DC-6X Series Steering Gear

1. Overview

The DC-6X series autopilot is a newly developed adaptive autopilot by China Shipbuilding Navigation Technology Co., Ltd. It features steering functions including track steering, heading steering, following steering, emergency steering, and over-control steering. This series of autopilots employs an adaptive control algorithm, ensuring high control accuracy, effectively reducing the number of rudder movements and minimizing wear on the steering gear, thereby lowering fuel consumption. The DC-6X series autopilot adopts a modular design, allowing its functions to be expanded or reduced as needed, enabling the creation of autopilots tailored for following steering, automatic heading steering, or automatic track steering. It is suitable for a wide variety of vessel types, including passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, fishing vessels, tugboats, dredgers, patrol boats, transport boats, research vessels, and government service vessels.

2. Main Features

1) Safe and reliable

It features two completely independent control systems, each capable of independently controlling the servo motors. The two systems serve as hot backups for each other and can be switched over in real time, thereby enhancing safety and reliability.

2) Precision control

By employing an adaptive control algorithm, the system collects and learns real-time data to acquire ship maneuvering characteristics, automatically calculates the optimal rudder angle, helps reduce ineffective rudder movements caused by factors such as waves, and improves fuel efficiency.

3) Rich configuration

Adopting a standard modular design and a redundant CAN network architecture, the units feature relatively independent functions, making it convenient for users to select and configure components. The hardware interfaces are abundant, providing strong scalability to meet users’ personalized needs and allowing flexible combinations of high-, mid-, and low-end configurations.

4) Simple operation

Featuring a large-screen LCD display, it offers simple human-machine interaction, intuitive navigation data presentation, and even easier operation.

Not only can the brightness be adjusted, but it also features different display colors for day and night, making it even more conducive to nighttime navigation.

5) Easy to maintain

The system automatically detects and precisely locates faults, while also providing intuitive visual and textual fault information and operational guidance, making it easy to perform quick operations and troubleshoot issues.

6) Trajectory control

When combined with the China Shipbuilding Navigation Electronic Chart, it can achieve Class C track control.

Main Technical Parameters

1) Operating temperature

Operating temperature: -15° ~ +55°

Storage: -25° ~ +70°

2) Operating voltage

Servo drive unit 380V AC 50Hz

The main power supply for the steering console is 220V AC, 50Hz.

Emergency power supply for the steering station, 24V DC

3) Interface

Input:

Rudder angle feedback device: IEC61162-1, RGRSA (automatic steering function)

Electro-magnetic compass: IEC61162-1, HEHDT, HEROT (automatic heading function)

Magnetic compass: IEC61162-1, HCHDT, HCROT (heading auto-function)

Log: IEC61162-1, VBW (Automatic Course Function)

ECDIS: IEC61162-1, RTE, WPL (Automatic Track Function)

GPS: IEC61162-1, GGA (Automatic Track Function)

Output:

Solenoid valve: 24V DC ~ 2.0A

VDR: IEC61162-1, ALC, ALF, HTD, RSA

BNWAS: IEC61162-1, ALR

One set of passive contacts

Meet the standard

●ISO11674

●EN/IEC61162-1

●EN/IEC6094

●IEC62065 (in combination with ECDIS);

●A.342(IX), A.694(17), MSC.64(67) Annex 3, MSC.74(69) Annex 2

●CCS “Rules for the Classification of Steel Marine Vessels”

See the type approval certificate for details.

System Principle

The DC-6X series autopilot primarily includes two major functions: ship navigation control and rudder actuator power control.

Ship navigation control encompasses various control functions, including track keeping, course steering, following, emergency response, and over-control. It issues steering commands to regulate the deflection of the ship’s rudder blade. The hydraulic power control subsystem primarily manages the start-up and stoppage of the rudder hydraulic pump unit, as well as the collection, transmission, and reception of operational alarm information from the rudder pump unit. When a fault occurs, the alarm system sends alarm messages to the bridge, the central control room, or other remote alarm units, alerting the operator to perform timely inspections. The integration of ship navigation control and rudder hydraulic power control together enables precise control of the rudder blade’s deflection, thereby enabling the ship to achieve its navigation objectives along a predetermined track in accordance with the operator’s instructions.