Cycloidal marine-propulsion system

Abstract

A cycloidal marine-propulsion system is disclosed. The system comprises a blade-mounting disc and a plurality of propeller blades. Each of the plurality of propeller blades has a respective primary blade axis and is connected to the disc in a manner allowing the blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation of every other one of the propeller blades. The system also includes a plurality of electric actuators, each actuator being connected to a respective one of the propeller blades. The system further includes a controller in communication with the electric actuators for controlling selectively each of the electric actuators.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cycloidal marine-propulsion system, comprising:
 a blade-mounting disc;   a plurality of propeller blades, each having a respective primary blade axis and being connected to the disc in a manner allowing the respective propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation of every other one of the propeller blades;   a plurality of electric actuators, each electric actuator being connected to a respective one of the propeller blades; and   a controller in communication selectively with each of the electric actuators for controlling each of the electric actuators.   
     
     
         2 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control separately each of the electric actuators according to a control map. 
     
     
         3 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and   a primary-axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, turning the lower disc,   wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the primary-axis drive according to the control map.   
     
     
         4 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and   a primary axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, the lower disc,   wherein the primary-axis drive comprises an electric motor connected directly to the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc; and   a primary axis drive connected to the drive shaft for turning the shaft and, thereby, the lower disc,   wherein the controller is in communication with the primary-axis drive for controlling the drive according to a control map.   
     
     
         6 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of propeller blades is connected to the blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing each of the propeller blades to tilt independent of any tilting of every other one of the propeller blades. 
     
     
         7 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control separately each of the electric actuators, to control blade tilt independently, according to a control map. 
     
     
         8 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 2 , wherein the control map produces output, used in controlling separately each of the electric actuators, based on at least one data input selected from a group consisting of:
 on-blade sensor data;   adjacent-blade-angle-sensor data;   main-assembly-angle-sensor data;   present system-power data;   available-system-power data;   present vessel-speed data;   requested-vessel-speed data;   wind-speed data;   ambient-water-temperature data;   present-vessel-heading data;   requested-vessel-heading data;   present-vessel position data;   requested-vessel-position data;   water-depth data;   water-current data;   vessel-type data;   propulsion-layout data;   vessel-captain command; and   controller auto-generated command.   
     
     
         9 . The cycloidal marine-propulsion system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a primary vertical-axis drive shaft connected to the lower disc;   wherein each of the plurality of propeller blades is connected to the disc in a manner allowing each of the propeller blades to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.   
     
     
         10 . A method, for controlling a cycloidal-machine-propulsion system being used in a marine vessel, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a processor of a controller, a vessel-kinematic command;   accessing, by the processor, a control map;   obtaining, by the processor, input data indicative of at least one present condition associated with the marine vessel;   determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of a plurality of cycloidal propeller blades; and   transmitting the blade-control commands to a plurality of actuators connected to respective ones of the cycloidal propeller blades.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the actuators comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the vessel-kinematic command indicates a request to stop the vessel, maintain a present motion characteristic of the vessel, or to maintain a present non-motion characteristic of the vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the vessel-kinematic command is a previous vessel-kinematic command, the method further comprising:
 determining whether a new vessel-kinematic command is present, and acting on the new vessel-kinematic command if present.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and input data, a main-axis-drive-control command for controlling a main-axis drive of the cycloidal-machine-propulsion system; and   transmitting the main-axis-drive-control command to the main-axis drive.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the blade-control commands request at least one change selected from a group consisting of:
 a change of position of the respective cycloidal propeller blade;   a change to a blade rotation about a blade-axis; and   a tiling of the cycloidal propeller blade.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the marine vessel comprises a primary vertical-axis drive shaft,   each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades is connected to a blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing the respective cycloidal propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft, and   determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of the cycloidal propeller blades, comprising determining blade-control commands for controlling the cycloidal propeller blades wherein each cycloidal propeller blade is not limited mechanically to only one blade position based on about-axis rotational movement, non-movement, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.   
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling a cycloidal-machine-propulsion system being used in a marine vessel, the method comprising:
 accessing, by a processor, a control map;   obtaining, by the processor, input data indicative of at least one present condition associated with the marine vessel;   determining, using the control map and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of a plurality of cycloidal propeller blades; and   transmitting the blade-control commands to a plurality of actuators connected to respective ones of the cycloidal propeller blades.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, using the control map and the input data, a main-axis-drive-control command for controlling a main-axis drive of the system; and   transmitting the main-axis-drive-control command to the main-axis drive.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the marine vessel comprises a primary vertical-axis drive shaft,   each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades is connected to a blade-mounting disc in a manner allowing the respective cycloidal propeller blade to be rotated about its primary blade axis independent of any about-axis rotation, non-rotation, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft, and   determining, using the vessel-kinematic command, the control map, and the input data, distinct blade-control commands for controlling independently each of the plurality of cycloidal propeller blades, comprising determining blade-control commands for controlling the cycloidal propeller blades wherein each cycloidal propeller blade is not limited mechanically to only one blade position based on about-axis rotational movement, non-movement, and position of the primary vertical-axis drive shaft.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the blade-control commands request at least one of a change to a blade rotation about a blade-axis and/or a tiling of the cycloidal propeller blade.