Water engagement device actuator

Abstract

A water engagement actuator system and device comprising a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a marine vessel is provided. The rotary actuator includes a driven shaft and a undriven slave shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft. The rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed within a clean sealed environment; water engagement device having an arced blade connected to the driven shaft; at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the undriven slave shaft from the driven shaft. A controller is communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device is automatically moved to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the marine vessel. The rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated from the marine vessel with no more than two rotary shaft seals and counteract any unintended disturbance by automatic deployment of the arced blade—at 100 mm/s or more—into the water and provide dynamic active control of a marine vessel.

1 . A water engagement device actuator system comprising:
 a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a marine vessel so that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the marine vessel, where the rotary actuator includes a driven shaft;   a water engagement device connected to the driven shaft; and   a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device is automatically moved to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the marine vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the water engagement device is an arced blade. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the arced blade is a concave arced blade. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein hydrodynamic forces generated from the deployment of the water engagement device intersect at a center of rotation of the driven shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises an undriven slave shaft oppositely disposed to the driven shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the undriven slave shaft from the driven shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed within a clean sealed environment; and
 wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb hydrodynamic drag load generated from the marine vessel with no more than two rotary shaft seals.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure can be installed either above or below the water line of the marine vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to command the rotary actuator to rotate so that the water engagement device is moved to the retracted position when the rotary actuator fails or is deactivated. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary actuator is configured to enable deployment of the water engagement device at a speed of 100 mm/s or more. 
     
     
         11 . A water engagement device comprising:
 a rotary actuator disposed between an actuator plate and a seal plate of a support structure adapted to be connected to a marine vessel so that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the marine vessel, where the rotary actuator includes a driven shaft;   a water engagement device having an arced blade connected to the driven shaft;   a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device is automatically moved to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the marine vessel.   
     
     
         12 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the arced blade is a concave arced blade. 
     
     
         13 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein hydrodynamic forces generated from the deployment of the water engagement device intersect at a center of rotation of the driven shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises an undriven slave shaft oppositely disposed to the driven shaft. 
     
     
         15 . The water engagement device of  claim 14 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the undriven slave shaft from the driven shaft. 
     
     
         16 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed within a clean sealed environment; and
 wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated from the marine vessel with no more than two rotary shaft seals.   
     
     
         17 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the support structure can be installed either above or below the water line of the marine vessel. 
     
     
         18 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to command the rotary actuator to rotate so that the water engagement device is moved to the retracted position when the rotary actuator fails or is deactivated. 
     
     
         19 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary actuator is configured to enable deployment of the water engagement device at a speed of 100 mm/s or more. 
     
     
         20 . The water engagement device of  claim 11 , wherein the rotary actuator further comprises:
 a first actuator arm and a second actuator arm integrated to the driven shaft at a first end and at a second end respectively; and   wherein the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm extend in a radial direction from the rotary actuator along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator.   
     
     
         21 . The water engagement device of  claim 20 , wherein the arced blade is rotatably connected to the rotary actuator via the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm. 
     
     
         22 . A marine vessel comprising:
 a rotary actuator connected to a support structure adapted to be connected to a marine vessel so that a longitudinal axis of the rotary actuator is disposed transverse to a longitudinal axis of the marine vessel, wherein the rotary actuator includes a driven shaft and an undriven slave shaft disposed opposite the driven shaft;   wherein the rotary actuator further comprises at least one pair of bearings enclosed within a clean sealed environment;   a water engagement device having an arced blade connected to the driven shaft;   at least one encoder disposed in a space separating the undriven slave shaft from the driven shaft;   a controller communicatively connected to the rotary actuator to command rotation of the driven shaft such that the water engagement device is automatically moved to a position between a retracted position and a deployed position in order to provide dynamic active control of the marine vessel; and   wherein the rotary actuator is further configured to absorb any hydrodynamic drag load generated from the marine vessel with no more than two rotary shaft seals; and   wherein the rotary actuator is configured to counteract any unintended disturbance by automatic deployment of the arced blade into the water and provide dynamic active control of a marine vessel.   
     
     
         23 . The marine vessel of  claim 22 , wherein the rotary actuator is configured to enable deployment of the arced blade at a speed of 100 mm/s or more.