Automated sail setting of a sailboat

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis work is to construct a model of a sail setting system of a sailboat. This system will automatically adjust the setting of the mainsail of the boat. The reason of having an automatic sail setting system could be to keep the weight down of the boat as the crew weighs more than the system. Other aspects are that sailboat owners, who lack the knowledge or think that it is difficult to adjust the sails, can use the system to ease the sailing when taking trips with their boat. You will then avoid using the boat's engine and can then save on fuel costs. The setting of the sail is made by measuring with a sensor from where the wind is blowing relative to the hull and due to the wind velocity. Information has been collected to be able to model a sailboat with its components. A mathematical model of the sailboats components has been constructed to know how the mainsail is set for a given input signal to the electric winch as well as how the forces will affect the winch. Finally, the moment of inertia of the components of the boat and its hull has been modeled to capture the dynamics and to more accurately describe motions in the system. The mathematical model of the sail setting system was created in subsystems. In the software Simulink the subsystems were put together to a complete model. The model that is non-linear was linearized due to the reason that linear control theory was used when constructing a lead-lag controller. The constructed linear controller was implemented in the non-linear model and several simulations were made with different disturbances and loads. The controller and the system fulfilled all the requirements that were specified.

Plats: Osquldas väg 10, floor 3, room A313

Tid: 2010-02-17 kl 13.15 - 14.00

Ämnesområde: Automatic control

Opponent: Erik Rigtorp

Respondent: Jörgen Melin

Handledare: Prof. Elling W. Jacobsen

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