Marine Engine Neutral Start Protection System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine engine starting systems are inadequate in preventing engines from starting while the vessel is in gear, posing safety risks to occupants.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses position sensors to determine if the engine is in neutral gear before allowing start-up, ensuring both the control lever and shift actuator are in neutral positions before enabling the engine to start, and includes a multiplexed start/stop system for multiple engines and an emergency stop mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electronic shift and throttle systems are used to eliminate the fixed link between control handle and shift actuator arm, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of neutral start protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs multiple position sensors (lever position sensor and shift actuator position sensor) that continuously monitor the positions of the control lever and shift actuator arm, feeding this information back to the control head processor. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system can verify neutral position conditions before enabling engine start, maintaining reliability despite the elimination of mechanical linkage.
Solution Approach 2:
The control head processor checks the positions of both the control lever and shift actuator arm before allowing the engine to start. This preliminary verification ensures that both components are in neutral position before the start condition is enabled, preventing accidental startup while in gear.
2Reliability
If multiple position sensors and processing means are added to monitor both control lever and shift actuator positions, then reliability of neutral start protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control head processor serves multiple functions: it monitors lever position via the lever position sensor, monitors shift actuator position via the shift actuator position sensor, determines gear position, and controls the start condition. By consolidating these functions into a single processing unit, the system improves reliability through comprehensive monitoring while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a start-protection system for an engine of a marine vessel. The engine has gears and a shift actuator for operatively shifting the gears. The system includes a first position sensor disposed to operatively sense whether the engine is in a forward, neutral or a reverse gear position. The first position sensor generates a signal representative of the gear position. The system includes a second position sensor adjacent to a shift control which controls shift functions of the engine. The second position sensor generates a signal representative of the position of the shift control. The system includes processing means. The processing means are configured to receive the signals of the position sensors, determine the gear position and the position of the shift control and enable the engine to start upon determining that both the shift control and the engine are in neutral positions.