Marine Battery Power Limit Control for Overheating Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric marine propulsion systems with multiple batteries face overheating issues, leading to suboptimal performance, decreased battery health, and potential vessel disablement due to lack of active cooling systems, necessitating power limit reduction to prevent battery damage.
Innovation Solution
A temperature and power management system that calculates a temperature-compensated system power limit by determining each battery's temperature offset and applying it to the system power limit, controlling the electric motor to prevent overheating and ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power limit is reduced to prevent battery overheating, then battery reliability is improved, but system productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the power limit based on real-time battery temperature conditions. Instead of using a fixed reduced power limit, the controller continuously monitors battery temperature and adjusts the power limit accordingly, allowing the system to operate at full power when batteries are cool and reducing power only when temperature thresholds are approached, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where battery temperature is continuously monitored and used to adjust the power limit. The controller receives temperature data from sensors, compares it against predetermined thresholds, and adjusts the power limit in response, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains battery reliability while maximizing productivity when conditions permit
2Reliability
If active cooling system is added to prevent battery overheating, then battery reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the battery's own operational characteristics to manage its temperature. By monitoring voltage and current during charging and discharging operations, the system calculates temperature based on these electrical parameters and the battery's internal resistance characteristics, eliminating the need for external cooling systems while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cooling systems with an electrical/software-based solution. Instead of using fans, pumps, or heat exchangers, the system uses electrical parameter monitoring (voltage, current) and computational algorithms to detect and respond to overheating conditions by adjusting power delivery, thereby eliminating mechanical complexity while maintaining battery reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric marine propulsion system (2) configured to propel a marine vessel (1) includes a power storage system (16) including at least one battery (18a-18d), at least one electric motor (4) powered by the power storage system (16) and configured to rotate a propulsor (10) to propel the marine vessel (1), and a control system (11). The control system (11) is configured to identify a temperature and a maximum power limit for each battery (18a-18d), determine a system temperature offset based at least in part on the temperature and the maximum power limit for each battery (18a-18d), apply the system temperature offset to a system power limit to calculate a temperature compensated system power limit, and control the at least one electric motor (4) based at least in part on the temperature compensated system power limit.