Abstract:
A Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system guides navigation of a vessel enabled to extract energy from wind and/or water currents primarily in offshore marine environments. An exemplary SCADA system could embody server and client software applications running on microprocessor systems at a remote control central service logging and energy distribution facility, and the vessel itself. The remote control service facility runs Human Machine Interface (HMI) software in the form of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) allowing choices to maximize system performance. The central server accesses information to control vessel position based on transmitted Global Position Satellite (GPS) data from the vessel, and weather information from the Geographic Information System (GIS) provided by multiple spatial temporal data sources. A server-side optimization algorithm fed the parameters delivered from vessel aerodynamic/hydrodynamic performance simulation software models, the vessel onboard sensor data, and integrated real-time weather and environmental data determines an optimal navigation through weather systems and presents choices to the HMI.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is generally in the field of supervisory control and data acquisition systems. More specifically, the present invention is embodied in a remote control system particularly for operation and navigation of a mobile structure that optimally recovers energy from an offshore marine environment. 
     2. Background Art 
     While many systems exist today for recovery of wind energy and water current or wave energy, most systems are stationary, mounted on or anchored to the sea floor. Many other hydrokinetic turbine energy systems exist today that affix to sailing vessels overcoming the limitations of fixed stationary structures. Nonetheless, all wind and hydrokinetic systems have the fundamental limitation of total possible recoverable energy at any given time being directly proportional to the cube of the velocity of the motive fluids. This inherent limitation renders most of these systems economically infeasible when considering the manufacturing and operational costs of the system and the typical ambient wind and water current vectors rarely summing to a magnitude greater than twenty knots. While sailing vessel designs exist such as catamarans, which reputedly can exceed true wind speed, the function of immersing a hydrokinetic turbine as an appendage of such a vessel immediately incurs drag upon the vessel ultimately to reduce the speed of the motive fluid through the turbine to unprofitable energy recovery rates. U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,056 for a Turbine-Integrated Hydrofoil addresses an implementation of a drag-reducing appendage as means to an economically viable solution. The specification of this reference application suggests remote controlled operation but does not expressly depict intentional unmanned operation of such a mobile structure for economic benefit into an environment of such high energy as to otherwise present conditions hazardous to human crews. The aforementioned reference patent application also does not delineate the various parts of the communication system in detail, thus does not enable in full, clear, concise, and exact terms, one skilled in the art to reduce such a remote control system to practice. 
     Therefore, there exists a need for a novel Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition system that remotely controls the operation and particularly the navigation of a mobile structure that can cost-effectively extract energy in an optimal manner from an environment that inherently presents untenable risk to human life. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a novel Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) remote control system for a mobile structure that recovers naturally occurring energy from severe weather patterns. The present specification embodies an offshore energy recovery system wherein an algorithm optimizes efficiency in the system by accounting for data from weather observations, and from sensors on the mobile structure, while relating these data points to performance models for the mobile structure itself. The present specification exemplifies the use of the algorithm in navigating a sailing vessel optimized to reduce drag while responding to wind and water velocity vectors by adjusting points of sail, rudder rotation, openness of turbine gates, and ballast draft, through control outputs from the microprocessor system on-board the sailing vessel. The SCADA system includes computer servers that gather data through diverse means such as Global Position Satellite (GPS) systems, weather satellite systems of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and United States Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) communicated through various geographic and weather data resources including but not limited to the Geographic Information System (GIS) of NOAA&#39;s National Weather Service (NWS) along with all other weather information sources available from its National Hurricane Center (NHC) and Tropical Prediction Center (TPC). The SCADA computer servers run Human Machine Interface (HMI) secure software applications which communicate to microprocessor systems running client software with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to allow remote humans to optionally interact and choose mission critical navigation plans. 
     In addition, the present invention is not limited to implementation of the exemplary referenced Turbine-Integrated Hydrofoil system of U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,056. The present invention applies to remote control of any system that exploits energy from weather patterns that avail formidable amounts of naturally occurring energy. Any mobile structure that extracts energy from electrical storms, windstorms, offshore tropical storms or hurricanes, or any aerodynamic or hydrokinetic electromechanical mobile system for renewable energy recovery under remote control especially benefits from the present invention. Otherwise whereby without the present invention that enables a mobile system to automatically track environmental conditions hazardous to humans anywhere in the universe, such risks of danger renders manned operation undesirable and thus the cost benefits and ease of implementation of such energy exploitation systems unrealizable. 
     Finally, because the system embodied within the present invention comprises an algorithm that optimizes energy extraction using yield functions derived from weather and geospatial data and vessel performance models, the same system using just the path cost algorithm without weighing energy extraction yield factors into the cost of travel, may guide navigation of vessels for logistics-only purposes past such weather patterns. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top-level view of all components in an exemplary system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of the control, communications, and computer systems running server and client software applications in an exemplary system. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates electromechanical circuits for actuating control of various mechanisms affecting position and velocity of the mobile structure in an exemplary system. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a representation of the graphical user interface on a client computer system in one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to a remote control system and algorithm for supervisory control and data acquisition enabling navigation and automatic operation of a mobile energy recovery system. The following description contains specific information pertaining to various embodiments and implementations of the invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that one may practice the present invention in a manner different from that specifically depicted in the present specification. Furthermore, the present specification need not represent some of the specific details of the present invention in order to not obscure the invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have knowledge of such specific details not described in the present specification. Obviously, others may omit or only partially implement some features of the present invention and remain well within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The following drawings and their accompanying detailed description apply as merely exemplary and not restrictive embodiments of the invention. To maintain brevity, the present specification has not exhaustively described all other embodiments of the invention that use the principles of the present invention and has not exhaustively illustrated all other embodiments in the present drawings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a top-level diagram of all components of an exemplary practical embodiment of the present invention. Block  100  represents an offshore mobile energy recovery structure in the process of energy extraction in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of mobile structure  100  include sailing or propelled vessels or barges or any mobile buoyant energy recovery system known by one of ordinary skill in the art. A non-exhaustive list of mobile structures  100  for energy recovery includes: the Turbine-Integrated Hydrofoil of U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,056; any wave energy conversion system with propulsion means allowing relocation; one or plural wind turbines on floating platforms with propulsion means allowing relocation; or one or plural lightening rods on floating platforms with propulsion means allowing relocation for extracting energy from electrical storms; or any mobile system that extracts energy from pneumatic and/or hydrokinetic sources with aerodynamic and/or hydrodynamic drive means. The aforementioned list of mobile structures  100  represents purely exemplary embodiments by no means restrictive of mobile structure  100  embodiments within the scope and spirit of the present invention.  FIG. 1  further depicts mobile structure  100  in the process of energy extraction circumnavigating what appears to be a vortical weather pattern  101 . As one may infer from the counterclockwise vortex streamlines, the weather pattern  101  manifests in the northern hemisphere as implied by the Coriolis effect. Note that this representation of a weather pattern  101  is strictly exemplary and that a weather pattern  101  consistent with a description of a cyclone in the southern hemisphere; a typhoon in south east Asia; a williwaw non-vortical gap flow or barrier jet wind storm offshore from the Alaskan coast or similar weather pattern elsewhere; any tropical storm; or any hurricane, remains well within the scope of a weather pattern  101  for the purposes of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment further comprises a central service facility  102  for the purpose of service logging, maintenance, and bulk energy storage for later distribution, and especially where the remote control of the mobile structure  100  occurs. One may note that energy storage comprises compressed hydrogen, metal hydride storage, or charged batteries or capacitors, as long as the mobile structure  104  and the central service facility  102  employ energy storage systems with compatible upload interfaces. The graphical representation of the central service facility  102  in  FIG. 1  evokes the notion of a large vessel such as a tanker ship, but a port facility equally qualifies as a central service facility  102  within the scope of the present invention. The depiction of mobile structure  103  en route to the weather pattern  101  and mobile structure  104  returning to the central service facility  102  emphasizes that complete round-trip operation of one or plural mobile structures  100 ,  103 ,  104 , whether engaged in energy recovery as in mobile structure  100  or returning a payload as in mobile structure  104 , essentially comprises tasks performed by the remote control system of the present invention. 
     Essential to the operation of the complete SCADA system is the communication of data from various sources.  FIG. 1  further illustrates three types of satellites, Global Position Satellites (GPS)  106 , weather satellites  105 , and telecommunications satellites  107 , comprising the SCADA remote control system in this exemplary embodiment. In practically all embodiments, the SCADA system tracks the position and velocity of the mobile structure  100  through a GPS  106  system. The central service facility  102 , if itself indeed mobile, likely also tracks its own location using a GPS  106  system. This specification will further expound upon the use of the GPS  106  system as a SCADA control algorithm input in subsequent paragraphs describing  FIG. 4 . This specification will hereinafter use the generic term weather satellite  105  when referring to any of the weather tracking satellites availing weather data to various government and private entities. A non-exhaustive list of weather satellites  105  able to serve this function includes: the NASA QuikSCAT; the NOAA Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites including Radarsat-1, and Envisat satellites; any of the satellites serving the NOAA Satellite Services Division (SSD) National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) including Meteosat-7, Eumetsat, MTSAT-1R, Global Earth Observation Systems, GOES-EAST (GOES-12), GOES-WEST (GOES-11), GOES-9, GOES-10, GOES-13, or POES satellites. The aforementioned list of weather satellites  105  represents purely exemplary embodiments by no means restrictive of weather satellites  105  embodiments within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Telecommunications satellites  107  represent how data communicates between the central service facility  102  and one or plural of many possible entities including those accessible through the Internet from where all weather data in this exemplary embodiment disseminates, such as from the National Weather Service  108  Geographic Information System (GIS) computer servers. Besides weather satellite  105  data, the NWS  108  GIS and many other such entities including those accessible through the Internet disseminate weather data from other sources such as: oceanic weather buoys; coastal meteorology stations, Coastal Marine Automated Network Stations (C-MAN); NOAA Aircraft Operations Center; NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC) Aircraft Reconnaissance “Hurricane Hunters”; United States Air Force 53 rd  Weather Reconnaissance Squadron; USAF GPS Dropwindsondes; and RIDGE radar. The aforementioned non-exhaustive list of alternate sources of weather information disseminated from the NWS  108  or similar weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the Internet represents exemplary but not restrictive sources of weather data alternate to weather satellite  105  sources. The physical location of dissemination of data such as within an NWS  108  GIS computer server or similar weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the Internet appears terrestrial-based; in other words, the hardware resides on land  109 . Obviously, if the central service facility  102  existed at a port on shore, a more cost-effective and potentially higher bandwidth data communications link such as fiber optic cable thus supplants the telecommunications satellites  107  in communication with the NWS  108  GIS or other similar weather data disseminating computer servers. Telecommunications satellites  107  perform another function in an exemplary system such as communicating between the central service facility  102  and the mobile structure  100 . However, the preferred embodiment employs a more cost-effective wireless communications system communicating between the mobile structure  100  and the central service facility  102  upon which this present specification will subsequently expound. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary system wherein the mobile structure  100  further comprises a control and communications microprocessor system  200  along with the central service facility  102  further comprising a microprocessor system running secure server  204  software applications and workstations  209  running secure client software applications communicating with the server  204  via a Local Area Network (LAN)  207 . In some embodiments, all the secure server and client software applications running within the central service facility  102  may execute on a single large computing system, but given today&#39;s state of the art computing technology, a multi-processor server-client LAN  207  topology offers the greatest advantage in terms of flexible architecture, cost-effective computing power, reliability, scalability, and durability. In some embodiments, the control and communications microprocessor system  200  located within the mobile structure  100  comprises a type of microprocessor computing system  200  known as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Traditionally evolving from industrial process control applications, a PLC  200  comprises ruggedized hardware robust to physical environments demanding resistance to mechanical shock and vibration, temperature extremes, and specifically, customization for control and communication purposes fitting SCADA system applications. Regardless of whether the microprocessor system  200  comprises custom hardware or an off-the-shelf product from a renowned PLC vendor, the microprocessor system  200  needs to execute certain functions as depicted in  FIG. 2  in practically all embodiments. The microprocessor system  200  will require input, output, and input/output (I/O) functions  201  for communicating with sensors and control circuits. A wide variety of sensor and control circuits communicating with the microprocessor system  200  through I/O  201  necessary for inputting and outputting variables to the preferred SCADA control algorithm exist within most practical embodiments of the mobile structure  100 . A non-exhaustive list of sensor and control circuits  201  includes: accelerometers and gyroscopes for analysis of vessel  100  stability also known as attitude, or heeling and listing, along with heading, or to borrow aviation terms, pitch, roll and yaw, respectively, and rendering virtual contours of immediate local oceanic surface and possibly advanced features such as dead reckoning; ballast draft readings and adjustments; a wind vane and anemometer or if combined into a single unit an aerovane for analysis of apparent wind vectors&#39; direction and magnitude respectively; fuel gauges for both propulsion motor fuel reserves and output fuel from energy recovery functions and thus mobile structure  100  weight and energy efficiency; electrolyzer electrode temperature gauges; energy extracting electric generator armature voltage readings and field current adjustments; energy extracting turbine gate opening readings and adjustments affecting mobile structure  100  drag; a compass for mobile structure  100  direction; a GPS receiver  202  for tracking position, velocity, and using way points to compare wind sensor data comprising local apparent wind vectors, minus mobile structure  100  velocity to determine local true wind vector, then comparing that empirical data to data from weather satellites  105  and other sources measuring and/or estimating true wind velocity; rudder rotation readings and adjustments; propeller rotational speed readings and adjustments; sail trim and/or boom rotation readings and adjustments; radar and/or sonar systems for physical object detection, identification, and avoidance; and one or plural video camera data streams allowing actual views of the surrounding environment of the mobile structure  100 , and physical object visual pattern matching. The aforementioned list of microprocessor I/O functions  201  represents purely exemplary embodiments by no means restrictive of I/O function  201  embodiments within the scope and spirit of the present invention. In terms of SCADA software data structure development, any or all of the aforementioned I/O functions  201  constitute one or plural SCADA object tag definitions, for various software layers to communicate from the mobile structure  100  microprocessor system  200 ; to the central service facility  102  servers  204 ; to the central service facility  102  workstations  209 . Weather satellite  105  data or alternate sources of weather information disseminated from the NWS  108  or similar weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the Internet will also constitute SCADA object tag definitions. This specification will further expound upon the use of the SCADA object tags within the preferred SCADA control algorithm in subsequent paragraphs describing  FIG. 4 . 
     The remaining functions associated with the microprocessor system  200  in  FIG. 2  include the antenna  202  representing the receiver for the GPS system. The other antenna  203  represents the means by which the microprocessor system  200  of the mobile structure  100  receives and transmits over a wireless physical medium to the central service facility  102  server  204 . As previously mentioned, one system of communication  203  embodies satellite  107  telecommunications. In the preferred embodiments, as long as the mobile structure  100  remains within line-of-sight with the central service facility  102 , as one presumes on the open sea, a point-to-point Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system permitting high bandwidth data including video camera data streams provides the communications function in the preferred embodiment. Another wireless physical medium in the form of point-to-point Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio exists. While of lower bandwidth, UHF offers wider range and does not require line-of-sight as does CDMA, and thus an embodiment of the present invention may incorporate UHF as a redundant back-up in case of loss-of-signal for the CDMA. For SCADA systems without video data streams, UHF may actually serve the primary communication channel function. These wireless telecommunications systems represent exemplary embodiments without restriction to other possible wireless telecommunications systems embodied within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The central service facility  102  houses the server  204  for the primary purpose of aggregating weather data from any one or plural weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the internet such as the NWS  108 . Some embodiments achieve robust data reliability through implementing redundant or multiple servers  204 . The telecommunications system represented in  FIG. 2  includes the link  205  to the mobile structure  100  and the link  206  to the NWS  108  or similar weather data disseminating entities including the Internet itself. On the central service facility  102 , link  205  and link  206  complete the channel with the mobile structure  100  and weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the internet such as the NWS  108 , respectively, using physical mediums and protocols as previously discussed. The LAN  207  in exemplary embodiments conforms to such network standards as IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.11a,b, or g or any standard suiting the needs of the server-client software applications in the present invention, and the Network Interface Cards (NIC&#39;s)  208 , hardware generally integrated into the workstations  209 , likewise conform to the aforementioned exemplary network standards. All embodiments very likely operate under the most common protocol implemented today, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) for passing of packets of data associated with SCADA object tags between the server  204 , the workstations  209 , and the PLC  200 . In an embodiment wherein the central service facility  102  resides on land  109 , the LAN  207  accesses a Wide Area Network (WAN)  211  for weather satellite  105  data or alternate sources of weather information disseminated from the NWS  108  or similar weather data disseminating entities including those accessible through the Internet through a router  210  instead of through a telecommunications satellite  107  as in an offshore central service facility  102 . Either the server  204  or the router  210  may execute firewall security software during network communications. Other forms of secure communication between the server  204 , the workstations  209 , and the PLC  200  may include Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) with packet encryption and decryption occurring during transmission and reception within TCP/IP for all the aforementioned computer systems. These network standards and protocols examples represent several of many possible network standards and protocols configurations within the scope of the present invention and one must view these network standards and protocols configurations as exemplary, not restrictive. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the control-actuating electromechanical circuits in an embodiment of the mobile structure  100 . Exemplary controls on the mobile structure  100 ,  103 ,  104  include rudder rotation, propeller rotation in propelled embodiments, and sail trim or boom rotation in sailing embodiments. Actuation of all mechanical members begins with motor  300  activation by driving a current  317  through the motor&#39;s  300  winding  316 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the rotor  302  of the motor  300  affixed to a small gear  303  couples to a larger gear  306  affixed to an intermediate gear shaft  307  affixed to another small gear  308  coupled to another larger gear  309  affixed to the final drive shaft  310  in a direct drive system or to a worm  310 A in a worm drive system. A system comprising such gear ratios as depicted in  FIG. 3  serves the purpose of reducing torque on the motor  300  that generally exhibits a high rotational velocity, low torque characteristic in lightweight, economical motor  300  embodiments. For actuating a propeller, the preferred embodiment obviously installs a motor  300  capable of greater torque and variable speed. In the worm drive embodiment, the worm  310 A and worm gear  311  interface further reduces the torque on the rotor  302  compared to that on the final drive shaft  312 . An embodiment comprising a worm drive also affords the advantage of the braking effect such that the direction of transmission always goes from the rotor  302  to the shaft  312  and not vice versa given an appropriate coefficient of friction between the worm  310 A and the worm gear  311 . Other embodiments rely upon the detent torque of a stepper motor  300  for braking. In other embodiments, such as servo motors  300  or variable reluctance motors  300  may not afford adequate detent torque and thus a solenoid  301  inserts a spring-activated  315  plunger tip  304  between the teeth of the first small gear  303  to lock-in detent and sustain torque against stops  305  when the solenoid  301  coil  314  has no current  313  flowing. Such an embodiment proceeds in actuating a control mechanism first by driving current  313  in the direction shown per the right hand rule causing the solenoid  301  coil  314  to unlock the gear  303 , then driving current  317  in the motor winding  316 , to initiate rotation  318  translated through rotation  319  to rotation  320  or  320 A to rotate a rudder or rotate a sail boom. Once actuation completes, the solenoid  301  coil  314  no longer conducts current, returning the solenoid  301  plunger tip  304  to the locked position. All such control algorithm steps thus have their own unique SCADA object tag definitions. As PLC&#39;s  200  have traditionally evolved from industrial process applications including SCADA systems control software, portability of Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) G-code for servo-motors  300 , and servo mechanisms such as mechanical lead screw, or ball screw systems analogous to worm drive systems enable preferred embodiments of control actuators in the present invention. One must note that partial implementations or minor deviations known by one of ordinary skill in the art of any of the exemplary embodiments of the aforementioned control actuator electromechanical circuits do not represent a departure from the scope or spirit of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the visual representations that appear on the Graphical User Interface (GUI)  400  of one or plural client workstations  209  at the central service facility  102 , and illustrates how a human can affect the behavior of exemplary SCADA algorithms. The foregoing exemplary SCADA algorithms run on one or plural server  204  processing systems including a GIS that performs all the data collection, processing, storage, analyses and navigation vector determinations accessible through the GUI  400  on one or plural client workstations  209 . Three different workstations  209 A, B, or C displaying information pertaining to one or plural mobile structures  100 , or one workstation displaying three different GUI&#39;s  400  at different times, at one time displaying the GUI  400  of workstation  209 A, at another time the GUI  400  of workstation  209 B, and at another time the GUI  400  of workstation  209 C operate at the central service facility  102 . Using typical computer pointing and data entry hardware, a human operating the workstation  209  may interact with the GUI  400  to invoke any of the GUI&#39;s  400  on any of the workstations  209 A, B, or C as shown in  FIG. 4 . The GUI  400  of workstation  209 A displays position, heading, velocity, and points of sail for the mobile structure  100  in the process of energy extraction in a sailing vessel embodiment. Vessel icon  401  graphically shows direction of the mobile structure  100  relative to true north given by the compass icon  405 . GPS field  402  numerically provides vessel instantaneous location, velocity, and heading. Sail icon  403  and rudder icon  404  along with surface true wind data  406  begotten from various aforementioned weather data sources  108 , or empirically derived from GPS  202  and aerovane sensor  201  data as previously described permits observation and control of the points of sail of the mobile structure  100  in a sailing vessel embodiment. Obviously, in a propelled embodiment, a propeller icon serves analogous functions as the sail icon  403 . 
     Pointing and data entry hardware on the workstation  209 A allows a human operator to point and select the aforementioned icons and data fields to alter visual representations and alter instantaneous control of the mobile structure  100 . For instance, if a human operator points and selects vessel icon  401 , sail icon  403 , or rudder icon  404 , the operator may view a alphanumerical field indicating points of sail using nautical terms such as “Beam Reach” to describe that point of sail shown on the display of workstation  209 A. At this point, the GUI  400  can numerically give displacement angles of the boom and the rudder with an option to the human operator to manually change these values, override auto-navigation, and actuate rotation of the boom or rudder on the mobile structure  100  as previously described. Herein the GUI  400 , the preferred SCADA algorithm invokes performance models for the mobile structure  100  to estimate or forecast energy efficiency thereof, using a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) performing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations on the sailing vessel along with its energy extracting appendage. The GUI  400  at this point also suggests for instance, a “Broad Reach” point of sail given prevailing wind and optimal least-cost or highest yield path analysis inputs. Selecting the vessel icon  401  also permits the human operator to monitor, adjust, and receive performance predictions based on turbine gate openness and fuel tank fullness affecting the overall drag on the mobile structure  100 , given the VPP performing CFD calculations on the modeled energy extracting turbine appendage. Note for a preferred SCADA algorithm of the present invention, the sailing vessel VPP will output data tabulating generated power, instead of velocity for typical prior art VPP&#39;s, for the given true wind speed, turbine gate openness, fuel tank fullness, and heading, along with the accompanying points of sail and control settings. Obviously, an exemplary SCADA algorithm performs an analogous propeller performance VPP and least-cost path analysis for a propelled mobile structure  103 , 104  during these GUI  400  operations. Selecting the GPS field  402  allows the human operator to change viewing options such as converting units of parameters such as position, changing the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) kilometer units to miles or to degrees, minutes, seconds of longitude and latitude; velocity, knots to kilometers per hour or miles per hour; or time, from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to local time. Selecting the GPS field  402  for a propelled embodiment of mobile structure  103 ,  104  allows for manually changing propeller rotational speed. Selecting the compass icon  405  or the true wind data  406  allows the viewing orientation angle of the vessel icon  401  to move relative to the compass icon  405  or true wind data  406 , respectively. 
     The GUI  400  of workstation  209 B in  FIG. 4  illustrates a virtual reality representation  407 , along with the attitude of the vessel, listing and heel angle, or to borrow aviation terms, roll and pitch, respectively, for the mobile structure  100  in the process of energy extraction. The virtual reality rendering  407  indicates a downward or plunging heel angle or pitch, and a port listing or roll. Had the vessel assumed an upward or breaching heel angle, the rendering  407  would display the deck instead of the hull as indicated in the rendering  407 . If the mobile structure  100  sensors include a video camera data stream, actual oceanic surface in the vicinity the vessel will display in this GUI  400  frame. The view parallel  408  to the direction of travel further displays the port listing coordinated with the rendering  407 , along with the angle of listing  409 . A starboard listing or roll would result in an angle  409  in the opposite direction. The view perpendicular  410  to the direction of travel further displays the plunging or downward heel or pitch, coordinated with the rendering  407  and displaying the heel angle  411 . Likewise, a breaching or upward pitch would result in the heel angle  411  displayed in opposite direction. Selecting the virtual reality  407  icon allows for changing the camera angle. Selecting the listing angle  409  icon or the heel angle  411  icon allows the human operator to manually set the threshold for a broach warning and associated control. 
     The GUI  400  of workstation  209 C in  FIG. 4  illustrates a weather map with path analysis lines  417 ,  418 ,  419  for the mobile structure  100  operating in the weather pattern  101 . Browsing the GUI  400  of workstation  209 C initiates a least-cost and highest yield path analysis whereby a weather semivariogram accounting for spatial structure including land mass  109  or seamounts  109 , global trends and anisotropy, air temperature, water temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and wave data forms a basis for mapping predictive costs, or yields in the case of energy extraction. From the predictive map, the preferred SCADA algorithm assigns weights that average over suggested routes  417 ,  418 ,  419  based on path length in a weighted cost or yield raster. In the GUI  400  of workstation  209 C, each concentric closed surface  413 ,  414 ,  415  represents areas of increasing wind and surge current energy inward to the eye  416  for a given weather pattern  101 . While a global trend may indicate a greater degree of symmetry and counterclockwise, in this example northern hemispheric, vortex trend as in the  FIG. 1  representation of the weather pattern  101 , anisotropy caused by land  109  mass or seamount  109  and other stochastic modeled factors such as air temperature, water temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and wave data result in a probabilistic field that the semivariogram  413 ,  414 ,  415  represents. From this probability field, weather prediction analysis can predict a path  412  for the storm that further affects the least-cost or highest yield analysis. Note that in the GUI  400  of workstation  209 C, the concentric closed surfaces  413 ,  414 ,  415  can selectively represent semivariogram values or else predictive energy regions, also known as a cost raster for non-energy extracting vessel logistics or a yield raster when referring to energy extraction. The preferred embodiment also includes an advanced physical object  109  detection, identification and avoidance system that remotely utilizes the integrated sensors including but not limited to on-board radar and sonar systems to perform sweeping remotely sensed anomalies returns. A preferred SCADA algorithm then compares the signatures of these electromagnetic energy returns against known libraries of predefined physical objects  109  based on size, shape, rate of movement and other characteristics to identify possible type of physical object  109  feature detected. Optionally, an exemplary algorithm further correlates the signatures against a video camera data stream for further classification and confirmation of the physical object  109 . A preferred SCADA algorithm then invariably correlates the identified physical object  109  spatially against the vessel&#39;s  100 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104  current location, path and velocity in order to assess the need for altering the vessel&#39;s  100 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104  course to initiate avoidance and altered path routing and associated cost accounting. A preferred SCADA algorithm then indexes the identified physical object  109  in the algorithmic path controls to include avoidance or least cost path towards the physical object  109  depending on predetermined logic and/or human operator interaction. A preferred SCADA algorithm of the present invention thereby further accounts for VPP modeling of the mobile structure  100  when assigning weights that average over a path  417 ,  418 ,  419  based on direction and length in a weighted anisotropic energy yield raster. Depending on the cost or yield goal, the highest yield algorithm may select a path  417  or  418 , yielding the highest energy in the shortest time with least risk to structural harm to the mobile structure  100 , while the least-cost algorithm yields the shortest logistical trajectory with least risk to structural harm to an offshore embodiment of the central service facility  102 , a non-energy extracting vessel. Selecting the path lines  417 ,  418 ,  419  allows the human operator to optionally choose mission critical navigation parameters such as cost and yield weights and cost or yield goals. 
     For all the aforementioned GUI  400  icons and data fields, a SCADA object tag definition exists for accessing the aforementioned data structures and evoking the aforementioned control. Object tags allow for structured programming techniques facilitating manageability and sustainability of a substantially large code base traversing multiple software application layer interfaces from the workstations  209 , to the server  204  and from the server  204  to the PLC&#39;s  200 , and from the server  204  to the one or plural of many possible entities including those accessible through the Internet from where all weather data in this exemplary embodiment disseminates, such as from the National Weather Service  108 . Functional differences within the GUI  400  for workstations  209 A,B, or C clearly do not present a substantial departure from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     From the preceding description of the present invention, this specification manifests various techniques for use in implementing the concepts of the present invention without departing from its scope. Furthermore, while this specification describes the present invention with specific reference to certain embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that one could make changes in form and detail without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention. This specification presented embodiments in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. All parties must understand that this specification does not limited the present invention to the previously described particular embodiments, but asserts the present invention&#39;s capability of many rearrangements, modifications, omissions, and substitutions without departing from its scope. 
     Thus, a supervisory control and data acquisition system for energy extracting vessel navigation has been described.