Patent ID: 7281482
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
1. A system maneuverability of a marine vehicle through a water medium, said system comprising: a lateral thruster positionable in a lateral maneuvering tunnel of the marine vehicle, said lateral thruster having a variable pitch propeller in which blades of said propeller are capable of producing a lateral thrust of flowing water therethrough; a thruster motor mechanically connected to said propeller for rotating said propeller at a constant speed to produce the lateral thrust wherein said thruster motor is an electric motor producing the lateral thrust at a predetermined level; a power supply electrically connected to and providing power to said thruster motor; means connected to receive the input power for providing signals representative of the input power to said thruster motor; means for generating pitch control signals from the signals representative of the input power; and means connected to said propeller and said generating means for changing a pitch of blades of the variable pitch propeller for maneuvering the marine vehicle and to maintain the lateral thrust at the predetermined level; wherein said signal providing means includes a voltage meter and a current meter to produce the representative signals, said pitch control signal generating means includes a computer controller receiving the representative signals to generate the pitch control signals, and said pitch changing means includes a pitch actuator to change the pitch of said blades of said propeller.