US 12,481,281 B2
System for controlling movements of a marine surface vessel
Christer Widmark, Partille (SE)
Assigned to Humphree AB, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed by Humphree AB, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed on Aug. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/455,040.
Claims priority of application No. 2251001-0 (SE), filed on Aug. 27, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0069548 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. B63H 25/02 (2006.01); B63H 1/32 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0206 (2013.01) [B63H 1/32 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling movements of a marine surface vessel comprising a hull, a bow and a stern, the system comprising
a position input device arranged to specify, in dependence on a user input, a desired position of the vessel in a geographic coordinate system,
a position detecting device arranged to detect an actual position of the vessel in the geographic coordinate system, and
a control unit arranged to receive from the position input device signals representative of the desired position of the vessel, and to receive from the position detecting device signals representative of the actual position of the vessel,
one or more flapping fins for controlling movements of the vessel by interaction with water supporting the vessel,
the control unit being arranged to control movements of one or more of the one or more flapping fins in dependence on the signals from the position input device, and on the signals from the position detecting device, to keep the vessel at the desired position,
wherein each of said flapping fins is connected to a respective actuator via a rotation shaft adapted to protrude from the vessel hull, wherein the rotation shaft defines a rotational axis of the flapping fins,
wherein each of said flapping fins comprises a fin base adapted to be at a first distance from the hull, and a fin tip adapted to be at a second distance from the hull, which second distance is larger than the first distance, wherein a leading edge of the flapping fin and a trailing edge of the flapping fin extend on opposite sides of the flapping fin, from the fin base to the fin tip,
wherein each of said flapping fins is arranged to be turned at least 360 degrees around the rotational axis to generate thrust through interaction between rotation of the one or more flapping fins and the water supporting the vessel.