1601results about "Propulsive transmission" patented technology

A modular apparatus for and method of alternating current photovoltaic power generation comprising via a photovoltaic module, generating power in the form of direct current; and converting direct current to alternating current and exporting power via one or more power conversion and transfer units attached to the module, each unit comprising a unitary housing extending a length or width of the module, which housing comprises: contact means for receiving direct current from the module; one or more direct current-to-alternating current inverters; an alternating current bus; and contact means for receiving alternating current from the one or more inverters.

A propelling and driving system for boats having an outboard rudder propeller. The system provides the boat with reliable and comparatively good maneuverability. The system comprises at least two rudder propellers, each having driving motors configured in the form of a permanent magnet-excited synchronous machine. The stator winding of each synchronous machine has three winding phases connected to a three-phase alternating current, which are connected to the supply system of the boat. A modular controlling and regulating device comprising standardized modules is provided for each of the rudder propellers.

A marine power distribution arrangement includes a turbine-driven AC generator which supplies AC power at a frequency of 240 Hz through a switchgear unit to a transformer and a first power converter by which the power is converted to a variable frequency, variable voltage AC output for ship propulsion and to a second power converter by which the AC power is converted to a fixed voltage, fixed AC frequency or DC power to supply the ship service loads. A battery backup power supply may be switched in an emergency. In another embodiment four turbine-driven AC generators and two emergency power supplies are provided to drive two propulsion shafts as well as to supply the ship service loads.

A system for detecting and locating overboard personnel of a vessel. The system includes a plurality of transmitter units and an onboard receiver. A transmitter is assigned to be worn by each person to be monitored by the system. Each transmitter provides a unique identifier signal to the onboard receiver. The onboard receiver is initialized to establish an initial identifier configuration. The onboard receiver then continuously monitors its reception to detect any change in said initial identifier configuration. The onboard receiver triggers an alert in the event of detection of a change in said initial identifier configuration. In a first embodiment the assigned transmitters are activated prior to establishing the initial identifier configuration and the initial identifier configuration consists of all active transmitter identifiers present. In this first embodiment, the alert condition is initiated upon a failure of receipt of one of the identifiers. In a second embodiment, none of the transmitters are activated until it is submerged, the initial identifier configuration consists of no transmitter identifiers present. In this second embodiment, the alert condition is initiated upon receipt of a transmitter identifier. The system can also include a real time clock to record the time of an alert condition and/or a satellite positioning system to record the location of an alert.

A running control device for a watercraft controls propulsion force and tilt angle of a propulsion device relative to the hull of the watercraft. The running control device also sets an optimum trim angle automatically. The running control device includes a propulsion force control section that controls the propulsion force of the propulsion device. The running control device also includes a tilt angle control section that controls the tilt angle of the propulsion device. A target propulsion force calculation module responds to first input information (e.g., watercraft velocity) to calculate a target propulsion force. An amount-of-operation calculation module responds to second input information to calculate an amount of operation of the propulsion device to produce the target propulsion force. The tilt angle control section includes a tilt angle calculation module that determines the tilt angle based on the propulsion force.

A trolling motor control system that includes a main controller configured interface with a trolling motor. The main controller is configured to control the output power and directional heading of the trolling motor. In at least one embodiment, the main controller has an electronic interface configured to establish a two-way day data connection between the main controller and an electronic GPS-equipped mapping device. This two-way connection allows the main controller to use data stored on the GPS-equipped mapping device to execute functions of the trolling motor control system. It also allows functions of the trolling motor control system to be executed via controls on the GPS-equipped mapping device.

An acceleration control system is provided which allows the operator of a marine vessel to select an acceleration profile to control the engine speed of a marine vessel from an initial starting speed to a final desired speed. When used in conjunction with tow sports, such as wake boarding and water skiing, the use of acceleration profile provides consistent performance during the period of time when a water skier is accelerated from a stationary position to a full speed condition.

A solar backpack comprising: a backpack; a solar panel assembly attached to the top half of the backpack, wherein the solar panel assembly protrudes at an angle between 5 and 45 degrees above the front portion of the backpack to allow the user to walk and charge their batteries at the same time; a battery contained in the backpack and in electrical communication with the solar panel; an interchangeable battery recharge cord for recharging external battery operated devices.

In the embodiments described in the specification, a rim-driven propulsion pod arrangement has a cylindrical housing with a duct providing a flow path for water and a rotor assembly supported from a central shaft and containing a rotating blade row and driven by a rim drive permanent magnet motor recessed in the housing. An array of vanes downstream from the rotating blade row is arranged to straighten the flow of water emerging from the rotating blade row. Radial bearing members on the rotor have a hardness less than that of the shaft on which the rotor is supported and relatively soft protrusions are provided in the space between the rotor and the housing to limit excursion of the rotor. A thrust bearing has wedges arranged to form a water wedge between facing surfaces of the rotor and the rotor support during rotation of the rotor.

In an outboard motor control system, an electronic control unit executes ordinary navigation in which the operation of at least one among a steering motor, throttle motor and shift motor is controlled in accordance with an operator command inputted from the steering wheel or shift/throttle lever (steering command, shift position change command or engine speed regulation command of the outboard motor) and executes autopilot navigation in which the boat is automatically navigated by controlling the operation of the individual electric motors based on boat position information inputted from a GPS plotter and the desired position of the boat. This simplifies the configuration for conducting both manual navigation and automatic navigation and avoids making the system larger or more complicated to install, while including boat speed regulation and stopping capability among the autopilot features.

A method and system for defining a program to control the trim position of a propulsion unit mounted on a watercraft for a desired utility mode. Also, a method and system for controlling the trim position in a given utility mode by using the defined program. In defining the program, a first utility mode is defined and the watercraft is operated in the defined mode as in normal operation. Multiple trim positions are selected throughout the course of operation in the defined mode. For each selected trim position, an operational parameter of the watercraft is sensed. Multiple values of the same parameter may be sensed and measured for a single trim position. After the parameters have been sensed for each trim position, a correlated data set is created. A correlated data set is saved to a memory device for each selected trim position of the defined utility mode. In controlling the trim position, the watercraft is again operated in the first utility mode. A current operational parameter is then measured. Having measured the current operational parameter, the correlated data sets are recalled from memory so that the current operational parameter may be compared with the stored parameters in the data sets. The trim position is then selected and set based on the comparison of the current parameter with those stored in the data set.

An outboard motor for a marine vessel application, transmission devices for such an outboard motor, and related methods of making, operating, and modifying attributes of same, are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the motor includes a horizontal-crankshaft engine in an upper portion of the motor, positioned substantially above a trimming axis of the motor. In at least another embodiment, first, second and third transmission devices are employed to transmit rotational power from the engine to propeller(s). In at least a further embodiment, the motor is made to include a rigid interior assembly formed by the engine, multiple transmission devices, and a further structural component. In further embodiments, the motor includes numerous cooling, exhaust, and/or oil system components, and/or other transmission features. In at least some additional embodiments, a transmission device of the motor is configured to facilitate gear ratio variation and/or includes an integrated oil pump.

The invention discloses a shaftless driven type integrated motor propeller which is arranged on the tail part of a boat body of a water vehicle or underwater vehicle and comprises a front stator, a rotor propeller and a rear stator which are serially arranged on a solid non-rotating shaft, wherein the periphery of the propeller is connected with the circumferential rim of the annular propeller, a rotor permanent magnet is embedded in the circumferential rim of the propeller, a stator winding is arranged in the inner cavity of a guide pipe, the rotor permanent magnet and the stator winding are sealed by adopting water, and a gap is arranged between the rotor permanent magnet and the stator winding to form an annular motor. The rotor permanent magnet and the stator winding as well as the guide pipe are organically combined to form a modular unit, thus the shaftless driven type integrated motor propeller can be easily installed on a water platform or underwater platform, is suitable for large-power main propelling of a water boat or underwater submergible device, and has the advantages of reasonable structure, high propelling efficiency, low hydrodynamic force radiation noise, excellent cavitation property, safety and reliability.

A regenerative fuel cell is combined with a combustion engine such as a Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) to create a closed-loop power generation system. Stored hydrogen and oxygen are used by the regenerative fuel cell, and by the combustion engine, in which the reaction of the hydrogen and oxygen produces water in the gas phase (steam). The steam is used to generate work from a turbine shaft, which is used to drive a propulsion system for the marine vessel. After the steam passes through the turbine, the steam is cooled back to liquid water by a condenser, and stored with the water produced by the regenerative fuel cell. The stored water can be converted back into hydrogen and oxygen by using electrical power external to the closed-loop system. After regeneration of the water into hydrogen and oxygen, the closed-loop power system would be ready for operation again.

In an outboard drive or an inboard-outboard drive, power generated by a single engine is transmitted in left and right directions from a main drive shaft, thereby finally causing left and right propellers to be rotated, the left and right propellers being arranged about the main drive shaft so as to be spaced apart from the main drive shaft at approximately equal distances from the main drive shaft and facing a travel direction of a marine vessel, the outboard drive or inboard-outboard drive being provided with left and right shift cam assemblies for causing rotation situations of the propellers to be controlled dependently from each other, the rotation situations including normal rotation, reverse rotation and non-rotation situations of the propellers.

A hybrid propulsion system includes a main diesel engine for driving the marine turbine and an electric motor. The electric motor has a nominal output that constitutes at least 20% of the nominal output of the main diesel engine. The electric motor remains continuously switched on and maintains, together with a variable-pitch propeller, the main diesel engine at a favorable operating point. The combination of the main diesel engine and the electric motor also allows for a more economical design or operation of the propulsion system.