Water sensing interlock systems and methods for hybrid marine vessels
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorsMatthew S. Krabacher, Peter A. Chisholm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for controlling power in a hybrid marine vessel arrangement. A first water sensor senses a presence of water at a first location on the marine vessel. An intermediate switch is activated when the first water sensor senses the presence of water at the first location. An interlock switch disconnects power to at least one high voltage electrical component on the marine vessel when the intermediate switch is activated.
Claims18
A system for controlling power in a hybrid marine vessel arrangement, the system comprising:
- a first water sensor that senses a presence of water at a first location on the marine vessel;
- an intermediate switch that is activated when the first water sensor senses the presence of water at the first location;
- an interlock switch that is activated when the intermediate switch is activated;
- an interlock circuit that is formed by the interlock switch being wired in series with at least one switch on at least one high voltage electrical component and with a high voltage interlock loop control circuit;
- and
- a high voltage power source that supplies high voltage power to the at least one high voltage electrical component separately from the interlock circuit;
- wherein the high voltage interlock loop control circuit prevents rower from being supplied by the high voltage power source to the at least one high voltage electrical component when the interlock switch is activated;
- and
- wherein the at east one high voltage electrical component requires a voltage of at least a certain value to operate.
A method for controlling power in a hybrid marine vessel arrangement, the method comprising:
- sensing a presence of water at a first location on the marine vessel with a first water sensor;
- electrically opening an interlock switch in response to a signal that the presence of water has been sensed at the first location, thereby breaking an interlock circuit formed by the interlock switch being wired in series with at least one high voltage, electrical component on the marine vessel;
- and
- sensing that the interlock circuit has been broken, and in response, disconnecting a high voltage power source from the at least one high voltage electrical component;
- wherein the high voltage power source supplies power to the at least one high voltage electrical component independently of the interlock circuit;
- and
- wherein the at least one high voltage electrical component requires a voltage of at least a certain value to operate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.