The rotary actuator 800 further comprises a first actuator arm 803 and a second actuator arm 806 (also referred to as torque arms) integrated to the driven shaft at a first end and a second end, respectively, the first actuator arm 803 and the second actuator arm 806 extending in a radial direction from the rotary actuator 800 along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator 800. As further shown, the arcuate blade 500 is rotatably connected to a rotary actuator via a first actuator arm 803 and a second actuator arm 806.

The WEDA 1000 is communicatively coupled to one or more controllers (e.g., embedded processor-based software modules) configured to control the actuators 800 and transition the water engaging device (cambered vane 500) between a deployed state and a retracted state, as shown in fig. 3. The controller/software module communicatively connected to the rotary actuator 800 may be configured with proprietary inertial sensing hardware and software to learn, capture and determine and/or predict various motions of the vessel in all three axes and command the rapid deployment of the blades 500 to counteract any pitch, roll and yaw motions of the vessel, as well as provide overall vessel pitch axis control. The rotary actuator 800 may be automatically operated to provide dynamic active control of the vessel based on various input signals such as speed, steering, sensor inputs, etc. Furthermore, the operator of the vessel may also manipulate vessel performance (trim, steering, etc.) via a control panel communicatively connected to the rotary actuator 800.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C, the arcuate blade 500 is configured to be pivotally movable by the rotary actuator 800, with the components of the support structure being fixedly connected to one another to provide support for full (or partial) deployment and/or full (or partial) retraction of the arcuate blade 500 during offshore operations. For example, transom 700 has a front surface adapted to be coupled to vessel 2000. The actuator plate 300 also has a front surface and a flange extending from the front surface, wherein the flange is configured and shaped to be disposed below the underside of the transom 700. The clamping assembly may be configured to engage transom 700 with actuator plate 300 to connect actuator plate 300 to transom 700. The components of the support structure are sized and shaped to accommodate the rotary actuator 800 as well as the arcuate blade 500. In one aspect, the arcuate blades 500 may be positioned within the seal plate 600 in a tight tolerance relationship, preventing high pressure water generated during deployment or retraction of the blades 500 from entering the seal plate 600 or other components of the WEDA 1000. Further, as shown, the support structure may include apertures formed therein for receiving and capturing various components of the WEDA 1000, as will be discussed in more detail below. The seal plate 600 is further configured to flex to fully circumferentially engage the rotary actuator 800 and secure the rotary actuator 800 in its position within the plate. In another embodiment, the thickness of the top flange of the seal plate 600 is slightly increased (the top flange of the seal plate 600 is thicker) so that fasteners (e.g., a plurality of bolts/screws securing the seal plate 600 as shown in fig. 4C) can apply the necessary compressive force without any deformation and maintain a tight seal against the actuator plate 300.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C, the transom 700 is configured to be fixedly attached to the stern transom of the vessel 2000 via a particular marine grade or other suitable adhesive. In another embodiment, transom 700 may be bolted or screwed to the transom of vessel 2000 by using various standard fasteners. Wedge 600 is comprised of one or more wedges or shims, each providing a range of angles, alone or in combination, and arranged to be placed between the rear surface of transom 700 and actuator plate 300. Wedge 600 provides an additional option to adjust the angle of seal plate 600 relative to the stern rail of vessel 2000, thereby providing further flexibility in mounting WEDA 1000 on various types of stern rails.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C, various additional attachment means (including fasteners, bolts, screws, through multiple through holes and cutouts of the components, as shown in fig. 4B and 4C) are provided for connecting transom 700 to actuator plate 300 and attaching sealing plate 600 to actuator plate 300 via wedge 400. One or more zinc coatings may be applied to the actuator arms 803, 806 to act as a barrier and prevent corrosion caused by repeated use in a marine environment. As shown, the actuator arms 803, 806 are rotatably connected to the sides of the actuator 800 and extend in a radial direction from the cylindrical body of the rotary actuator 800. As shown, to fully assemble the WEDA 1000, a sealing plate 600 having a plurality of embedded contoured cutout ribs (rib) (shown in fig. 4A-4C) is attached to the actuator plate 300, while a cylinder of the rotary actuator 800 is press fit inside the sealing plate 600 and the actuator plate 300. Standard industrial fasteners can be used to fixedly connect all components of the WEDA 1000 together while allowing the rotary actuator 800 to pivotally retract or deploy the blade 500. The rotary actuator 800 is disposed between a front portion of the actuator plate 300 and a recessed rear portion of the seal plate 600, the seal plate 600 surrounding and capturing the rotary actuator 800 within the recessed cutout and/or recess of the plate 600 such that the rotary actuator is pivotally attached to the frame of the seal plate 600. Various attachment means are provided to attach the actuator plate 300 to the back concave side of the seal plate 600 and capture the rotary actuator 800 between the seal plate 600 and the actuator plate 300. The number of recesses and/or cutouts built into the various components of the WEDA 1000 allows for the actuator arms (803, 806) of the rotary actuator 800 to be moved effectively without any obstruction during operation of the watercraft 2000.

The various components of the WEDA 1000 can be suitably made of materials that are durable and capable of surviving marine conditions. For example, materials such as fiber reinforced polymer resins, non-reinforced or reinforced plastics or composites, metals (e.g., stainless steel or aluminum), rubber, or other materials having equivalent properties and characteristics may be used for the various components. WEDA 1000 is in the form of a module that can be disposed within a cutout (or hole) of a watercraft. Alternatively, the WEDA 1000 including the cambered vane 500 can be a modular self-contained structure that can be sold commercially separately for various types of watercraft.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C, actuator arms 803, 806 extend in a radial direction from the first and second ends of the rotary actuator 800 and are connected to the blade support arms to provide power to the WED assembly. The driven shaft within the rotary actuator 800 and the non-driven shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft are further tapered and configured for interference fit with the actuator arms 803, 806 (torque arms of the actuator). It should be noted that other connections to the torque arm are possible (including but not limited to spline tooth arrangements, non-tapered connections, etc.) as would occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, an encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft is configured to be able to measure an absolute position and support commutation of the brushless motor within the actuator. In another embodiment, an encoder may act as a position sensor, with the encoder being connected to the driven shaft to monitor the position of the arcuate blade 500 relative to the WEDA 1000. The encoder (or position sensor) may include a potentiometer or equivalent device for transmitting position data to a controller or another central control computer disposed within the vessel 2000 and communicatively and operatively connected to the WEDA 1000. The non-driven shaft and driven shaft inside the rotary actuator 800 are not connected inside. This separate shaft configuration enables the encoder to be incorporated into the sealed clean environment of the WEDA assembly 1000. The cambered vane 500 is also configured with a side shroud that is molded as one assembly with the vane 500 that is configured to enable easy horizontal installation and quick deployment/retrieval of the concave cambered vane 500 during offshore operations.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C and 5, the shaft and actuator arms 803, 806 are further held together using standard and conventional fasteners (e.g., bolts). The support arms 801, 805 attached to the shaft provide electrical signals to actuate and deploy the arcuate blade 500 into the water during operation of the vessel 2000, the arcuate blade 500 being configured to move (or be vertically displaceable) at a speed of 100mm/s or more (preferably greater than 250 mm/s) relative to the WEDA (as shown in fig. 3) between a fully (or partially) deployed position and/or a fully (or partially) retracted position. WEDA 1000 is also configured to be placed and mounted in a plurality of orientations (e.g., four (4) different orientations) to facilitate mounting rotary actuator 800 above or below the water line of vessel 2000. For example, the rotary actuator 800 may be assembled with the controller in either of two holes molded into the top of the seal plate 600, depending on the desired cable outlet required for the application. The actuator cable may be routed to a desired height above the stern transom of the vessel 2000 and additional components may be used to turn the cable 90 degrees to pass through the stern transom of the vessel 2000. Each orientation of the WEDA 1000 uses a different configuration and layout of wiring of the actuator 800 for power and signal communications and provides for deployment of the blade 500 at speeds of 100mm/s or faster.

The rotary shaft seal allows the rotary actuator 800 to use commercially available off-the-shelf bearings in a sealed environment that can absorb hydrodynamic drag loads associated with deployment of the blade 500. As shown in fig. 6, this multi-bearing (e.g., four-bearing) arrangement enables the use of bearings in a sealed environment with only two radial shaft seals. The bearing arrangement is further configured such that all four bearings can be secured by at most two rotary seals per WEDA at the cost of variable reaction forces generated by the two rotary seals of the WEDA. The combination of the rotary shaft seal with the arcuate blade 500 and the commercially available finished bearing is configured to be able to respond quickly to deployment/retraction of the blade 500 while providing very low power consumption with a faster response time compared to prior art water engaging device systems. In the prior art, phenolic bearings are typically used to avoid the complexity of incorporating four shaft seals. Such prior art bearings produce significantly greater rolling losses than the bearings within the WEDA 1000 disclosed herein. The configuration of the bearings is not limited and may be placed on both ends of the shaft to support the actuator arms 803, 806. The novel configuration and design of the WEDA 1000 is capable of absorbing drag loads with very low frictional losses while each rotary actuator 800 relies on only two rotary seals, which requires significantly lower power to deploy the blades relative to prior art water engagement devices.

Referring back to fig. 4A-4C, a hinge located at the axial center of the rotary actuator 800 forms the center of rotation of the rotary actuator 800. Once the WEDA 1000 is installed, the arc of blade surfaces of the WEDA and the seal plate 600 can be positioned to align parallel to the bottom of the vessel 2000. The WEDA 1000 is further configured such that the direction of action of water power associated with deploying the cambered vane 500 in water (water flowing through the vessel at a velocity) is perpendicular to the cambered surface of the vane 500. The arc shape of the arc-shaped blade 500 is shaped such that forces acting perpendicular to its surface will intersect the center of rotation of the arc-shaped blade. In other words, since the hydrodynamic vector intersects the rotation center, the distance to the rotation center is zero. Thus, one of the numerous advantages of this novel WEDA assembly 1000 is that the rotary actuator 800 does not require torque (measured as force multiplied by distance, which is equal to zero) to overcome the hydrodynamic loads associated with deploying the blade 500 in water. As will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art, the embodiments described herein may be implemented for many different geometries and dimensions of the various components forming the WEDA assembly 1000.

In another embodiment, the WEDA 1000 can operate in a secure default failure mode (Safe Default Failure Mode, SDFM). For example, during operation of the vessel, the jet generated by the gap between the seal plate 600 and the blade 500 acts on the blade 500 and automatically retracts (lifts from operative engagement with water) the blade 500 when the actuator fails or is deactivated.

It should be understood that the foregoing is only a detailed description of some examples and embodiments of the present disclosure, and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments may be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description is not meant to limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather to provide sufficient disclosure to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the disclosure without undue burden. It is further understood that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art.

Differences and differences are defined herein as differences in terms of inequality, off-center, and/or application involving angle, speed, velocity, direction of motion, output, force, moment, inertia, mass, balance, comparables, and the like. The term dynamic and/or dynamic active control may refer to immediate action that occurs when needed. In this application, any use of the term "immediately" means that the control action is performed in a manner that is responsive to the extent to which the vessel motion and attitude are prevented or alleviated before the vessel motion and attitude occur in an uncontrolled manner.

Those of ordinary skill in the art understand the relationship between sensed motion parameters and desired response in terms of the maximum total delay that may exist while still achieving control objectives. Dynamic and/or dynamic active control may be used to describe interactive hardware and software systems involving different forces and may be characterized by continuous changes and/or activities. Dynamic may also be used when describing the interaction between the ship and the environment. As mentioned above, a vessel may be affected by various dynamic forces generated by its propulsion system and its operating environment. Any description of the vessel attitude may be defined with respect to three rotational axes, including a pitch attitude or rotation about a Y lateral or roll (sway) axis, a roll attitude or rotation about an X longitudinal or surge (merge) axis, and a yaw attitude or rotation about a Z vertical or heave (heave) axis.

The various features of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof, and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. However, the operations performed in these embodiments are often termed, for example, determining, which is often associated with mental activities performed by a human operator. This capability of a human operator is not necessary in any of the operations described herein. Rather, these operations may be implemented entirely in machine operations. Useful machines for performing the operations of the exemplary embodiments presented herein include general purpose digital computers or similar devices. With respect to hardware, a CPU typically includes one or more components, such as one or more microprocessors for performing the arithmetic and/or logical operations required for program execution, as well as storage media, such as one or more disk drives or memory cards (e.g., flash memory) for program and data storage, and random access memory for temporary data and program instruction storage. With respect to software, a CPU typically includes software residing on a storage medium (e.g., disk drive or memory card) that, when executed, instructs the CPU to perform the transmit and receive functions.

The CPU software may run on an operating system stored on a storage medium, such as UNIX or Windows (e.g., NT, XP, vista), linux, etc., and may conform to various protocols, such as ethernet, ATM, TCP/IP, CAN, LIN protocols, and/or other connected or connectionless protocols. As is known in the art, a CPU may run different operating systems and may contain different types of software, each type of software being dedicated to a different function, such as processing and managing data/information from a particular source, or converting data/information from one format to another. Thus, it should be apparent that the embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to use with any particular type of server computer, but may employ any other suitable type of device for facilitating exchange and storage of information.

The CPU may be a single CPU or may include multiple individual CPUs, with each CPU dedicated to an individual application, such as a data application, a voice application, and a video application. The software embodiments of the exemplary embodiments presented herein may be provided as a computer program product or software that may include an article of manufacture on a machine-accessible or non-transitory computer-readable medium (i.e., also referred to as a "machine-readable medium") having instructions. The instructions on the machine-accessible or machine-readable medium may be used to program a computer system or other electronic device. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, USB thumb drives, and SD cards, or other types of media/machine-readable media suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions. The techniques described herein are not limited to any particular software configuration. They may find applicability in any computing or processing environment. The terms "machine-accessible medium," "machine-readable medium," and "computer-readable medium" as used herein shall include any non-transitory medium that is capable of storing, encoding or transmitting a sequence of instructions for execution by the machine (e.g., CPU or other type of processing device) and that cause the machine to perform any one of the methods described herein. It is noted that software is often referred to in the art as taking an action or causing a result in one form or another (e.g., procedure, process, application, module, unit, logic, etc.), as would occur to one skilled in the art. Such expressions are merely a shorthand way of stating the execution of the software by a processing system cause the processor to perform an action of produce a result.

The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "comprising," "having," and "including" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to"). Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. It should be understood that the foregoing is only a detailed description of some examples and embodiments of the present disclosure, and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description is not meant to limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather to provide sufficient disclosure to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the disclosure without undue burden.

It should be further understood that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art. Features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary constructions.

Claims (23)

1. A water engagement device actuator system comprising:

a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a vessel such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel, wherein the rotary actuator comprises a driven shaft;

a water engagement device connected to the driven shaft; and

a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device automatically moves to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position to provide dynamic active control of the vessel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the water engaging device is an arcuate blade.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the arcuate blade is a concave arcuate blade.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein hydrodynamic forces generated by deployment of the water engagement device intersect at a center of rotation of the driven shaft.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises a non-driven shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean, sealed environment; and is also provided with

Wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb hydrodynamic drag loads generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the support structure is mountable above or below a water line of the vessel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to command the rotary actuator to rotate such that the water engagement device moves to the retracted position when the rotary drive fails or is deactivated.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to deploy the water engagement device at a speed of 100mm/s or faster.

11. A water engaging device, comprising:

a rotary actuator disposed between an actuator plate and a sealing plate adapted to be connected to a support structure of a vessel such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel, wherein the rotary actuator comprises a driven shaft;

a water engaging device having an arcuate blade connected to the driven shaft;

a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device automatically moves to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position to provide dynamic active control of the vessel.

12. The water engaging device of claim 11 wherein said arcuate blade is a concave arcuate blade.

13. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein hydrodynamic forces generated by deployment of the water engagement device intersect at a center of rotation of the driven shaft.

14. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises a non-driven shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft.

15. The water engagement device of claim 14, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft.

16. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean, sealed environment; and is also provided with

Wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals.

17. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the support structure is mountable above or below a water line of the vessel.

18. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to command the rotary actuator to rotate such that the water engagement device moves to the retracted position when the rotary drive fails or is deactivated.

19. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to deploy the water engagement device at a speed of 100mm/s or faster.

20. The water engagement device of claim 11, wherein the rotary actuator further comprises:

first and second actuator arms integrated at first and second ends, respectively, to the driven shaft; and is also provided with

Wherein the first and second actuator arms extend in a radial direction from the rotary actuator along a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator.

21. The water engagement device of claim 20, wherein the arcuate blade is rotatably connected to the rotary actuator via the first and second actuator arms.

22. A watercraft, comprising:

a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a vessel such that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel, wherein the rotary actuator comprises a driven shaft and a non-driven shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft;

wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed in a clean, sealed environment;

a water engaging device having an arcuate blade connected to the driven shaft;

at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the non-driven shaft from the driven shaft;

a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device automatically moves to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position to provide dynamic active control of the vessel; and is also provided with

Wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated by the vessel by only two rotary shaft seals; and is also provided with

Wherein the rotary actuator is configured to counteract any unexpected disturbances by automatically deploying the cambered vane into the water and provide dynamic active control of the watercraft.

23. The vessel of claim 22, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to deploy the arcuate blade at a speed of 100mm/s or more.