Method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsCarl G. Schott, Blake R. Suhre, Matthew J. Manthey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control algorithm provides a method for selecting a pitch magnitude for a controllable pitch propeller. The pitch magnitude is selected as a function of the difference between a desired engine speed and an actual engine speed in addition to the actual pitch position of the controllable pitch propeller. The desired engine speed is selected as a function of the position of either a throttle control lever or the throttle plate of an internal combustion engine.
Claims20
A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:
- determining a magnitude of an input parameter;
- selecting a desired magnitude of an engine operating characteristic as a function of said input parameter;
- measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;
- and
- determining a desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller as a function of the difference between said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic.
A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable marine pitch propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:
- determining a magnitude of an input parameter;
- selecting a desired magnitude of an engine operating characteristic as a function of said magnitude of said input parameter;
- measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;
- determining a desired pitch change direction as a function of said desired magnitude and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;
- and
- determining a magnitude of a pitch change to be applied to said controllable pitch propeller in said desired pitch change direction.
A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:
- determining a magnitude of a manually controlled input parameter;
- selecting a desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic as a function of said manually controlled input parameter;
- measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;
- determining a desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller as a function of the difference between said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;
- measuring an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller;
- and
- adding said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller to said actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to determine a desired pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller, said engine operating characteristic being engine speed, said causing step comprising the alternative steps of either increasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is less than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic or decreasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is greater than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.