Azimuth Thruster Control System

CPP or FPP driven by electric or diesel motor

Mega-Guard ACS:
Azimuth Thruster Control System
Steering control
Pitch control for CPP
RPM control of electric or diesel motor
Clutch control for diesel motor
Motor start and stop
Back-up control
Serial interface to VDR
Option: telegraph system
Option: DP/JOY interface
World wide service network
Class type approved

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 Azimuth Thruster Control System

Features
The Mega-Guard Azimuth Thruster
Control System (ACS) fully automates
from bridge the control of the azimuth
thruster. The azimuth thruster can be
ACS Operator Panel as installed on

equipped with CPP or FPP and can be

driven by electric or diesel motor.
bridge and control room

The Azimuth Thruster Control System

fulfills the rules of the classification
societies and includes steering control,
remote control, safety, steering and
RPM/pitch indication and a back-up
control system. The Azimuth Thruster
STEERING 10 10 STEERING Control System is often used in
BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
TO PS
8
6
8
6 combination with a Mega-Guard
4 4
STEERING
BACKUP
TO SB
2
0
ASTERN
BACKUP
ASTERN
BACKUP
2
0
STEERING
BACKUP
TO SB
Dynamic Positioning System. Operator
Panels can be supplied for bridge fore,
NFU
STEERING
NFU
RPM
NFU
RPM
NFU
STEERING
bridge aft, bridge wings and control
BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP
CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL room. Operator panels are equipped
EM'CY TAKE TAKE EM'CY
with a combined steering and RPM/
BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
STOP
Pitch setting lever and a control display
to select various operator modes and to
indicate steering, RPM/pitch and motor
load or amperage.

ACS Operator Panels on bridge and control room

Main components on each control position are:
Steering and RPM/pitch setting lever including clutch control in case of FPP driven by diesel motor
8.4” TFT colour display equipped with steering, pitch, RPM and load indicators
In addition, the 8.4” TFT is equipped with 12 control pushbuttons and various other
indicators including alarms
Back-up control of steering and RPM/pitch including clutch control in case of
FPP driven by diesel motor
Emergency Stop pushbutton
A VDR serial interface is provided on the bridge Operator Panel (NMEA0183 protocol). ACS Operator Panel as installed on bridge wing
Two or more bridge panels are supplied in case of bridge fore and bridge aft. Dual wing
indicators for steering, pitch, RPM and/or load, implemented on 5.7” TFT, are available
as well. The wing panel can be extended with Steering and RPM/pitch setting lever and
Emergency Stop pushbutton. Bumpless take over control is realized with line-up
indication lamps on the 8.4” and 5.7" TFT colour displays or an electrical shaft
(synchronization) between bridge levers can be supplied as an option.

ACS Operator Panel control functions

Pushbuttons are integrated on the Operator Panel with function indication on the 10
8

8.4" TFT colour display. The following typical functions can be selected: 6
4
2
EM'CY
Start motor and stop motor 0 BACKUP
STOP

DP/Joystick mode
Load trim setting (%)
Emergency mode selection
Take over control from bridge fore to bridge aft and/or to bridge wings and vice versa
Dimming mode selection
Parameter mode selection

2
 CPP or FPP driven by electric or diesel motor

Back-up control of steering and RPM/pitch

The non follow up back-up control is used as a back-up in case the steering
control system and/or the remote control system fails. Typically the back-up
control contains 6 pushbuttons on each control location:
Non follow-up steering control; Non follow-up RPM/pitch control;
in order to select this mode in order to select this mode

ACS steering and RPM/pitch setting Lever

Steering clockwise Increase pitch or RPM to ahead
Steering anti-clockwise Decrease pitch or RPM to astern
Alternatively: RPM setting can be equipped with a potentiometer
instead of pushbuttons. In case of FPP driven by diesel motor:
back-up clutch control pushbuttons can be integrated as well.

ACS Control Cabinet

The ACS Control Cabinet is bulkhead mounted in thruster room.
The ACS Control Cabinet includes a steering control system, remote
control system, an indication system (steering, pitch, RPM load etc),
a back-up control system and a no break power supply with power
distribution. Both the steering control system and the remote control
system is built-up with a Control Processor and two I/O Modules:
I/O Module with 18 digital inputs and 18 relay outputs
I/O Module with 4 analog outputs and up to 20 free
configurable I/O points (AI,AO,DI and DO)
Programming of ACS is in according with IEC61131 standard.
Field cables are connected to the terminal strips on the I/O Modules.
The Control Processor also supports serial interfaces which are
supplied in case the motor or drive provides a serial interface or
in case a serial interface is required with AMS. Two power supplies
need to be connected to the Azimuth Thruster Control System:
230VAC main supply
24VDC back-up battery supply
The ACS Control Cabinet is equipped with:
Dual indicator for steering, pitch and/or load
implemented on 5.7" TFT. Azimuth CPP thruster mimic as shown on a
Commissioning parameters can be
set with the 5.7” TFT colour display.
ACS 8,4" TFT Operator Panel

Back-up control pushbuttons for pitch or RPM

Back-up control pushbuttons for steering
Emergency Stop pushbutton
All other components from the Azimuth Thruster
Control System are fed from the power distribution
logic in the ACS Control Cabinet. The Operator
Panels on bridge and control room are connected
to the ACS Control Cabinet via redundant Ethernet
connection.

Option: Electric motor drive

Either a soft starter cabinet will be provided
(in case of CPP) or a variable frequency drive
cabinet will be provided (in case of FPP).
Electric motors are supported from 250KW
up to 3400KW with voltages up to 690VAC.

3
 Mega-Guard Azimuth Thruster Control System
Bridge Fore Bridge Aft
ACS Operator Panel ACS Operator Panel
Bridge

VDR VDR
Ethernet PS
STEERING 10 10 STEERING STEERING 10 10 STEERING
BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
TO PS
8 8 8 8
6 6 6 6
4 4 4 4
STEERING 2 ASTERN ASTERN 2 STEERING STEERING 2 ASTERN ASTERN 2 STEERING
BACKUP
TO SB 0 BACKUP BACKUP 0 BACKUP
TO SB BACKUP
TO SB 0 BACKUP BACKUP 0 BACKUP
TO SB

Ethernet SB
NFU NFU NFU NFU NFU NFU NFU NFU
STEERING
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP STEERING
BACKUP STEERING
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP STEERING
BACKUP
CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL

EM'CY TAKE TAKE EM'CY EM'CY TAKE TAKE EM'CY

BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
STOP

Ethernet PS Ethernet SB
Control Room

Control Room
ACS Operator Panel
STEERING 10 10 STEERING
BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
AHEAD BACKUP
TO PS
8 8
6 6
4 4
STEERING 2 ASTERN ASTERN 2 STEERING
BACKUP
TO SB 0 BACKUP BACKUP 0 BACKUP
TO SB

NFU NFU NFU NFU

STEERING
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP RPM
BACKUP STEERING
BACKUP
CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL

EM'CY TAKE TAKE EM'CY

BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
OVER BACKUP
STOP

ACS Control ACS Control

Cabinet Cabinet
230Vac (SWB) 230Vac (SWB)
Ethernet PS Ethernet SB
STEERING STEERING
BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP BACKUP
TO PS BACKUP
AHEAD AHEAD

24Vdc(BAT) 24Vdc(BAT)
STEERING ASTERN STEERING ASTERN
BACKUP
TO SB BACKUP BACKUP
TO SB BACKUP

NFU NFU NFU NFU

STEERING
BACKUP PITCH
BACKUP STEERING
BACKUP PITCH
BACKUP
CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL

EM'CY EM'CY
BACKUP
STOP BACKUP
STOP
STEERING COMMAND

STEERING COMMAND
STEERING FEEDBAVK

STEERING FEEDBAVK
START/STOP

START/STOP
EM'CY STOP

EM'CY STOP
CLUTCH FEEDBACK

CLUTCH FEEDBACK
SHAFT RPM

SHAFT RPM
THROTTLE

THROTTLE
Engine Room

LOAD/SLD

LOAD/SLD
CLUTCH

CLUTCH
PITCH INCR./DECR.

PITCH INCR./DECR.
PITCH FEEDBACK

PITCH FEEDBACK
RPM

RPM
GOVERNOR GOVERNOR

MAIN MAIN
ENGINE ENGINE

CPP CPP
GEARBOX GEARBOX
HYDRAULICS HYDRAULICS

Pick-up Pick-up

Azimuth CPP Thruster PS Azimuth CPP Thruster SB

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