An apparatus, method and computer program for controlling propulsion of marine vessel. The propulsion is implemented by a foil wheel propulsion system. The method includes: receiving a wheel operation status from a wheel drive; receiving a plurality of foil operation statuses from a plurality of foil drives; receiving a command from a vessel control system; generating wheel control data for the wheel drive to control a foil pitch function of the foil wheel propulsion system based on the command in view of the wheel operation status; and generating foil control data for the plurality of the foil drives to further control the foil pitch function of the foil wheel propulsion system based on the command in view of the wheel operation status and the plurality of foil operation statuses, wherein a reference torque of the foil control data for each foil drive is generated using a foil feedforward model.

A propulsor for a marine vessel is described. The propulsor includes a plurality of blades extending from a rotary housing. The blades are distributed around a blade pitch circle diameter of the rotary housing. A mounting plate rotatably mounts the rotary housing to a hull of the marine vessel. A slewing bearing includes a driven ring with a driven gear that is fixed to the rotary housing and a stationary ring fixed to the mounting plate. A diameter of the slewing bearing is at least 0.4 times the blade pitch circle diameter. The propulsor includes a main electric motor with a drive shaft mechanically connected to a driving gear. The driven gear of the slewing bearing and the driving gear define a single-stage transmission gear with a transmission ratio between 5:1 and 15:1.

A method for controlling a propulsion system of a marine vehicle is disclosed. A controller forms data on pitch angles of at least two foils, which are in a rotatable manner attached with a foil wheel, based on at least an angularly variable eccentricity of the at least two foils and an angle of rotation of the foil wheel. The variable eccentricity is limited at a portion of the angle of rotation of the foil wheel. An actuator arrangement receives the data from the controller and sets the at least two foils at the pitch angles based on the data.

Different solutions to stop automatically a vessel, which includes at least a first cycloidal propeller unit and a second cycloidal propeller unit, are disclosed. During a stopping procedure motion control values of at least the first cycloidal propeller unit are adjusted to cause, while maintaining a movement direction of the vessel to be according to a latest steering command, the first cycloidal propeller unit to brake in a first mode or in a second mode. In the first mode the main wheel is rotating, and blades of the cycloidal propeller unit are rotated to change a thrust direction towards to a reverse thrust direction. In the second mode either the main wheel is kept in a first position and the blades are positioned individually towards a corresponding predetermined angle to the movement direction or the blades are kept in first positions and the main wheel is rotated.