Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TRIM POSITION OF PROPULSION
DEVICE ON A MARINE VESSEL
FIELD
100011 The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for
controlling trim
position of trimmable propulsion device and devices with respect to a transom
of a marine
vessel.
BACKGROUND
[0002] U.S. Patent No. 6,322,404,
discloses a Hall
effect rotational position sensor is mounted on a pivotable member of a marine
propulsion
system and a rotatable portion of the rotational position sensor is attached
to a drive
structure of the marine propulsion system. Relative movement between the
pivotable
member, such as a gimbal ring, and the drive structure, such as the outboard
drive portion of
the marine propulsion system, cause relative movement between the rotatable
and stationary
portions of the rotational position sensor. As a result, signals can be
provided which are
representative of the angular position between the drive structure and the
pivotable member.
[0003] U.S. Patent No. 7,156,709,
discloses the
calibration procedure allows an upward maximum limit of tilt to be
automatically
determined and stored as an operator rotates a marine propulsion device
relative to a marine
vessel with a particular indication present. That indication can be a grounded
circuit point
which informs a microprocessor that at calibration procedure is occurring in
relation to an
upward trim limit, When the ground wire is removed or disconnected from the
circuit point,
the microprocessor knows that the calibration process is complete. During the
rotation of the
outboard motor or marine propulsion device in an upward direction, both the
angular
position of the outboard motor and the direction of change of a signal from a
trim sensor are
stored.
[0004] U.S. Patent No. 7,416,456,
discloses an
automatic trim control system changes the trim angle of a marine propulsion
device as a
function of the speed of the marine vessel relative to the water in which it
is operated. The
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changing of the trim angle occurs between first and second speed magnitudes
which operate
as minimum and maximum speed thresholds.
[00051 U.S. Patent No. 8,011,982,
discloses a
support system for an outboard motor provides a restricted member that is
attached to a
bottom portion of the outboard motor and a restricting member that is attached
to a support
structure that is, in turn, attached to a transom of a marine vessel. The
restricted member is
prevented from moving in a starboard or port direction by a magnitude greater
than a
preselected magnitude that is defined by a gap between restricting and
restricted surfaces
that move into contact with each other when forces on the outboard motor cause
a lower
portion of the outboard motor to move by a magnitude greater than a predefined
limit in
either the port or starboard directions. Preselected gaps between restricting
and restricted
surfaces are sized to allow nominal vibration at low operating speeds of the
outboard motor
while restricting excessive lateral movement during operation at high speed.
[00061 U.S. Patent No. 8,457,820,
discloses a
method is provided by controlling the operation of a marine vessel subject to
porpoising.
The method includes sensing an operational characteristic of the marine vessel
which is
indicative of porpoising of the marine vessel, and responding to the sensing
of the
operational characteristic with a response that is representative of the
operational
characteristic of the marine vessel as being indicative of the porpoising of
the marine vessel.
[0007] U.S. Patent No 9,682,760,
discloses a
method for setting an engine speed of an internal combustion engine in a
marine propulsion
device to an engine speed setpoint includes receiving an operator demand from
an input
device and learning an adapted maximum engine speed. An engine speed setpoint
is
calculated by scaling the adapted maximum engine speed relative to the
operator demand.
The method includes predicting a position of a throttle valve of the engine
that is needed to
achieve the engine speed setpoint, and determining a feed forward signal that
will move the
throttle valve to the predicted position. A marine propulsion system has an
electronic control
unit that learns the adapted maximum engine speed, calculates the engine speed
setpoint by
scaling the adapted maximum engine speed relative to the operator demand,
predicts the
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position of the throttle valve, and determines the feed forward signal that
will move the
throttle valve to the predicted position.
[0008] U.S. Patent No. 9,694,892,
discloses a
method for controlling a trim system on a marine vessel includes receiving an
actual trim
position of a trimmable marine device at a controller and determining a
magnitude of a trim
position error by comparing the actual trim position to a target trim position
with the
controller. The method also includes determining a magnitude of an
acceleration rate of the
marine vessel. The controller determines the activation time of a trim
actuator coupled to
and rotating the marine device with respect to the marine vessel based on the
magnitude of
the trim position error and the magnitude of the acceleration rate. The
controller then sends
a control signal to activate the trim actuator to rotate the marine device
toward the target
trim position. The method includes discontinuing the control signal once the
activation time
expires to deactivate the trim actuator. A corresponding system is also
disclosed.
SUMMARY
[0009] This
Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further
described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to
identify key
or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be
used as an aid in
limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0010] In one
embodiment, a method of controlling trim position for a propulsion
device on a marine vessel includes receiving a running trim position for the
propulsion
device, receiving at least one of a steering input value or a roll angle of
the marine vessel,
and determining a magnitude of the steering input value or a magnitude of the
roll angle of
the marine vessel. The method further includes determining an adjusted trim
position based
on the magnitude of the steering input value or the magnitude of the roll
angle of the marine
vessel, and operating a trim actuator based on the adjusted trim position to
decrease the trim
angle of the propulsion device below the running trim position while the
marine vessel is
turning.
[0011] One
embodiment of a system for controlling trim position of a propulsion
device on a marine vessel includes a trim actuator configured to adjust the
trim position of
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the propulsion device and a controller configured to control the trim
actuator. The controller
= is further configured to receive a steering input value or a roll angle
of the marine vessel,
determine a magnitude of the steering input value or a magnitude of the roll
angle of the
marine vessel, and determine an adjusted trim position for the propulsion
device based on
the magnitude of the steering input value or the magnitude of the roll angle
of the marine
vessel. The controller then controls the trim actuator based on the adjusted
trim position to
decrease the trim angle of the propulsion device below the running trim
position while the
marine vessel is turning.
[0012] In
another embodiment, a method of controlling trim position of two or more
propulsion devices on a marine vessel includes receiving a running trim
position for the two
or more propulsion devices and receiving at least one of a steering input
value or a roll angle
of the marine vessel. An adjusted trim position for each of the at least two
propulsion
devices is then determined based on the running trim position and the steering
input value or
the roll angle of the marine vessel. A trim actuator for each propulsion
device is then
operated to move each propulsion device toward its respective adjusted trim
position.
[0013] An
embodiment of a system for controlling trim position of two or more
propulsion devices on a marine vessel includes at least two trim actuators,
each trim actuator
configured to adjust a trim position of one of the at least two propulsion
devices. The
system further includes a controller configured to receive at least one of a
steering input
value or a roll angle of the marine vessel, and determine an adjusted trim
position for each
of the at least two propulsion devices based on a running trim position and
the steering input
value or the roll angle of the marine vessel. The controller further controls
the trim actuator
to move each of the at least two propulsion devices towards its respective
adjusted trim
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The
present disclosure is described with reference to the following Figures.
The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features
and like
components.
[0015]
FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a marine vessel having a system for
controlling trim position of a propulsion device.
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[0016] FIGURE 2 depicts one embodiment of a trimmable propulsion device
according to the present disclosure.
[0017] FIGURE 3 is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of a trim
actuator in a
system for controlling trim position of a propulsion device.
[0018] FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram depicting another embodiment of a
system
for controlling trim position of a propulsion device.
[0019] FIGURE 5 exemplifies a relationship between speed and trim
position.
[0020] FIGURE 6A exemplifies a relationship between steering input or roll
angle
and trim position at a given speed.
[0021] FIGURE 6B exemplifies a relationship between magnitude of trim
position
and speed at a given steering input.
[0022] FIGURE 7 exemplifies a lookup table that can be used to determine
adjusted
trim position.
[0023] FIGURE 8 exemplifies another lookup table that can be used to
determine an
adjusted trim position.
[0024] FIGURE 9 exemplifies a lookup table that can be used to determine a
multiplier for determining adjusted trim positions.
[0025] FIGURE 10 depicts one embodiment of a method for controlling trim
position
of a propulsion device.
[0026] FIGURE 11 depicts another embodiment of a method for controlling
trim
position of a propulsion device.
[0027] FIGURE 12 is a schematic illustration of a marine vessel having a
system for
controlling trim position of two or more propulsion devices.
[0028] FIGURE 13A exemplifies a relationship between steering input or
roll angle
and trim position.
[0029] FIGURE 13B exemplifies a relationship between magnitude of trim
position
and speed.
[0030] FIGURE 13C provides one example of adjusted trim positions for four
propulsion devices on a marine vessel based on a steering input.
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[0031] FIGURE 14 exemplifies a lookup table that can be used to
determine adjusted
trim positions.
[0032] FIGURE 15 exemplifies another lookup table that can be
used to determine
adjusted trim positions.
[0033] FIGURE 16 exemplifies a lookup table that can be used to
determine
multipliers for determining adjusted trim positions.
[0034] FIGURE 17 depicts one embodiment of a method for
controlling trim position
of marine propulsion devices.
[0035] FIGURE 18 depicts another embodiment of a method for
controlling trim
position of marine propulsion devices.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] In the present description, certain terms have been used
for brevity, clarity and
understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond
the
requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive
purposes only and
are intended to be broadly construed.
[0037] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for
controlling a trim
actuator on a marine vessel so as to control a relative position of a
propulsion device
mounted to the transom of a marine vessel. Those skilled in the art of marine
vessel
propulsion and control are familiar with many different ways in which the trim
angle of a
propulsion device, such as an outboard motor or stern drive, can be varied to
change the
handling or fuel efficiency of the vessel. For example, many manual trim
control systems
are known to those skilled in the art. In typical operation, the operator of a
marine vessel can
change the trim angle of an associated outboard motor as the velocity of the
vessel changes.
This is done to maintain an appropriate angle of the vessel with respect to
the water as it
achieves a planing speed and as it increases its velocity over the water while
on plane. The
operator inputs a command to change the trim angle for example by using a
keypad, button,
or similar input device with "trim up" and "trim down" input choices (e.g.,
see FIGURE 4).
[0038] The systems of the present disclosure are also capable of
carrying out
automatic trim (auto-trim) methods, in which the propulsion device is
automatically trimmed
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up or down with respect to its current position, depending on a desired
attitude of the marine
vessel with respect to vessel speed. Auto-trim systems perform trim operations
automatically, as a function of vessel speed, without requiring intervention
by the operator
of the marine vessel. The automatic change in trim angle of the trimmable
propulsion device
enhances the operation of the marine vessel as it achieves planing speed and
as it further
increases its velocity over the water while on plane. For example, trimming
the propulsion
device 10 can affect a direction of thrust of a propeller with respect to a
vessel transom, as
well as affect vessel roll and pitch.
[0039] FIGURE 1 depicts one embodiment of a system 1 for controlling trim
position
of a propulsion device 10 on the marine vessel 14. While the methods and
systems are
described herein with respect to a single propulsion device 10, a person of
ordinary skill in
the art will understand in light of this disclosure that the disclosed methods
and systems are
equally applicable to marine vessels having more propulsion devices. Likewise,
though the
propulsion device 10 is exemplified in the FIGURES as an outboard motor, a
person having
ordinary skill in the art will understand in light of this disclosure that the
propulsion device
may also be a stern drive with a trimmable lower unit. The trim position of
the propulsion
device 10 is actuated by a trim actuator 16. In one example, the trim actuator
is a hydraulic
piston-cylinder assembly in fluid communication with a hydraulic pump-motor
combination,
although the principles of some of the below examples could apply equally to
electric linear
actuators, pneumatic actuators, or other types of trim devices. The trim
actuator may be
actuated between an extended position and a retracted position by provision of
hydraulic
fluid, electrical power, pneumatic fluid, etc. The extension and retraction of
the trim
actuator can be used to rotate a trimmable propulsion device up and down with
respect to a
marine vessel to which it is coupled.
[0040] During cornering at high speeds, the marine vessel 14 rolls toward
the port
side 11 or starboard side 12 (depending on the direction of the turn). The
propulsion
device(s) on the turning marine vessel 14 tends to come out of the water,
causing prop
venting or blow out. Through experimentation and research in the relevant
field, the present
inventor has recognized that the problems and issues relating to prop venting
in a steep turn
can be lessened or prevented by changing the trim of the propulsion device 10,
such as by a
feed-forward control method that adjusts the trim position of the propulsion
device as the
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vessel turns. The inventor has further recognized that utilization of a feed-
forward control
system can predict the aggressiveness of a cornering maneuver based on
steering position
and/or roll angle and prevent blow out, rather than just reacting to it, by
making trim
adjustments as the vessel turns and before the propeller breaks through the
water surface.
For example, the trim position may be decreased (or trimmed in, or trimmed
down) as the
marine vessel 14 rolls into a corner and then increased (or trimmed out, or
trimmed up) as
the marine vessel 14 rolls out of a corner so that the drive depth, or the
depth of the
propeller, remains approximately constant with respect to the surface of the
water,
regardless of the roll angle of the vessel.
[0041] The trimming operation of the trim actuator 16 is controlled by
controller 38,
which is communicatively connected to the trim actuator 16 to control
activation thereof.
The controller 38 controls trim of the propulsion device 10 by controlling the
trim actuator
16, and such control may be provided as described herein based on one or more
of engine
speed, vessel speed, steering input value (such as steering wheel angle), roll
angle, and/or
running trim position. In the depicted embodiment, the controller 38 receives
engine speed,
or engine revolutions per minute (RPM), from the engine control module (ECM)
59 on the
propulsion device 10. The controller 38 also receives a vessel speed from
vessel speed
sensor 56, and receives a roll angle of the marine vessel from the roll sensor
66. The
controller 38 also receives a steering input from position sensor 52 on
steering input device
54, which in the depicted embodiment is a rotational position sensor 52
detecting the
rotational position of steering wheel 54. The rotational position of the
steering wheel may
be, for example, measured as an angle with respect to a centered position 55,
which is the
position of the steering wheel 54 associated with a straight ahead steering
command. A
person of ordinary skill in the art will understand in light of the disclosure
that the steering
input device 54 may be any number of user interface devices operable by a user
to provide
control inputs to steer the marine vessel, such as a joystick, trackpad, etc.,
and the position
sensor 52 may be any sensor device that senses movement or input on said
devices.
Alternatively or additionally, the steering input may be provided by an
automatic steering
control system associated with the marine vessel 14, such as a heading or
waypoint control
system.
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[0042] Referring to FIGURE 2, the position of a trimmable propulsion
device 10
(such as the outboard motor shown herein) with respect to the transom 9 of a
marine vessel
14 is controlled by a hydraulic trim actuator 16. The trim actuator 16
includes a hydraulic
piston-cylinder assembly 18 connected to a hydraulic pump-motor combination
20. The
piston-cylinder assembly 18 has a first end (here, the cylinder end) coupled
to the transom 9
of the vessel 14 and a second, opposite end (here, the rod end) coupled to the
propulsion
device 10, as known to those having ordinary skill in the art. The piston-
cylinder assembly
18 operates to rotate the propulsion device 10 about a horizontal trim axis 13
to a trimmed-
out position, to a trimmed-in position, or to maintain the propulsion device
10 in any
position there between as the pump-motor combination 20 provides hydraulic
fluid to the
piston-cylinder assembly 18 to move the piston within the cylinder. As
mentioned, however,
other types of hydro-mechanical or electro-mechanical actuators could be used
in other
examples.
[0043] One example of a hydraulic trim actuator 16 is shown in FIGURE 3.
The
piston-cylinder assembly 18 is shown schematically as having a piston 22
connected to a rod
24 disposed in a cylinder 26. The piston 22 defines a first chamber 28 within
the cylinder 26
and a second chamber 30 within the cylinder 26, both of which chambers 28, 30
change in
size as the piston 22 moves within the cylinder 26. The pump-motor combination
20
includes a pump-motor 32 connected to a trim-in relay 34 and a trim-out relay
36. In other
examples, the trim-in relay 34 and the trim-out relay 36 are a single relay
that can turn the
pump-motor 32 on or off and can effectuate a trim-in or trim-out movement of
the trim
actuator 16. The relays 34 and 36 are connected to a controller 38 that
controls energizing of
solenoids in the relays 34 and 36, which act as switches to couple a power
source such as a
battery (not shown) to chamber 28 of the piston-cylinder assembly 18, and a
second
hydraulic line 42 couples the pump-motor 32 to the second chamber 30 of the
piston- ,
cylinder assembly 18. As long as the trim-in relay 34 is activated, the pump-
motor 32
provides hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic line 40 to the first
chamber 28 of the
piston-cylinder assembly 18, thereby pushing the piston 22 downwardly within
the cylinder
26 and lowering (trimming in, or trimming down) the propulsion device 10
coupled to the
rod 24. As long as the trim-out relay 36 is activated, the pump-motor 32
provides hydraulic
fluid through the second hydraulic line 42 to the second chamber 30 of the
piston-cylinder
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assembly 18, thereby pushing the piston 22 upwardly within the cylinder 26 and
raising
(trimming out, or trimming up) the propulsion device 10 coupled to the rod 24.
Hydraulic
fluid can be removed from the opposite chamber 28 or 30 of the cylinder 26
into which fluid
is not being pumped in either instance, and drained to a tank or circulated
through the pump-
motor 32.
[0044] In this way, the trim actuator 16 can position the propulsion
device 10 at
different angles with respect to the transom 9. These may be a neutral (level)
trim position,
in which the propulsion device 10 is in more or less of a vertical position; a
trimmed in
(trimmed down) position; or a trimmed out (trimmed up) position. A trimmed out
position,
as shown in FIGURE 2, is often used when the marine vessel 14 is on plane and
high speeds
are required. At high speeds, the trimmed out position causes the bow of the
marine vessel
14 to rise out of the water, resulting in better handling and increased fuel
efficiency. Thus,
many auto-trim algorithms include determining a target running trim position
at which to
orient the propulsion device 10 with the controller 38 based on speed, such as
but not
limited to engine speed, vessel speed, a combination of vessel speed and
engine speed, or a
tradeoff between vessel speed and engine speed depending on additional vessel
conditions.
Examples of such systems are shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 7,416,456;
and
9,694,892.
[0045] The controller 38 may define the running trim position by
reference to a
vertical line V. When the centerline CL of the propulsion device 10 is
parallel to the vertical
line V, the controller 38 may consider this to be zero trim. Trim position can
be quantified
as a value P with respect to the vertical line V, which represents the angle
or comparative
position between the centerline CL of the propulsion device 10 and the
vertical line V. This
value P can be expressed as an angle, a percentage of a total angle to which
the propulsion
device 10 can be trimmed, a scalar value, a polar coordinate, or any other
appropriate unit.
For purposes of the description provided herein below, the angle P will be
expressed as a
percentage of total allowable trim angle, which can be measured from vertical,
from a fully
trimmed out position, or from a fully trimmed in position.
[0046i FIGURE 4 shows a schematic of an embodiment of the system 1 for
controlling trim position. In the example shown, the system 1 includes
controller 38, which
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is programmable and includes a processor 46 and a memory 48. The controller 38
can be
located anywhere on the marine vessel 14 and/or located remote from the marine
vessel 14
and can communicate with various components of the system 1 via wired and/or
wireless
communication links, as will be explained further herein below. Although
FIGURES 1 and 3
show a single controller 38, the system 1 may include more than one controller
38. For
example, the system 1 may have a controller 38 located at or near a helm of
the marine
vessel 14 and can also have one or more controllers located at or near the
propulsion device
10. The controller 38 may be a dedicated device, or may be incorporated in and
a function
of a multi-function control device, such as incorporated into a helm control
module (HCM)
or other control device and software communicatively connected to the ECM 59.
Portions
of the method disclosed herein below can be carried out by a single controller
or by several
separate controllers.
[0047] In some examples, the controller 38 may be a computing system that
includes
a processing system, storage system, software, and input/output (I/O)
interfaces for
communicating with devices such as those shown in FIGURE 4, and described
herein. The
processing system loads and executes software from the storage system, such as
software
programmed with a trim control method. When executed by the computing system,
trim
control software directs the processing system to operate as described herein
to execute the
trim control method. The computing system may include one or many application
modules
and one or more processors, which may be communicatively connected. The
processing
system can comprise a microprocessor (e.g., processor 46) and other circuitry
that retrieves
and executes software from the storage system. Processing system can be
implemented
within a single processing device but can also be distributed across multiple
processing
devices or sub-systems that cooperate in executing program instructions. Non-
limiting
examples of the processing system include general purpose central processing
units,
application specific processors, and logic devices.
[0048] The storage system (e.g., memory 48) can comprise any storage media
readable by the processing system and capable of storing software. The storage
system can
include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media
implemented in any
method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable
instructions,
data structures, program modules, or other data. The storage system can be
implemented as a
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single storage device or across multiple storage devices or sub-systems. The
storage system
can further include additional elements, such as a control circuitry capable
of
communicating with the processing system. Non-limiting examples of storage
media include
random access memory, read only memory, magnetic discs, optical discs, flash
memory,
virtual memory, and non-virtual memory, magnetic sets, magnetic tape, magnetic
disc
storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be
used to store
the desired information and that may be accessed by a processing system. The
storage media
can be a non-transitory or a transitory storage media.
[0049] In this example, the controller 38 communicates with one or more
components
of the system 1 via a communication link 50, which can be a wired or wireless
link. The
controller 38 is capable of monitoring and controlling one or more operational
characteristics of the system 1 and its various subsystems by sending and
receiving control
signals via the communication link 50. In one example, the communication link
50 is a
controller area network (CAN) bus, but other types of links could be used. It
should be noted
that the extent of connections of the communication link 50 shown herein is
for schematic
purposes only, and the communication link 50 in fact provides communication
between the
controller 38 and the sensors, devices, etc. described herein, although not
every connection
is shown in the drawing for purposes of clarity.
[0050] As mentioned, the controller 38 receives inputs from several
different sensors
and/or input devices aboard or coupled to the marine vessel 14. For example,
the controller
38 receives a steering input from a steering position sensor 52 that senses a
position or angle
of a steering input device, such as a joystick and/or a steering wheel 54. As
described
above, the steering input may also be provided by an automatic steering
control system. The
controller 38 may also be provided with an input from a vessel speed sensor
56. The vessel
speed sensor 56 may be, for example, pressure-type sensor, such as pitot tube
56a, a paddle
wheel type sensor 56b, or any other speed sensor appropriate for sensing the
actual speed of
the marine vessel. Alternatively or additionally, the vessel speed may instead
be determined
based on readings from a GPS device 56c, which calculates speed by determining
how far
the vessel 14 has traveled in a given amount of time. The propulsion device 10
may also be
provided with an engine speed sensor 58, such as but not limited to a
tachometer, that
determines a speed of the engine 60 powering the propulsion device 10 in
rotations per
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minute (RPM). The engine speed can be used along with other measured or known
values to
approximate a vessel speed (i.e., to calculate a pseudo vessel speed). A trim
position sensor
62 may also be provided for sensing an actual position of the trim actuator
16, for example,
by measuring a relative position between two parts associated with the trim
actuator 16. The
trim position sensor 62 may be any type of sensor known to those having
ordinary skill in
the art, for example a Hall effect sensor or a potentiometer, such as examples
provided and
described in Patent No. 6,322,404 . The
controller 38 may
also receive inputs from a roll sensor 66 that senses a roll position, such as
an angle with
respect to horizontal. For example, the roll sensor 66 may comprise a
gyroscope, such as a
three-axis gyroscope, to detect orientation information that may be used to
determine the roll
angle of the marine vessel 14. In other embodiments, the roll sensor 66 may be
a
magnetometer, or may include any other type of position or inertial
measurement unit, such
as a combination accelerometer and/or gyroscope with a magnetometer.
[0051] Other
inputs to the system I can come from operator input devices such as a
throttle lever 68, a keypad 70, and a touchscreen 64. The throttle lever 68
allows the
operator of the marine vessel to choose to operate the vessel in neutral,
forward, or reverse,
as is known. The keypad 70 can be used to initiate or exit any number of
control or
operation modes (such as auto-trim mode), or to make selections while
operating within one
of the selected modes. In one example, the keypad 70 comprises an interface
having a "trim
up" button 70a, a "trim down" button 70b, and an "auto-trim on/resume" button
70c, which
can be utilized by a user to control the running trim position of the
propulsion device 10.
For example, the trim buttons 70a and 70b may provide user input to control
the propulsion
device to the same running trim position. The touchscreen 64 can also be used
to initiate or
exit any number of control or operation modes (such as trim up, trim down, or
auto-trim
mode), and in that case the inputs can be buttons in the traditional sense or
selectable screen
icons. The touchscreen 64 can also display information about the system 1 to
the operator of
the vessel 14, such as engine speed, vessel speed, trim angle, trim operating
mode, vessel
acceleration rate, etc. Additionally, the touchscreen 64 may replace the
keypad 70,
providing the trim buttons 70a-70b.
[0052] As
described above, the present inventor has recognized trim of the propulsion
device 10 on a marine vessel can be automatically controlled to discreetly
control the
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propulsion device 10 to different trim angles during cornering at high speeds
in order to
avoid prop venting by the propulsion device 10. Namely, the propulsion device
10 can be
trimmed in (or trimmed down, or trim decreased) from the running trim position
in order to
keep the propeller underneath the surface of the water.
100531 FIGURE 5 depicts a graphical representation showing the
relationship
between running trim position and speed, which may be engine RPM or vessel
speed, which
is applied when the marine vessel 14 is traveling in the straight ahead
direction. The graph
of FIGURE 5 provides an example of how trim may be automatically controlled by
an auto-
trim system with respect to speed; however, a person having ordinary skill in
the art will
also understand in light of this disclosure that the method disclosed herein
of controlling
trim during cornering maneuver may also be applied in situations where the
propulsion
device 10 is controlled manually to a running trim position (such as via trim
buttons 70a and
70b). As used herein, the running trim position refers generally to the
current instructed or
target trim position for the propulsion device 10 on a marine vessel based on
the current
running condition of the propulsion device and/or based on user input. Thus,
the running
trim position may be automatically controlled and instructed by an auto-trim
system based
on speed (vessel speed and/or engine RPM) or may be manually controlled by a
user. The
running trim position may further be a stored value, such as from the auto-
trim system
and/or a user control setting, or it may be a measured value, such as from the
trim position
sensor 62 associated with the trim actuator 16.
10054] As described above, the running trim position of the propulsion
device is
generally increased as the vessel speed increases and the propulsion device 10
is generally
trimmed out (applying positive trim) at high speeds when the marine vessel is
on plane. As
depicted in FIGURE 5, the running trim position 72 generally increases as
speed increases.
In the depicted example, the running trim position 72 is the value on the trim
position curve
71 at the current speed 77. In the depicted relationship the running trim
increases generally
proportionally with the speed between the lower speed threshold 76 and the
upper speed
threshold 78. The propulsion device 10 is movable to a maximum positive trim
position 74
(or maximum trim out position). In the graph, zero trim represents the
vertical position
when the propulsion device 10 is in line with vertical line V (FIGURE 2).
Negative trim
positions, or trim in positions, are represented below the zero point on the
trim position axis.
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
In the depicted embodiment, the propulsion device 10 is maintained in a
trimmed in position
until the vessel reaches a lower speed threshold, which may be at or near the
planing speed.
Below the lower speed threshold 76, the trim position is maintained at a
constant value.
Likewise, above an upper speed threshold 78 the trim is also maintained at a
constant value.
This avoids making trim adjustments at speed below the planing speed and at
very high
speeds. Avoiding adjustment at very high speeds may be desirable in certain
embodiments
because adjusting trim at very high speeds may introduce unwanted instability
for certain
marine vessels 14. Accordingly, running trim position is only adjusted within
an operating
range OR between a lower speed threshold 76 and an upper speed threshold 78.
In that
range, the running trim position is determined based on the current speed 77
and the
relationship is depicted by the trim position curve 71. The relationship
between speed and
running trim position may be linear or curvilinear, and may vary, for example,
based on
vessel configuration.
[0055] FIGURE 6A provides a graph exemplifying a possible relationship
between
magnitude of the steering input value (exemplified as steering angle) and trim
position at a
given speed, such as a planing speed (speed where the vessel is on plane) or a
speed above
the lower speed threshold 76. In a given system 1, the relationship between
steering input
and trim position may vary at different speeds, and thus the graph may look
different at
different speeds. The y-axis represents trim, with the running trim position
72 providing a
center point, or axis, around which the trim position of propulsion device 10
is adjusted with
respect to the steering angle magnitude, represented on the x-axis.
[00561 Generally, the trim position of the propulsion device 10 is reduced
(trimmed
in) while the marine vessel 14 is turning, and the trim reduction is applied
equally in either
turn direction (i.e., toward the port side 11 or starboard side 12). In the
depicted
embodiment, the trim position remains at the running trim position 72 value
until the
magnitude of the steering input, which in this case is steering angle of
steering wheel 54,
reaches a threshold steering angle 81. Once the steering wheel 54 is moved
past that
threshold steering angle 81 the trim position of the propulsion device 10 is
adjusted as
depicted. For instance, the magnitude of the trim adjustment amount (i.e.,
subtracted from
the running trim angle 72) increases as the steering wheel 54 is turned away
from the
centered position 55 (i.e. as the magnitude of the steering angle increases)
towards a
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
maximum steering angle 85, which in this example is the steering end stop.
Likewise, as the
steering wheel 54 is turned back towards the centered position 55, the trim
position is
returned to the running trim angle 72. This relationship also holds true in an
embodiment
controlled based on roll angle, where the trim is likewise reduced by an
increasing amount
as the roll angle of the marine vessel 14 increases.
[0057] The adjusted trim position 88 may be adjusted during a turn to
account for
changes in speed, vessel speed or engine speed. If vessel speed does decrease
during the
course of a turn (e.g. because of a user reducing the throttle demand) the
running trim
position 72 will decrease, such as along the exemplary curve of FIGURE 5, and
the adjusted
trim position 88 can be changed accordingly to account for the new running
trim position
72. Vessel speed can be accounted for directly in the determination of
adjusted trim position,
or indirectly by basing it on running trim position 72.
[0058] FIGURE 6B provides another graph describing an exemplary
relationship
between the magnitude of trim adjustment (e.g., the difference between the
running trim
angle and the adjusted trim position) and speed for a particular steering
input value or roll
angle. The depicted trim adjustment is applied to reduce the running trim
position. In the
example, the magnitude of the trim adjustment is zero below the lower speed
threshold 76,
increases to a maximum, then decreases as it approaches the upper speed
threshold 78, and
is zero above the upper speed threshold 78. Accordingly, trim adjustments are
only made in
the operating range (OR) between the lower speed threshold 76 and the upper
speed
threshold 78. While the depicted example avoids trim adjustments above the
upper speed
threshold 78, in other embodiments where such instability at the vessel's
maximum speeds is
not an issue, the curve may be shaped to provide the maximum trim adjustment
magnitude at
the high speed values. The depicted parabolic relationship between speed and
trim
adjustment magnitude is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments the
relationship may
be linear or curvilinear, and may vary, for example, based on vessel
configuration.
Likewise, the curve may look different for different running trim positions.
[0059] In one embodiment, the trim adjustment amount between the running
trim
position 72 and the adjusted trim position is calibrated based on the vessel
configuration,
such as to account for the hull configuration of the marine vessel 14 and the
positioning of
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the propulsion devise 10 thereon. For instance, the adjusted trim position 88
may be
determined for the propulsion device 10 by accessing a lookup table based on
one or more of
the steering input value, the roll angle, the vessel speed, the engine RPM,
and the running
trim position, where the values in the lookup table are calibrated for the
particular marine
vessel 14 configuration.
[0060] FIGURE 7 depicts one exemplary lookup table 91 providing adjusted
trim
positions 88 for the propulsion device 10 based on magnitude of the steering
input value or
roll angle and the speed, which could be the vessel speed or the engine speed.
The values
associated with the zero steering angle will be equal to the running trim
position 72 at that
speed. Adjusted trim positions 88 (e.g. one for each propulsion device 10 on
the marine
vessel 14) are provided in the lookup table 91 for steering input values or
roll angle
increments. The trim actuator 16 is then operated to move the associated
propulsion device
towards its respective adjusted trim position 88.
[0061] FIGURE 8 depicts one exemplary embodiment, where a lookup table 91
contains trim adjustment values 93 based on running trim position and steering
input or roll
angle. The trim adjustment values 93 may be any values upon which the adjusted
trim
positions 88 for the propulsion device 10 can be determined. For example, the
trim
adjustment values 93 may include trim adjustment amounts for the propulsion
device 10,
which could then be subtracted from the running trim position 72.
Alternatively, the trim
adjustment values 93 may be the actual adjusted trim positions 88, where no
further
calculation is necessary. In the depicted example, the lookup table 91
contains trim
adjustment values 93 for steering input magnitude. In other embodiments, the
lookup table
91 may be based on steering input magnitude or roll angle magnitude, and
additional logic
may be applied to determine whether the trim adjustment values 93 should be
applied to trim
in the propulsion device.
[0062] In embodiments where the auto trim feature is in effect, and thus
the running
trim position 72 is determined based on speed (e.g., engine RPM or vessel
speed), the
running trim position value on the lookup table 91 will account for speed for
purposes of
determining the adjusted trim position. In embodiments where the running trim
position 72
is set by a user, and thus may not correlate to speed with the desired
accuracy, it may be
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desirable to apply a multiplier to the trim adjustment values 93 to ensure
that trim
adjustments are not applied outside of the operating range, or at least above
the upper speed
threshold 78. FIGURE 9 depicts an exemplary one-dimensional lookup table 95
containing
multiplier values X based on speed (e.g., engine RPM or vessel speed). Such a
multiplier
may account for the operating range OR of speeds discussed with respect to
FIGURE 5, and
thus may operate to ensure that the trim position is not adjusted at speeds
below a lower
speed threshold 76 or above an upper speed threshold 78, and may also taper
the speed
adjustment (e.g., as exemplified in FIGURE 6B). Similarly, such a multiplier
table could be
used in conjunction with one dimensional table providing a trim adjustment
values based on
steering input value or roll angle.
[0063] FIGURE 10 is a flowchart depicting one embodiment of a method 100
of
controlling trim position. The running trim position is received at step 102.
As discussed
above, the running trim position indicates the current trim position setting,
which may be
automatically controlled and set based on current conditions, such as speed,
or may be a user
set trim position. The running trim position may be the current value of a
variable stored by
an auto-trim control process, such as a value stored in memory 48 and
retrievable by the
processor 46. Alternatively, the running trim position may be received from
the trim
position sensor 62, reflecting the actual measured current trim position of
the propulsion
device 10. At step 104, the steering input and/or roll angle are received,
such as from the
steering position sensor 52 or the roll sensor 66. An adjusted trim position
is determined for
the propulsion device 10 is then determined based at least on the steering
input value or the
roll angle of the marine vessel at step 110. For example, the adjusted trim
position may be
determined via one or more of the lookup tables exemplified in FIGURES 7-9 and
correspondingly described. The trim position of the propulsion device 10 is
then reduced
toward its respective adjusted trim position at step 112, such as by sending
control signals to
the trim actuators 16 to operate accordingly.
[0064] The method 100 of controlling trim position may be executed, for
example, by
the controller 38 executing software stored in memory 48 on processor 46.
Alternatively or
additionally, portions of the method may be executed by other control devices
or modules,
such as by a helm control module (I-1CM) for the marine vessel 14 and/or by
the respective
ECMs 59 for the propulsion device 10.
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
[0065] FIGURE 11 depicts another exemplary embodiment of a method
100 for
controlling trim position. The running trim position is received at step 102,
and steering
input and/or roll angle are received at step 104 as described above. At step
105, the current
speed is received. At step 107, the steering input and/or roll angle received
at step 104 are
compared to a threshold for that value type, where the threshold is identified
based on the
vessel speed received at step 105. Thus, the threshold for determining whether
trim
adjustment should be made is variable based on vessel speed. For example, the
threshold for
making trim adjustments may decrease as vessel speed increases, thereby
increasing the trim
reactiveness to turning maneuvers as vessel speed increases. In reference to
embodiments
disclosed and described herein, the vessel speed may be received, for example,
from any one
or more of the exemplary vessel speed sensors 56 described herein, including
the pitot tube
sensor 56a, paddle wheel sensor 56b, or GPS system 56c. Alternatively or
additionally,
steps 105 and 107 may be based on engine speed, such as from an engine speed
sensor 58 on
the propulsion device 10. For example, the engine speed may be tracked by and
received
from each respective ECM 59. If the steering input and/or roll angle do not
exceed the
threshold then the method returns to step 102, continually monitoring the
steering input
and/or roll angle and comparing it to thresholds based on speed. In certain
embodiments,
the steering input and/or roll angle inputs may be filtered to prevent
excessive trim cycling
based on minor and momentary steering or roll changes.
[0066] Once the threshold is exceeded at step 107, the trim
adjustment value is
determined based on the steering input and/or roll angle at step 108. For
example, the trim
adjustment value may be determined utilizing a lookup table comparing trim
position and
steering input or roll angle, such as a one dimensional lookup table or a two
dimensional
lookup table based on running trim angle such as that exemplified and
described above in
FIGURE 8. For example, the lookup table may be a one dimensional lookup table
providing
trim angle adjustment amounts based one speed. In embodiments where the trim
angle
adjustment is pegged to running trim position but the running trim position is
set by a user
(rather than automatically determined based on speed) and thus may not be tied
directly or
exactly to the vessel speed or engine speed, the system 1 may execute step 109
to determine
a multiplier based on the vessel speed (or engine speed), thus ensuring that
the trim
adjustment is not inappropriate for the current vessel speed. As described
elsewhere herein,
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
significant trim adjustments at high speeds may have potential for creating
instability for the
marine vessel 14, and thus significant trim adjustments may be avoided by
including a
multiplier that is less than one, or even equal to zero to reduce or eliminate
trim adjustment
at high speeds. As exemplified above with respect to FIGURE 9, the multiplier
may be
determined by accessing a one-dimensional lookup table 95 correlating
multiplier X values
to speed increments, where trim adjustments at high speed values may have
multiplier
values X that approach or are equal to zero. For example, the multiplier X may
be zero
below the lower speed threshold 76 and/or above the upper speed threshold 78.
Likewise,
the multiplier X value may be significantly less than 1 and decrease as it
approaches the
lower speed threshold 76 and/or the upper speed threshold 78. The adjusted
trim position
for the propulsion device 10 is determined at step 110, such as by multiplying
the trim
adjustment value determined at step 108 by the multiplier determined at step
109. The
adjusted trim position is then compared to the running trim position at step
111 to make sure
that the adjusted trim position is less than (or a more trimmed in position)
than the running
trim position. If so, the actuator 16 is then controlled to move the
propulsion device 10
towards its adjusted trim position at step 112.
[0067] The present disclosure also relates to systems and methods for
controlling trim
actuators on a marine vessel so as to control a relative position of two or
more propulsion
devices mounted to the transom of a marine vessel. FIGURE 12 depicts one
embodiment of
a system 1 for controlling trim position of propulsion devices 10a-10d on
marine vessel 14,
which in the depicted embodiment include a port outer propulsion device 10a, a
port inner
propulsion device 10b, an inner starboard propulsion device 10c, and an outer
starboard
propulsion device 10d. While the methods and systems are described herein with
respect to
four propulsion devices 10a-10d, a person of ordinary skill in the art will
understand in light
of this disclosure that the disclosed methods and systems are equally
applicable to marine
vessels having more or fewer propulsion devices. Likewise, though the
propulsion devices
10a-10d are exemplified in the FIGURES as outboard motors, a person having
ordinary skill
in the art will understand in light of this disclosure that the propulsion
devices may also be
stern drives with trimmable lower units. The trim position of each propulsion
device 10a-
10d is actuated by a respective trim actuator 16a-16d. In one example, the
trim actuator is a
hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly in fluid communication with a hydraulic
pump-motor
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combination, although the principles of some of the below examples could apply
equally to
electric linear actuators, pneumatic actuators, or other types of trim
devices. The trim
actuator may be actuated between an extended position and a retracted position
by provision
of hydraulic fluid, electrical power, pneumatic fluid, etc. The extension and
retraction of the
trim actuator can be used to rotate a trimmable propulsion device up and down
with respect
to a marine vessel to which it is coupled.
100681
On multi-engine offshore boats having more than two propulsion devices, the
outer propulsion devices (e.g. 10a and 10d) tend to be rigged with shorter
drive shaft lengths
than the inner propulsion device(s). This is due to the hull design being
deeper in the center
than it is along the outside, requiring longer drive shaft lengths to get the
cavitation plate
near level with the bottom of the hull in the center and shorter drive shaft
lengths on the
outers. During cornering at high speeds, the marine vessel 14 rolls toward the
port side 11
or starboard side 12 (depending on the direction of the turn). The outside
propulsion
device(s) on the high side of the turning marine vessel 14 tends to come out
of the water,
causing prop venting or blow out. Conversely, the propulsion device on the low
side of the
turning marine vessel 14 can end up buried too deep in the water, increasing
drag. Such
prop venting causes problems ranging from loss of speed to damage to the
propulsion
device. Through experimentation and research in the relevant field, the
present inventor has
recognized that the problems and issues relating to prop venting of the upper
propulsion
devices and drag by the lower propulsion devices in a steep turn can be
lessened or
prevented by changing the trim of the propulsion devices. For example, on a
marine vessel
having two or more propulsion devices, the trim position may be cascaded into
and out of a
corner so that the drive depth, or the depth of the propeller, remains
approximately constant
with respect to the surface of the water, regardless of the roll angle of the
vessel. For
example, the propulsion devices are cascaded by moving the upper propulsion
device(s) to a
more trimmed in (trimmed down) position and moving the lower propulsion
device(s) into a
more trimmed out (trimmed up) position. The inventor has further recognized
that
utilization of a feed-forward control system that predicts the aggressiveness
of a cornering
maneuver based on steering position and/or roll angle and prevents blow out,
rather than just
reacting to it, by making trim adjustments as the vessel turns and before the
propeller breaks
through the water surface.
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
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[0069] The trimming operation of each trim actuator 16a-16d is controlled
by
controller 38, which is communicatively connected to each of the trim
actuators 16a-16d to
control activation thereof. The controller 38 controls trim of each of the
propulsion devices
10a-10d separately by controlling the respective trim actuator 16a-16d, and
such control
may be provided as described herein based on one or more of engine speed,
vessel speed,
steering input value (such as steering wheel angle), and/or roll angle. In the
depicted
embodiment, the controller 38 receives engine speed, or engine RPM, from the
engine
control module (ECM) 59a-59d on each of the propulsion devices 10a-10d. The
controller
38 also receives a vessel speed from speed sensor 56, and receives a roll
angle of the marine
vessel from the roll sensor 66. The controller 38 also receives a steering
input from steering
position sensor 52 on steering input device 54, which in the depicted
embodiment is a
rotational position sensor 52 detecting the rotational position of steering
wheel 54. The
rotational position of the steering wheel may be, for example, measured as an
angle with
respect to a centered position 55, which is the position of the steering wheel
54 associated
with a straight ahead steering command. A person of ordinary skill in the art
will
understand in light of the disclosure that the steering input device 54 may be
any number of
user interface devices operable by a user to provide control inputs to steer
the marine vessel,
such as a joystick, trackpad, etc., and the steering position sensor 52 may be
any sensor
device that senses movement or input on said devices. Alternatively or
additionally, the
steering input may be provided by an automatic steering control system
associated with the
marine vessel 14, such as a heading or waypoint control system.
[0070] Although the FIGURES show a single controller 38, 38 the system 1
may
include more than one controller 38. For example, the system 1 may have a
controller 38
located at or near a helm of the marine vessel 14 and can also have one or
more controllers
located at or near the propulsion devices 10a-10d. The controller 38 may be a
dedicated
device, or may be incorporated in and a function of a multi-function control
device, such as
incorporated into a helm control module (HCM) or other control device and
software
communicatively connected to the ECMs 59a-59d. Portions of the method
disclosed herein
below can be carried out by a single controller or by several separate
controllers.
[0071] In this example, the controller 38 communicates with one or more
components
of the system 1 via a communication link 50, which can be a wired or wireless
link. The
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
controller 38 is capable of monitoring and controlling one or more operational
characteristics of the system 1 and its various subsystems by sending and
receiving control
signals via the communication link 50. In one example, the communication link
50 is a
controller area network (CAN) bus, but other types of links could be used. It
should be noted
that the extent of connections of the communication link 50 shown herein is
for schematic
purposes only, and the communication link 50 in fact provides communication
between the
controller 38 and each of the sensors, devices, etc. described herein,
although not every
connection is shown in the drawing for purposes of clarity.
[0072] As described above with respect to FIGURES 2-4, other inputs to the
system 1
can come from operator input devices such as a throttle lever 68, a keypad 70,
and a
touchscreen 64, which all may be used to control various aspects and functions
of the
propulsion devices 10a-10d. The throttle lever 68 allows the operator of the
marine vessel to
choose to operate the propulsion devices 10a-10d in neutral, forward, or
reverse, as is
known. In one example, the keypad 70 comprises an interface having a "trim up"
button 70a,
a "trim down" button 70b, and an "auto-trim on/resume" button 70c, which can
be utilized
by a user to control the running trim position of one or more of the
propulsion devices 10a-
10d. For example, the trim buttons 70a and 70b may provide user input to
control all of the
propulsion devices to the same running trim position. The touchscreen 64 can
also be used
to initiate or exit any number of control or operation modes (such as trim up,
trim down, or
auto-trim mode), and in that case the inputs can be buttons in the traditional
sense or
selectable screen icons. The touchscreen 64 can also display information about
the system 1
to the operator of the vessel 14, such as engine speed, vessel speed, trim
angle, trim
operating mode, vessel acceleration rate, etc. Additionally, the touchscreen
64 may replace
the keypad 70, providing the trim buttons 70a-70b.
[00731 As described above, the present inventor has recognized trim of the
propulsion
devices 10 on a marine vessel can be automatically controlled to discreetly
control the two
or more propulsion devices (e.g., 10a-10d) to different trim angles during
cornering at high
speeds in order to avoid prop venting by the upper propulsion devices 10 (on
the outer side
of the turn) and increased drag by the lower propulsion devices 10 (on the
inside of the turn)
when the marine vessel is in a rolled cornering position. Namely, one or more
of the upper
propulsion devices 10 can be trimmed in (or trimmed down) from the running
trim position
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
and/or one or more of the lower propulsion devices 10 can be trimmed out
(trimmed up)
from the running trim position in order to keep the propellers underneath the
surface of the
water.
[0074] As described above, the trim position of the propulsion devices is
generally
increased as the vessel speed increases and the propulsion devices 10a-10d are
generally
trimmed out (applying positive trim) at high speeds when the marine vessel is
on plane. The
propulsion devices 10a-10d are movable to a maximum positive trim position 74
(or
maximum trim out position).
[0075] FIGURE 13A provides a graph exemplifying a possible relationship
between
steering input (exemplified as steering angle) and trim position at a given
speed, such as a
planing speed (speed where the vessel is on plane) or a speed above the lower
speed
threshold 76 (see FIGURE 5). In a given system 1, the relationship between
steering
position and trim position may vary at different speeds, and thus the graph
may look
different at different speeds. The y-axis represents trim, with the running
trim position 72
providing a center point, or axis, around which the trim position of
propulsion devices 10a-
10d are adjusted with respect to the steering angle magnitude, represented on
the x-axis. In
the graph of FIGURE 13A, the trim position of four propulsion devices 10a-10d
are
depicted, and the propulsion devices are identified as "low outer", "low
inner", "high inner",
and "high outer". In embodiments where the vessel is turning towards the
starboard
direction, for example, the outer starboard propulsion device 10d and the
inner starboard
propulsion device 10c will be the low outer and low inner propulsion devices,
respectively
and the outer port propulsion device 10a and inner port propulsion device 10b
will be in the
high inner and high outer positions, respectively. Conversely, if the turn is
in the port
direction, then the port side propulsion devices 10a and 10b will be in the
low outer and low
inner positions, while the starboard side propulsion devices 10c and 10d will
be in the high
inner and high outer positions.
[0076] In the depicted embodiment, the trim position remains at the running
trim
position value 72 until the magnitude of the steering input, which in this
case is steering
angle of steering wheel 54, reaches a threshold steering angle 81. Once the
steering wheel
54 is moved past that threshold steering angle 81 the trim position of the
propulsion devices
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
is adjusted as depicted. For instance, the trim adjustment amount increases as
the steering
wheel 54 is turned away from the centered position 55 (i.e. as the magnitude
of the steering
angle increases) towards a maximum steering angle 85 (e.g., the steering end
stop), and then
decreases as the steering wheel 54 is turned back towards its centered
position 55. The
graph depicts an exemplary set of adjusted trim positions 88w-88z which will
be assigned to
each of the propulsion devices 10a-10d depending on the direction of
steering¨i.e., which
propulsion devices are low and which propulsion devices are high. As the
magnitude of the
steering angle increases, the adjustment made to the trim position of each of
the propulsion
devices 10a-10d increases, with the outer propulsion devices 10a and 10d
having a larger
trim adjustment (either positively or negatively) than the inner propulsion
devices 10b and
10c. Further, in the depicted embodiment, the adjustment to the trim position
begins to
occur at a lesser steering angle magnitude and changes more aggressively for
the outer
propulsion devices 10a and 10d than for the inner propulsion devices 10b and
10c. This
relationship also holds true in an embodiment controlled based on roll angle,
where the trim
is likewise adjusted by an increasing amount as the roll angle of the marine
vessel 14
increases.
[0077] The adjusted trim position 88w-88z are determined based on the
current
steering angle 83 for a given vessel speed. The adjusted trim positions 88w-
88z may be
adjusted during a turn to account for changes in speed, vessel speed or engine
speed. If
vessel speed does decrease during the course of a turn (e.g. because of a user
reducing the
throttle demand) the running trim position 72 will decrease, such as along the
exemplary
curve of FIGURE 5, the adjusted trim positions 88w-88z can be predetermined
accordingly.
Vessel speed can be accounted for directly in the determination of adjusted
trim position, or
indirectly by basing it on running trim position. The running trim position 72
will decrease
as the vessel speed or engine speed decreases (such as along the exemplary
curve of
FIGURE 5) and the adjusted trim positions 88w-88z can be changed accordingly
to account
for the new running trim position 72.
[0078] FIGURE 13B provides another graph describing an exemplary
relationship
between the magnitude of trim adjustment (e.g., the difference between the
running trim
position 72 and the adjusted trim position 88w-88z) and speed for a particular
steering input
value or roll angle. The depicted trim adjustment is applied (either
positively or negatively)
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
to the running trim position. In the example, the magnitude of the trim
adjustment is zero
below the lower speed threshold 76, increases to a maximum, then decreases as
it
approaches the upper speed threshold 78, and is zero above the upper speed
threshold 78. In
the depicted embodiment, the inner propulsion devices and the outer propulsion
devices are
both adjusted above the lower speed threshold 76 and below the upper speed
threshold 78;
however, as described above, the trim adjustments are larger for the outer
propulsion devices
(e.g. 10a and 10d) than for the inner propulsion devices. However, in other
embodiments the
inner propulsion devices may be adjusted at different speed thresholds than
the outers. The
curves represent magnitude of the adjustment, which is applied oppositely on
either side of
the centerline of the vessel, as described above (i.e., propulsion devices on
one side are
trimmed out and the other side as trimmed in). The trim adjustments are only
made in the
operating range (OR) between the lower speed threshold 76 and the upper speed
threshold
78. Accordingly, the depicted example avoids trim adjustments above the upper
speed
threshold 78. In other embodiments where such instability at the vessel's
maximum speeds
is not an issue, the curve may be shaped to provide the maximum trim
adjustment magnitude
at the high speed values. The depicted parabolic relationship between speed
and trim
adjustment magnitude is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments the
relationship may
be linear or curvilinear, and may vary, for example, based on vessel
configuration.
Likewise, the curve may look different for different running trim positions.
100791
FIGURE 13C provides another illustrative depiction of this concept in the
form of a bar graph representing the adjusted trim positions 88w-88z assigned
to the four
propulsion devices 10a-10d. In the illustrative example, the steering angle is
360 degrees in
the starboard direction (i.e. steering wheel is turned 360 degrees from its
straight-ahead
position), and the running trim position 72 is at 20 percent. Since the turn
is in the starboard
direction, the port outer propulsion device 10a and port inner propulsion
device 10b will be
high and thus are trimmed in from the running trim position 72, with the port
outer
propulsion device 10a trimmed in the most to adjusted trim position 88z.
Likewise, the
starboard inner propulsion device 10c and starboard outer device 10d will be
in the low
positions and will be trimmed out from the running trim position 72, with the
starboard outer
propulsion device 10d trimmed out the most to adjusted trim position 88w.
Conversely, if
the steering angle were in the opposite direction (e.g. -360 degrees
representing a turn in the
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
port direction), the port side propulsion devices 10a and 10b would be trimmed
out and the
starboard side propulsion devices 10b and 10c would be trimmed in. While the
depicted
examples show symmetrical trim adjustments of the propulsion devices 10a-10d
about the
running trim position 72, in other embodiments the trim-in adjustments may
have a different
magnitude than the trim-out adjustments. Likewise, adjustments may not
necessarily be
made to all of the propulsion devices 10a-10d on the marine vessel.
[0080] In one embodiment, the adjustment amount between the running trim
angle 72
and the adjusted trim position for each propulsion device on the marine vessel
14 is
calibrated based on the vessel configuration, such as to account for the hull
configuration of
the marine vessel 14 and the number and positioning of the propulsion devises
(e.g., 10a-
10d) thereon. In reference to the quad example, the adjusted trim positions
88w-88z may be
determined for each of at least two propulsion devices 10a-10d by accessing a
lookup table
based on one or more of the steering input value, the roll angle, the vessel
speed, the engine
RPM, and the running trim position, where the values in the lookup table are
calibrated for
the particular marine vessel 14 configuration.
[0081] FIGURE 14 depicts one exemplary lookup table 91 providing adjusted
trim
positions 88 for each of the propulsion devices 10a-10d (e.g., 88w-88z) based
on the
steering input value or roll angle and the speed, which could be the vessel
speed or the
engine speed. The values associated with the zero steering angle will be equal
to the
running trim position 72 at that speed. Adjusted trim positions 88 (e.g. one
for each
propulsion device 10 on the marine vessel 14) are provided in the lookup table
91 for
steering input values or roll angle increments in each rotational direction.
The trim actuators
16a-16d are then operated to move the associated propulsion device 10a-10d
towards its
respective adjusted trim position 88w-88z.
[0082] FIGURE 15 depicts one exemplary embodiment, where a lookup table 91
contains trim adjustment values 93 based on running trim position and steering
input or roll
angle. The trim adjustment values 93 may be any values upon which the adjusted
trim
positions for each of the propulsion devices 10a-10d can be determined. For
example, the
trim adjustment values 93 may include a trim adjustment amount for each
propulsion device
10a-10d, which could then be added or subtracted from the running trim
position 72.
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
Alternatively, the adjusted trim adjustment values 93 may be the actual
adjusted trim
positions 88w-88z, where no further calculation is necessary. In the depicted
example, the
lookup table 91 contains trim adjustment values 93 for steering input in both
directions, as
described above. In other embodiments, the lookup table 91 may be based on
steering input
magnitude or roll angle magnitude, and additional logic may be applied to
determine
whether the trim adjustment values 93 should be applied in the positive
direction to trim out
the propulsion device or the negative direction to trim in the propulsion
device depending on
whether it is in a low or high position.
[0083] In
still another embodiment, determination of the adjusted trim positions 88w-
88z may be performed using a lookup table of trim adjustment values 93 based
on speed and
steering wheel angle, and such values may then be added and/or subtracted to
the running
trim position, or used in conjunction with a some other process based on the
running trim
position 72.
[0084] In
embodiments where the auto trim feature is in effect, and thus the running
trim position 72 is determined based on speed (e.g., engine RPM or vessel
speed), the
running trim position value on the lookup table 91 will account for speed for
purposes of
determining the adjusted trim position. In embodiments where the running trim
position 72
is set by a user, and thus may not correlate to speed with the desired
accuracy, it may be
desirable to apply a multiplier to the trim adjustment values 93 to ensure
that trim
adjustments are not applied outside of the operating range, or at least above
the upper speed
threshold 78.
FIGURE 16 depicts an exemplary one-dimensional lookup table 95
containing multiplier values X based on speed (e.g., engine RPM or vessel
speed). Such a
multiplier may account for the operating range OR of speeds discussed with
respect to
FIGURE 5, and thus may operate to ensure that the trim position is not
adjusted at speeds
below a lower speed threshold 76 or above an upper speed threshold 78, and may
also taper
the speed adjustment (e.g., as exemplified in FIGURE 13B). Similarly, such a
multiplier
table could be used in conjunction with one dimensional table providing a trim
adjustment
values based on steering input value or roll angle.
[0085]
FIGURE 17 is a flowchart depicting another embodiment of a method 100 of
controlling trim position. The running trim position is received at step 302.
As discussed
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____________________________________________ PffiR,10160406.49.1.4.
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
above, the running trim position indicates the current trim position setting,
which may be
automatically controlled and set based on current conditions, such as speed,
or may be a user
set trim position. The running trim position may be the current value of a
variable stored by
an auto-trim control process, such as a value stored in memory 48 and
retrievable by the
processor 46. Alternatively, the running trim position may be received from
the trim
position sensor 62, reflecting the actual measured current trim position of
the respective
propulsion device 10a-10d. At step 304, the steering input and/or roll angle
are received,
such as from the steering position sensor 52 or the roll sensor 66. The
steering input or roll
angle received at step 304 are compared to a respective threshold value at
step 306 to
determine whether the steering input and/or roll angle are greater than the
respective
threshold value. If not, then the method returns to step 302, such that the
steering input
and/or roll angle are continually monitored to determine whether trim
adjustment is
required. If the steering input and/or roll angle do exceed the respective
threshold values at
step 306, an adjusted trim position is determined for each of the at least two
propulsion
devices 10a-10d based on the running trim position and the steering input
value or the roll
angle of the marine vessel at step 310. For example, the adjusted trim
position may be
determined via the lookup table exemplified in FIGURE 15 and correspondingly
described.
Each propulsion device 10a-10d is moved toward its respective adjusted trim
position at step
312, such as by sending control signals to the respective trim actuators 16a-
16d to operate
accordingly.
[0086] The method 100 of controlling trim position may be executed, for
example, by
the controller 38 executing software stored in memory 48 on processor 46.
Alternatively or
additionally, portions of the method may be executed by other control devices
or modules,
such as by a helm control module (HCM) for the marine vessel 14 and/or by the
respective
ECMs 59a-59d for the propulsion devices 10a-10d.
[0087] FIGURE 18 depicts another exemplary embodiment of a method 100 for
controlling trim position. The running trim position is received at step 302,
and steering
input and/or roll angle are received at step 304 as described above. At step
305, the current
vessel speed is received. At step 307, the steering input and/or roll angle
received at step
304 are compared to a threshold for that value type, where the threshold is
identified based
on the vessel speed received at step 305. Thus, the threshold for determining
whether trim
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
adjustment should be made is variable based on vessel speed. For example, the
threshold for
making trim adjustments may decrease as vessel speed increases, thereby
increasing the trim
reactiveness as vessel speed increases. In reference to embodiments disclosed
and described
herein, the vessel speed may be received, for example, from any one or more of
the
exemplary vessel speed sensors 56 described herein, including the pitot tube
sensor 56a,
paddle wheel sensor 56b, or GPS system 56c. Alternatively or additionally,
steps 305 and
307 may be based on engine speed, such as from an engine speed sensor 58 on
each of the
propulsion devices 10a-10d. For example, the engine speed may be tracked by
and received
from each respective ECM 59a-59d. If the steering input and/or roll angle do
not exceed the
threshold then the method returns to step 302, continually monitoring the
steering input
and/or roll angle and comparing it to thresholds based on speed. In certain
embodiments,
the steering input and/or roll angle inputs may be filtered to prevent
excessive trim cycling
based on minor and momentary steering or roll changes.
[0088] Once
the threshold is exceeded at step 307, the trim adjustment value is
determined based on the steering input and/or roll angle at step 308. For
example, the trim
adjustment value may be determined utilizing a lookup table comparing trim
position and
steering input or roll angle, such as a one dimensional lookup table or a two
dimensional
lookup table based on running trim angle such as that exemplified and
described above in
FIGURE 15. For instance, the lookup table may be a one dimensional lookup
table
providing trim angle adjustment amounts based one speed. In embodiments where
the trim
angle adjustment is pegged to running trim position but the running trim
position is set by a
user (rather than automatically determined based on speed) and thus may not be
tied directly
or exactly to the vessel speed or engine speed, the system 1 may execute step
309 to
determine a multiplier based on the vessel speed (or engine speed), thus
ensuring that the
trim correction is not inappropriate for the current vessel speed. As
described elsewhere
herein, significant trim adjustments at high speeds may have potential for
creating instability
for the marine vessel 14, and thus significant trim adjustments may be avoided
by including
a multiplier that is less than one, or even equal to zero to reduce or
eliminate trim
adjustment at high speeds. As exemplified above with respect to FIGURE 16, the
multiplier
may be determined by accessing a one-dimensional lookup table 95 correlating
multiplier X
values to speed increments, where trim adjustments at high speed values may
have
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CA 2974575 2017-07-26
multiplier values X that approach or are equal to zero. For example, the
multiplier X may be
zero below the lower speed threshold 76 and/or above the upper speed threshold
78.
Likewise, the multiplier X value may be significantly less than 1 and decrease
as it
approaches the lower speed threshold 76 and/or the upper speed threshold 78.
The adjusted
trim position for each propulsion device 10a-10d is determined at step 310,
such as by
multiplying the trim adjustment values determined at step 308 by the
multiplier determined
at step 309. Each propulsion device 10a-10d is then moved towards its adjusted
trim
position at step 312.
[0089] This
written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the
best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use
the invention.
Certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding. No
unnecessary
limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior
art because such
terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly
construed. The
patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include
other examples
that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be
within the scope
of the claims if they have features or structural elements that do not differ
from the literal
language of the claims, or if they include equivalent features or structural
elements with
insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
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