Abstract: A watercraft with improved safety and stability is provided. The watercraft includes a shell defining a plurality of raceways for receiving water during certain maneuvers of the watercraft, thereby exerting force upon the watercraft in a first direction. The shell is configured so as to prevent or otherwise inhibit the water from exerting an opposed second force upon the watercraft. An intermediate panel of the shell provides increased flexibility, thereby serving as a shock absorber for the watercraft.

Abstract: A watercraft with improved safety and stability is provided. The watercraft includes a shell defining a plurality of raceways for receiving water during certain maneuvers of the watercraft, thereby excerpting force upon the watercraft in a first direction. The shell is configured so as to prevent or otherwise inhibit the water from excerpting an opposed second force upon the watercraft. An intermediate panel of the shell provides increased flexibility, thereby serving as a shock absorber for the watercraft.

Abstract: A watercraft with improved safety and stability is provided. The watercraft includes a shell defining a plurality of raceways for receiving water during certain maneuvers of the watercraft, thereby excerpting force upon the watercraft in a first direction. The shell is configured so as to prevent or otherwise inhibit the water from excerpting an opposed second force upon the watercraft. An intermediate panel of the shell provides increased flexibility, thereby serving as a shock absorber for the watercraft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for monitoring or controlling a small to medium solar or wind power production system to provide improved safety and reliability of the system, wherein the monitoring or control system provides one or more of firmware, hardware, software logic, or monitoring circuits in a system designed to increase its safety or to improve its reliability that includes: a circuit combined with one or more of hardware or software logic that provide a means for monitoring said power production system to check for over load or under load measurements at a plurality of power switches of said power production system.

Abstract: The present invention provides long-lasting, reusable wire electrical cable connectors that can be quickly connected and disconnected to accommodate the safe connection or termination of a plurality of wires upon reversibly joining said wire electrical cable connectors, wherein each reusable wire electrical cable connector comprises at least two main members as a connector pair, a male connector member and a female connector member. In a second embodiment type, the invention provides for terminating connector pairs where the male for female connector member is adapted to terminate wiring of a single cable rather than to connect two different cable pairs of the wiring. The invention further provides optional tools for quick connecting and disconnecting of the two connector members of a connector pair of either of the two embodiment types to efficiently snap apart the two connector members for repair or maintenance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for individual or plural detection of the presence or absence of at least one installed solar panels whether or not the individual solar panel or the plurality of solar panel(s) operates to produce power during the detection process and whether or not the detection is conducted during the day or night, wherein the presence or absence of an individual solar panel or of a plurality of solar panels producing power during detecting comprises detecting presence or absence of one or more solar panels by an associated system that measures power output, and wherein during the detecting process insufficient voltage is produced for the associated system to measure power output. In addition, the present invention provides a means to detect a fire or arcing that may damage a power system, and can provide notification of the need for servicing the power system.

Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus that obtains a current measurement for a current in a conductive element. The battery monitoring apparatus includes conductive lines configured to couple to a conductive element having an electrical current, a filter coupled to the conductive lines and configured to filter noise from a signal derived from a voltage difference between the conductive lines, an analog-to-digital converter that converts the signal filtered by the filter and outputs a digital signal, and a controller that receives the digital signal from the analog-to-digital converter.

Abstract: The battery charger is modular and reconfigurable. It includes charging modular power stages that are configured to receive an alternating current (AC) input and provide a direct current (DC) output for charging a battery. These modular power stages include an inverter coupled to a rectifier circuit that outputs a battery charging current. The modular power stages can also each include a current mode controller coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and configured to provide a current control signal for the modular power stage, a voltage mode controller coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and configured to provide a voltage control signal for the modular power stage, and a droop sharing control and configured to ensure current sharing between a plurality of modular power stages under constant voltage operation. A system controller is configured to interface with the modular power stages.

Abstract: A simple and flexible battery charger for charging high voltage battery strings includes a DC-to-AC converter that drives the primary of a transformer having multiple secondaries. Each secondary winding has a corresponding output stage formed of a rectification circuit, output inductor, and output capacitor. The output terminals of the output stages are connectable either in parallel or series. In either configuration, inductor current and capacitor voltage automatically balance among the output stage circuits. A controller normally regulates output terminal voltage by operating in voltage mode, but limits current by operating in a current mode when the average of inductor currents exceeds a specified limit. Reconfiguration from parallel to series, or vice versa, is obtained physical reconnection of the output stage terminals and adjustment of a single voltage feedback scaling factor.

Abstract: Activity based battery monitoring is carried out with a minimal requirement for data memory capacity by determining events defined between changes in the battery states of charge, discharge and open circuit. Battery parameters are sampled at high sampling rates but only a relatively small number of memory data fields are stored in a non-volatile memory and updated after each event. In operation, battery current is monitored to determine a change in battery state. At the end of an event, at which time the battery changes state, a limited number of data fields, which nonetheless accurately categorizes the event, can be stored to the non-volatile memory, including the event type, the event start time, total ampere hours during the event, and various transient conditions during the event such as maximum voltage, current and temperature and minimum voltage, their times of occurrence, and any alarms that are triggered during the event.

Abstract: Battery charge equalization is carried out utilizing modules connectable in staggered relation between pairs of batteries in a series connected string of batteries. Each module is standardized and has the same construction as the other modules. The modules may be constructed to provide unidirectional charge distribution down the string from a more highly charged battery to a lower charged battery and from a more highly charged last battery in the string back to a less highly charged first battery in the string, or may be constructed to provide bi-directional charge redistribution up or down the string of batteries. The charge equalizer modules are forward-based and reduce the charging current as the voltages on the two batteries to which the module is connected equalize.