Patent ID: 9394043
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: B63B,B63H,G05D,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A propulsion system for an aquatic vessel, wherein the propulsion system includes one or more Magnus-type rotors that are operable to rotate about their respective substantially upright axes, a drive arrangement for rotating the one or more Magnus-type rotors, and a control arrangement for controlling the drive arrangement for varying a rate and/or a direction of rotations of each of the one or more Magnus-type rotors, wherein the control arrangement is operable to receive one or more measured apparent wind speeds and/or one or more measured apparent wind directions, and is additionally provided in operation with one or more forecasted wind speeds and/or one or more forecasted wind directions, further wherein the control arrangement is supplemented with one or more predicted wind speeds and/or one or more predicted wind directions derived from one or more weather models for use in controlling the drive arrangement for improving propulsion provided by the one or more Magnus-type rotors, wherein the one or more weather models are operable to determine the one or more predicted wind speeds and/or the one or more predicted wind directions depending on the one or more measured apparent wind speeds and/or the one or more measured apparent wind directions and the one or more forecasted wind speeds and/or the one or more forecasted wind directions.