STEERING CONTROL DEVICE AND MARINE VESSEL

To provide a technique for suppressing fluctuation in an engine load and to improve fuel consumption of a marine vessel.SOLUTION: A steering control device for controlling a steering gear 17 comprises: a propeller 21; an engine 19 for propelling a marine vessel 100 by transmitting rotational power to the propeller 21; the steering gear 17 for turning the marine vessel 100; and a steering part 13 which outputs a command for a target steering angle value of the steering gear 17 so that the marine vessel 100 navigates a designated route. The steering control device includes: a prediction part 27 which predicts a load of the engine 19 which generates due to disturbance at a prescribed timing during navigation of the marine vessel 100 on the designated route, and calculates a load fluctuation amount of the predicted load of the engine 19 with respect to a standard load; a correction part 33 which corrects the target steering angle value so as to decrease fuel consumption of the engine on the basis of the load fluctuation amount; and a steering control part 35 which controls the steering gear according to the corrected target steering angle value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】エンジンの負荷の変動を抑制して船舶の燃費を向上させる技術を提案する。【解決手段】プロペラ２１と、プロペラ２１に回転動力を伝達することで船舶１００を推進させるためのエンジン１９と、船舶１００を旋回させるための舵機１７と、船舶１００が指定航路を航行するように舵機１７の目標舵角値の指令を出力する操舵部１３と、を備える舵機１７を制御する舵制御装置であって、船舶１００が指定航路を航行する間の所定タイミングにおける外乱によって生じるエンジン１９の負荷を予測し、予測されたエンジン１９の負荷の基準負荷に対する負荷変動量を算出する予測部２７と、負荷変動量に基づいて、エンジンの燃費を減らすように前記目標舵角値を補正する補正部３３と、補正された目標舵角値に従って舵機を制御する舵制御部３５とを備える。【選択図】図１