Patent ID: 9567052
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: B63H

Claim:
1. Steering control system for a vessel including a set of propulsion units including at least two propulsion units pivotally arranged in relation to a hull of the vessel for generating a driving thrust of the vessel in a desired direction, the control system including a steering control instrument for generating input signals for control of a desired route of the vessel, and a control unit complex controlling angular positions of the propulsion units, the control unit complex being arranged for receiving input signals from the steering control instrument, which input signals represent a desired general direction of movement of the vessel and a general desired angular position of each propulsion unit, the control unit complex containing a plurality of feed forward pivot angle correction control blocks, each feed forward pivot angle correction control block corresponding to a respective corresponding propulsion unit of the propulsion units, each feed forward pivot angle correction control block being individually programmed for the corresponding propulsion unit to generate actual desired individual angular positions of the propulsion units by adding an individual correction value to the general desired angular position of the corresponding propulsion unit, wherein each individual correction value for each corresponding propulsion unit is determined to compensate for two propulsion units of the propulsion units not being symmetrically positioned on either side of an axis of symmetry of the vessel, the two propulsion units being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of the vessel and both being one of closest to or furthest from the axis of symmetry of the vessel of all propulsion units on the vessel.