Electric Marine Battery Monitoring for Stable Time-To-Empty Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric marine propulsion systems face issues with range anxiety due to inconsistent and noisy reporting of remaining battery life, leading to unreliable time and distance to empty values, especially in systems with multiple batteries having charge level imbalances.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for calculating smoothed time to empty (TTE) and distance to empty (DTE) values by filtering and latching strategies to provide consistent and reliable information, updating values based on specific conditions such as threshold changes in demand, motor state, or vessel speed, and displaying these values to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time battery monitoring is implemented in electric marine propulsion systems, then users can track remaining battery power, but the reported values become noisy and inconsistent due to charge level imbalances in multi-battery systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual battery TTE values into a single smoothed system-level TTE value. The control system receives TTE values from each battery, applies filtering algorithms to smooth out variations, and presents a unified reliable estimate to the user, thereby merging fragmented noisy data into coherent information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer between the raw battery data and the user display. This intermediary applies filtering and smoothing algorithms to intermediate TTE values, acting as a mediator that transforms noisy individual battery readings into consistent system-level information without losing the underlying truth.
2Productivity
If continuous updates of battery status are provided to users, then users have real-time information, but the frequent updates create noise and reduce user understanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic updating of the display with smoothed TTE values rather than continuous raw data updates. By filtering and smoothing the data before periodic display updates, the system maintains information freshness while reducing noise, making the information easier for users to comprehend and act upon.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple batteries are used to extend range, then the power storage capacity increases, but charge level imbalances cause inconsistent TTE reporting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter representation from individual battery-level TTE values to a system-level smoothed TTE value. By transforming the data parameter from raw individual measurements to a filtered aggregate metric, the system maintains the benefits of multiple batteries while achieving precise and consistent TTE reporting.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric marine propulsion system includes a power storage system comprising at least one marine battery, an electric marine drive powered by the power storage system, a display, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive a reported time to empty (reported TTE) from each of the at least one battery and/or receive a battery current from each of the at least one battery, upon detection of an update condition, update at least one of a smoothed time to empty (smoothed TTE) value and a smoothed distance to empty (smoothed DTE) value for the power storage system based on the reported TTE and/or the battery current from each of the at least one battery, and control the display to display the smoothed TTE value and/or the smoothed DTE value.