# US 2023/0053671 A1 · Electric marine propulsion system and control method with emergency depletion mode > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0053671 A1 - Document ID: US20230053671A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/404,386 - Filed: 2021-08-17 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-17 - Assignees: Brunswick Corporation - Applicants: Brunswick Corporation - Inventors: Steven J. Gonring - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230053671A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/63: against overdischarge - B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed - B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) - B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC] - B63H 21/17: by electric motor - B63H 21/213: {Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers} - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - H02J 7/855: {with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery} - H02J 7/96: in response to battery voltage - B60L 2250/00: Driver interactions - B63H 2021/216: {using electric control means} - G01R 31/3647: {for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract An electric marine propulsion system is configured to propel a marine vessel and comprises a lithium ion (LI) battery, a marine drive having an electric motor powered by the LI battery, and a user input device configured to receive a user input selected an emergency depletion mode. The system further includes a controller configured to determine a battery charge level for the LI battery and reserve a minimum charge level of the LI battery associated with a normal operating area for the LI battery by ceasing power delivery from the LI battery to the marine drive once the battery charge level reaches the minimum charge level. In response to selection of the emergency depletion mode, power is delivered from the LI battery to the marine drive when the battery charge level is below the minimum charge level. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric marine propulsion system configured to propel a marine vessel, the system comprising: a lithium-ion (LI) battery; a marine drive having an electric motor powered by the LI battery; a user input device configured to receive a user input selecting an emergency depletion mode; a controller configured to: determine a battery charge level for the LI battery; reserve a minimum charge level of the LI battery associated with a normal operating area (NOA) for the LI battery by ceasing power delivery from the LI battery to the marine drive once the battery charge level reaches the minimum charge level; in response to selection of the emergency depletion mode, deliver power from the LI battery to the marine drive when the battery charge level is below the minimum charge level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon selection of the emergency depletion mode and/or upon the battery charge level becoming less than the minimum charge level, log a below NOA incident. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to, in association with the below NOA incident, store at least one of a run time below the minimum charge level and a lowest battery charge level for the LI battery. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is a selector switch positionable to select and deselect the emergency depletion mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the selector switch is on a housing of a power storage system containing the LI battery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, further comprising a warranty void warning on the housing adjacent to the selector switch and advising a user of a battery warranty policy related to selecting the emergency depletion mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is a user interface display configured to present an option to a user to select and deselect the emergency depletion mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein controller is further configured to provide a warranty void warning on the user interface display in conjunction with the option to select the emergency depletion mode and advising a user of a battery warranty policy related to selecting the emergency depletion mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, a user interface display configured to present a notice to the user to deselect the emergency depletion mode once a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined restart condition is at least one of key cycling the marine drive while the emergency depletion mode is selected, delivering a charge current to the LI battery while the emergency depletion mode is selected, and the battery charge level becoming greater than the minimum charge level while the emergency depletion mode is selected. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically deselect the emergency depletion mode once a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined restart condition is at least one key cycling the marine drive while the emergency depletion mode is selected, delivering a charge current to the LI battery while the emergency depletion mode is selected, and the battery charge level becoming greater than the minimum charge level while the emergency depletion mode is selected. ### Claim 13 A method of controlling an electric marine propulsion system configured to propel a marine vessel, the method comprising: determining, at a controller, a battery charge level for a lithium-ion (LI) battery powering a marine drive; reserving, with the controller, a minimum charge level of the LI battery associated with a normal operating area (NOA) for the LI battery by ceasing power delivery from the LI battery to the marine drive once the battery charge level reaches the minimum charge level; receiving, at the controller, a user input selecting an emergency depletion mode; in response to selection of the emergency depletion mode, deliver power from the LI battery to the marine drive when the battery charge level is below the minimum charge level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein ceasing power delivery from the LI battery to the marine drive includes controlling a battery disconnect switch to open connection between the LI battery and the marine drive once the battery charge level reaches the minimum charge level when the emergency depletion mode is not selected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein stopping reservation of the minimum charge level includes, when the emergency depletion mode is selected, controlling the battery connection switch to remain closed once the battery charge level is at or below the minimum charge level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising, upon selection of the emergency depletion mode and/or upon the battery charge level becoming less than the minimum charge level, logging a below NOA incident. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising, in association with the logged below NOA incident, store at least one of a run time below the minimum charge level and a lowest battery charge level for the LI battery. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the user input selecting the emergency depletion mode is a position of a selector switch. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting a warranty void warning in association with a user input device for selecting the emergency depletion mode advising a user of a battery warranty policy related to selecting the emergency depletion mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, presenting a notice to the user to deselect the emergency depletion mode once a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined restart condition is at least one of key cycling the marine drive while the emergency depletion mode is selected, delivering a charge current to the LI battery while the emergency depletion mode is selected, and the battery charge level becoming greater than the minimum charge level while the emergency depletion mode is selected. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically deselecting the emergency depletion mode once a predetermined restart condition is satisfied, wherein the predetermined restart condition is at least one of key cycling the marine drive while the emergency depletion mode is selected, delivering a charge current to the LI battery while the emergency depletion mode is selected, and the battery charge level becoming greater than the minimum charge level while the emergency depletion mode is selected.