Outboard Motor Speed Synchronization for Simple Vessel Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operation of synchronizing engine rotational speeds of multiple outboard motors on a marine vessel is complex and time-consuming, affecting straightforward navigation and the auditory experience due to disparities in engine sound quality.
Innovation Solution
A marine vessel engine rotational speed control device that automatically transitions all outboard motors to a synchronous mode by designating a reference engine and adjusting others to match its speed, with conditions for entering and exiting this mode to simplify operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine rotational speeds of multiple outboard motors are synchronized by individually adjusting each engine's speed, then the engine rotational speeds can be matched, but the operation becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically synchronizes engine rotational speeds by having each outboard motor's ECU detect and adapt to the reference engine's speed variations in real-time, eliminating the need for manual adjustment operations while maintaining reliable synchronization
Solution Approach 2:
Each slave ECU continuously monitors the reference ECU's engine rotational speed signals and adjusts its own engine speed accordingly through feedback control, enabling automatic synchronization without complex manual operations
2Reliability
If the engine rotational speeds are synchronized by aligning lever positioning, then the synchronous mode can be set, but the operation becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the reference outboard motor and configures synchronous mode without requiring operator intervention for lever alignment, eliminating the time-consuming manual positioning process while ensuring proper synchronous mode establishment
Solution Approach 2:
The reference outboard motor is predetermined based on operational conditions before synchronous mode activation, allowing the system to pre-configure the synchronization relationship and avoid time-consuming lever alignment operations when the mode is activated
3Reliability
If manual adjustment of engine rotational speeds is performed, then synchronization can be achieved, but straightforward navigation deteriorates due to operator distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The outboard motors automatically maintain synchronized rotational speeds through their ECUs detecting and responding to the reference engine's speed, eliminating the need for operator attention to manual adjustments and allowing straightforward navigation without distraction
Data Source
AI summary
An engine speed control device for a vessel in which a plurality of outboard motors are mounted on a hull, has a control unit that performs control, on the basis of an operation of one switch, so as to set engines of the outboard motors to a synchronous mode in which the engines have an identical engine speed, wherein the control unit determines in advance an engine to serve as a reference among the engines of the outboard motors, and automatically changes the mode to the synchronous mode in which the engine speeds of engines other than the reference engine become equal to the engine speed of the reference engine when all the engines satisfy a condition to transit to the synchronous mode.