Ab Volvo Penta

Ab Volvo

Cpac Systems Ab

Volvo Penta Corporation

Lennart Arvidsson

Stig F Bohlin

Staffan T Mansson

Carl Nelvig

Oddbjörn Hallenstvedt

Jukka Tuuliainen

Lennart Uhlander

Peter Torrangs

Stig Larsson

Peter Torrångs

Anders Bergquist

Lars Larsson

Staffan M{dot Over (a)}nsson

Peter Granqvist

Peter TORRÅNGS

A device and a method for controlling an electrical steering system in a marine vessel comprising at least one steerable propulsion unit, the electrical steering system comprising a main steering system () that comprises a main electric motor () and a main power source, e.g. a main battery (); a main steering angle sensor () arranged to detect the steering angle of the propulsion unit; a main control unit () arranged to steer the propulsion unit and to monitor the main steering system status; an auxiliary steering system comprising an auxiliary electric motor () and an auxiliary battery (); and an auxiliary clutch () arranged to connect a drive shaft of the auxiliary electric motor to the input shaft of the steering transmission (). The method involves the steps of engaging the auxiliary clutch at start-up of the propulsion unit; performing a diagnostic test of the main steering system during start-up; performing a calibration of an auxiliary steering angle sensor.

Electrical steering system in a marine vessel and a method for controlling such a steering system

A propeller drive assembly for transferring a torque between an engine and at least one propeller of a water surface vessel includes a plurality of lubrication clients. The propeller drive assembly includes a first lubrication system arranged to house a first lubricant, dedicated for lubrication of at least one first of the lubrication clients, and a second lubrication system arranged to house a second lubricant, dedicated for lubrication of at least one second of the lubrication clients, the at least one second lubrication client includes a seal arranged to seal the second lubrication system from a body of water surrounding at least a portion of the propeller drive assembly, the second lubrication system being arranged to transport the second lubricant to the seal.

Propeller drive assembly

Steering control system for a vessel including set of propulsion units including at least two propulsion units pivotally arranged in relation to the hull of the vessel for generating a driving thrust of the vessel in a desired direction, the control system including a steering control instrument for generating input signals for control of a desired route of the vessel a control unit complex controlling the angular position of the propulsion units, the control unit complex being arranged for receiving input signals from the steering control instrument, which input signals represents a general direction of movement of the vessel and thus a general desired angular position of each propulsion unit the control unit complex furthermore containing a feed forward pivot angle correction control block for each propulsion unit, which feed forward pivot angle correction blocks are arranged to generate desired angular positions of the propulsion units by adding a correction value to the general desired angular position of the propulsion units, the correction value including compensation for toe in setting of the propulsion units and/or Ackerman position setting of the propulsion units, and method for operating such a steering control system.

Steering control system for a vessel and method for operating such a steering control system

There is provided a breakaway safety system for a vessel. The vessel includes: (a) a hull; (b) one or more engine arrangements supported by the hull; and (c) one or more propeller extensions mounted to the hull and coupled to receive motive power from the one or more engine arrangements in operation. The safety system includes: one or more sensors mounted to the vessel for measuring operating parameters of the vessel and generating one or more corresponding input signals; a control unit for receiving the one or more corresponding input signals, and for processing the one or more input signals to generate at least one control output; one or more fracturable regions for mounting the one or more propeller extensions to the at least one hull; and one or more fracturing devices operable to fracture the one or more fracturable regions for jettisoning associated one or more propeller extensions in an event that the control unit detects a potentially hazardous impact event and activates its at least one control output accordingly.

Breakaway safety system

There is elucidated a safety system for a marine vessel. The vessel includes two engines coupled to propellers for propelling the vessel through water. The vessel is provided with a digital anchor in communication with the two engines for maintaining the vessel substantially at a defined location when the anchor is activated. The safety system includes a sensor assembly coupled to a data processing assembly for sensing a region of said water at least partially surrounding the vessel for detecting one or more persons present in the region and for modifying operation of the digital anchor in response to the one or more persons being detected. The invention is of advantage in that the digital anchor is capable of responding to the one or more persons being present in the water and thereby reducing a risk of injury or loss of life when the digital anchor is employed.

Safety system for marine vessels

A method in a corrosion protection system for protecting a first and a second metal part of a marine construction is provided. The method includes controlling electrical currents through electrical circuits, including respective anodes, the respective metal parts and an electrolyte, at least partly based on measured electrical potentials of the respective metal parts with an reference electrode as a ground reference. The method further includes repetitively performing the steps of controlling the electrical currents so as to be reduced or eliminated, measuring the electrical potentials while the electrical currents are maintained reduced or eliminated, and, after measuring the first and second electrical potentials, controlling the electrical currents so as to be increased or reestablished.

Control of a corrosion protection system

There is elucidated a safety system for a marine vessel. The vessel includes two engines coupled to propellers for propelling the vessel through water. The vessel is provided with a digital anchor in communication with the two engines for maintaining the vessel substantially at a defined location when the anchor is activated. The safety system includes a sensor assembly coupled to a data processing assembly for sensing a region of said water at least partially surrounding the vessel for detecting one or more persons present in the region and for modifying operation of the digital anchor is response to the one or more persons being detected. The invention is of advantage in that the digital anchor is capable of responding to the one or more persons being present in the water and thereby reducing a risk of injury or loss of life when the digital anchor is employed.

Steering control system for a vessel including at least two propulsion units pivotally arranged in relation to the hull of the vessel for generating a driving thrust of the vessel in a desired direction, wherein each propulsion unit is moveable within a working volume defined for each propulsion unit and wherein the working volume for neighboring propulsion units of the at least two propulsion units have a common space, the control system including at least two separate control units each controlling an associated propulsion unit, and a steering control instrument for determining the desired angular position of the propulsion units, where each of the separate control units are arranged for receiving a first input signal from the steering control instrument for determining the desired angular position of its associated propulsion unit and second input signal(s) originating from the other separate control units, associated with neighboring propulsion units, which second input signal(s) indicating the status of the their associated propulsion units.

Steering control system for a vessel, a vessel including such a steering control system and a method for controlling a steering system

Outboard drive for boats, including a gear housing, an underwater housing connected rotatably to the gear housing, and a mounting element arranged between the gear housing and the underwater housing for mounting the drive in a boat hull with the gear housing on the inside and the underwater housing on the outside of the hull and including an exhaust passage with an exhaust outlet. The exhaust outlet is surrounded by a plate made of polytetrafluoroethylene fixed on the underside of the mounting element. The underwater housing is rotatable relative to the gear housing by an electric servomotor communicating with a control computer, which communicates with an engine control computer for an internal combustion engine connected to the drive and is arranged so as, when the engine is shut off, to give a signal to the servomotor to put the underwater housing in a position corresponding to moving straight ahead.

Outboard drive for boats

Boat with a hull with double engines which are controlled by a respective electronic engine control unit and are coupled to a respective outboard drive, which drives are driven by electric servomotors/electronic drive control units. The drive control units communicate with the engine control units and continuously monitor the steering function of the drives and together with the engine control units, upon detection of a steering fault in a control system, gradually to reduce the speed of the engine in question to idling, to activate an alarm, to reduce the throttle of the other engine, to disengage and lock in neutral position the gear of the failing drive, and to lock the drive in the current angular position. After acknowledgement from the driver, neutral lock is cancelled and a gear can be engaged. The associated engine can then be used with but limited to approximately half throttle.

Method of steering a boat with double outboard drives and boat having double outboard drives

Method and arrangement for providing a remote control system for a vehicle () including a primary heading sensor () fixedly attached to the vehicle (). The primary heading sensor () is adapted to detect a reference heading (N). A remote control unit () having a steering input manipulator () that is either portable by a user or rotationally attached to the vehicle () relative to a main axis () of the vehicle (). The remote control unit () is adapted to communicate steering input data to a steering computer () that is programmed to process the steering input data into steering commands and to communicate the steering commands to a steering mechanism () of the vehicle (). The remote control unit () has a secondary heading sensor that is synchronized with the primary heading sensor () with respect to the reference heading. The steering input data includes information of an active position of the steering input manipulator () relative to the reference heading (N) and the active position of the steering input manipulator () determines the desired direction of travel of the vehicle () regardless of the orientation of the remote control unit () relative to the main axis () of the vehicle ().

Remote control system for a vehicle

Outboard drive unit for boats, including an underwater housing (), in which two propeller shafts () are mounted and are driven via a first bevel gearing () enclosed in the underwater housing, and a second bevel gearing () enclosed in a gear housing (). With the aid of a mounting element () joined to the underwater housing and the gear housing, the drive unit can be mounted in an opening () in the bottom () of a boat hull, with the underwater housing on the outside and the gear housing on the inside of the hull. The mounting element forms a housing which defines, firstly, an oil reservoir () for the oil of the drive unit and, secondly, a surrounding chamber () through which engine cooling water flows and which is used for cooling the oil in the reservoir.

A method of steering a planning V-bottomed boat with double individually steerable outboard drive units with underwater housings (), which extend down from the bottom () of the boat. When running at planning speed straight ahead, the underwater housings are set with 'toe-in', i.e. inclined towards each other with opposite angles (alpha) of equal magnitude relative to the boat centre line (b). When turning, the inner drive unit is set with a greater steering angle than the outer drive unit.

Growing community of inventors

Kållered, Sweden

Lennart Arvidsson