ASSEMBLY FOR PROVIDING ELECTRIC POWER TO A MARINE PROPULSION SYSTEM

Abstract

An assembly for a marine vessel includes a housing forming a watertight enclosure. A battery pack is sealed within the watertight enclosure. An onboard charger is sealed within the watertight enclosure and is electrically connected to the battery pack. A power converter is sealed within the watertight enclosure and is electrically connected to the battery pack. The housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel. The battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/388,373, filed Jul. 12, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to marine propulsion systems, and more specifically to power storage systems for providing electric power to electric marine propulsion devices.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 11,643,176 discloses a hull assembly for a pontoon boat including a hull extending in a longitudinal direction between a front end and a rear end. A first thruster assembly is attached to a first lateral side of the hull. A second thruster assembly is attached to a second lateral side of the hull. The first and second thruster assemblies include respective thrust units that are each movable between a deployed position and a stowed position.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0328912 discloses a marine battery system configured to provide energy to a marine vessel load. The marine battery system includes a main enclosure body and an auxiliary enclosure body that is detachably coupled to the main enclosure body to define a sealed battery volume. The auxiliary enclosure body is configured to perform a pressure accommodation action responsive to an increase in a temperature within the sealed battery volume. The marine battery system further includes a battery disposed within the sealed battery volume.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0328893 discloses a marine battery pack including an enclosure defining a cavity, a plurality of cell modules within the cavity, each comprising a plurality of battery cells, and at least one sensor configured to sense at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a presence of water, and a gas content within the cavity. A controller is configured to detect an event warranting decommission of the battery pack based on the temperature, the pressure, the presence of water, and/or he gas content within the cavity, and then to automatically operate a pump to intake water from outside of the enclosure and pump water through the cavity from an inlet port in the enclosure to an outlet port in the enclosure so as to cool the plurality of battery cells.

The above applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to one example of the present disclosure, an assembly for a marine vessel comprises a housing forming a watertight enclosure. A battery pack is sealed within the watertight enclosure. An onboard charger is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. A power converter is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. The housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel. The battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises at least one of the following: a watertight communication interface configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter; a cooling module configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways located within the watertight enclosure so as to cool at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter; and a shield configured to protect at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing. The communication interface, cooling module, and shield can all be provided together in the same assembly, or one or two of these features could be provided in any combination in a given assembly.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the communication interface, and the communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the cooling module, and the cooling module is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the cooling module, and the cooling module comprises: a water pump configured to draw raw water from a body of water in which the marine vessel is operating into the cooling module; a coolant pump configured to pump the cooling fluid into the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure and thereafter return the cooling fluid to the cooling module; and a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the returned cooling fluid to the raw water.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the cooling module, and the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure are fluidically connected to further fluid passageways configured to cool the electric motor.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the shield, and the shield is a Faraday cage.

According to some aspects, the battery pack comprises a battery management system.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises at least one of a water sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor located within the watertight enclosure and in communication with the battery management system.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises the electric motor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the electric motor is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises a steering actuator configured to steer a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the steering actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises a stow/deploy actuator configured to stow and deploy a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the stow/deploy actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

According to some aspects, a portion of the watertight enclosure is watertight with respect to a remainder of the watertight enclosure, and the assembly further comprises a panel or door covering an opening in an exterior of the housing, the opening configured to provide access to the remainder of the watertight enclosure.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more electrical cables in the watertight enclosure to one or more electrical cables on the marine vessel.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more fluid passageways in the watertight enclosure to one or more fluid passageways external to the housing.

According to some aspects, the assembly comprises vibration isolation mounts configured to couple the housing to the marine vessel.

According to some aspects, the power converter comprises at least one of a power inverter and a DC-DC converter.

According to another example of the present disclosure, an assembly for a marine vessel includes a housing forming a watertight enclosure. A battery pack is sealed within the watertight enclosure. An onboard charger is sealed within the watertight enclosure and is electrically connected to the battery pack. A power converter is sealed within the watertight enclosure and is electrically connected to the battery pack. A shield is configured to protect at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing. The housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel. The battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

According to another example of the present disclosure, an assembly for a marine vessel comprises a housing forming a watertight enclosure. A battery pack is sealed within the watertight enclosure. An onboard charger is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. A power converter is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. A watertight communication interface is configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter. The housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel. The battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

According to another example of the present disclosure, an assembly for a marine vessel comprises a housing forming a watertight enclosure. A battery pack is sealed within the watertight enclosure. An onboard charger is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. A power inverter and/or a power converter is sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack. A cooling module is configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways located within the watertight enclosure so as to cool at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter. The housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel. The battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of electric marine propulsion systems and assemblies therefor are described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.

FIG. 1 is a schematic showing an electric marine propulsion system as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0328893.

FIG. 2 is a schematic showing a marine vessel with an electric marine propulsion system according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic showing an embodiment of an assembly for providing electric power to the marine propulsion system, including a communication interface between a watertight housing and other components on the marine vessel.

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing another embodiment of an assembly for providing electric power to the marine propulsion system, including a cooling module and an electric motor within a watertight enclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic showing another embodiment of an assembly for providing electric power to the marine propulsion system, including a sealed watertight enclosure within an accessible watertight enclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic showing another embodiment of an assembly for providing electric power to the marine propulsion system, including a motor and a cooling module external to the housing of the watertight enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

Unless otherwise specified or limited, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and the like, are meant to indicate A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and/or C, including combinations with multiple instances of A, B, and/or C Likewise, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “linked,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, unless otherwise specified or limited, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

As used herein, unless otherwise limited or defined, discussion of particular directions is provided by example only, with regard to particular embodiments or relevant illustrations. For example, discussion of “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “lateral” or “longitudinal” features is generally intended as a description only of the orientation of such features relative to a reference frame of a particular example or illustration. Correspondingly, for example, a “top” feature may sometimes be disposed below a “bottom” feature (and so on), in some arrangements or embodiments. Additionally, use of the words “first,” “second”, “third,” etc. is not intended to connote priority or importance, but merely to distinguish one of several similar elements from another.

As used herein, the term “power converter” includes an electrical or electro-mechanical device for converting electrical energy. The term “power converter” includes, but is not limited to, to the following devices: DC to DC converters such as linear regulators or voltage regulators; DC to AC converters such as power inverters; AC to DC converters such as rectifiers; and AC to AC converters such as transformers. As used herein, the term “watertight” is meant to encompass any ability to decrease, minimize, or prevent water ingress and may range from water resistant to waterproof “Water resistant” means built in such a way that it is difficult for water to get inside and/or coated with a water-repellant substance and may include an ingress protection (IP) rating having a second digit of 1, 2, 3, or 4. “Waterproof” means water is not able to get inside and may include an ingress protection (IP) rating having a second digit of 5, 6, 6K, 7, 8, or 9K.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an electric marine propulsion system 10 powered by a power storage system, such as a battery pack 12, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0328893. In the depicted embodiment, the electric marine propulsion system 10 includes an outboard marine propulsion device 14 having an electric motor 16 housed therein, such as housed within the cowl 18 of the outboard marine propulsion device 14. In one example, the outboard marine propulsion device 14 is like that described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/984,440, filed Nov. 10, 2022. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand in view of the present disclosure that the electric marine propulsion system 10 may include a different type of electric marine propulsion device, such as a trolling motor, an inboard drive, a stern drive (such as, for example, that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/076,836, filed Dec. 7, 2022), a jet drive, or a pod drive. In still other examples, the electric marine propulsion device may be a deployable and stowable device coupled to a hull assembly for a pontoon boat, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,643,176. The exemplary electric marine propulsion device 14 shown here has the noted electric motor 16 configured to propel the marine vessel by rotating a propeller 20. The motor 16 may be, for example, a brushless electric motor, such as a brushless DC motor. In other embodiments, the electric motor 16 may be a DC brushed motor, an AC brushless motor, a direct drive, a permanent magnet synchronous motor, an induction motor, or any other device that converts electric power to rotational motion. In certain embodiments, the electric motor 16 includes a rotor and a stator, as is well known in the relevant art.

The electric motor 16 is electrically connected to and powered by the battery pack 12. The battery pack 12 stores energy for powering the electric motor 16 and is rechargeable, such as by connection to shore power when the electric motor 16 is not in use. Various battery packs are known in the art and are suitable for powering an electric marine propulsion device 14, such as various Lithium-ion battery pack arrangements. In the depicted example, cell modules 22 are connected in series to form a bank or group that provides a large voltage output. In one example, the high voltage battery pack 12 may provide 250 V DC or more, such as 450 V DC, 550 V DC, or 800 V DC. The battery pack 12 may further include a battery management system (BMS) 13 configured to monitor and/or control aspects of the battery pack 12. For example, the BMS 13 may receive inputs from one or more sensors within or on the battery pack 12. The BMS 13 is configured to determine a battery state of health and to recognize a hazardous condition based on any one or more of the interior or exterior sensor measurements. For example, the state of health may be determined based on measured temperature and/or rate of internal temperature rise, internal pressure measurements, battery orientation, G-levels endured, water exposure and/or the duration thereof, etc.

A propulsion control module (PCM) 24 communicates with a motor controller 26 of the motor 16 via communication link 28, such as a controller area network (CAN) bus. The PCM 24 also receives input from and/or communicates with one or more user interface devices in a user interface system 30 via the communication link 28, which in some embodiments may be the same communication link as utilized for communication between the controllers 13, 24, 26 or may be a separate communication link. The user interface devices in the user interface system 30 of the exemplary embodiment include a throttle lever 32 and a display 34. In various embodiments, the display 34 may be, for example, part of an onboard management system, such as VesselView™ by Mercury Marine of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The user interface system 30 may also include a steering wheel 36, which in some embodiments may also communicate with the PCM 24 to effectuate steering control over the electric marine propulsion device 14, which is well-known and typically referred to as a “steer-by-wire” arrangement. In the depicted embodiment, however, the steering wheel 36 is a manual steer arrangement in which the steering wheel 36 is connected to a steering actuator that steers the electric marine propulsion device 14 by a steering cable 38.

The electric motor 16 may be associated with the noted motor controller 26, which is configured to control power to the electric motor 16, such as to the stator winding thereof. The motor controller 26 is configured to control the function and output of the electric motor 16, such as the torque outputted by the motor 16, the rotational speed of the motor 16, and the input current, voltage, and power supplied to and utilized by the motor 16. In one arrangement, the motor controller 26 controls the current delivered to the stator windings via leads 40, which input electrical energy to the electric motor 16 to induce and control rotation of the rotor. Sensors may be configured to sense the power, including the current and voltage, delivered to the motor 16. The motor controller 26 is configured to provide appropriate current and/or voltage to meet the demand for controlling the motor 16. For example, a demand input may be received at the motor controller 26 from the PCM 24, such as based on an operator demand at a helm input device, such as the throttle lever 32.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a marine vessel 42 having two electric marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b thereon. In other examples, only one electric marine propulsion device or more than two electric marine propulsion devices is/are provided on the marine vessel 42. The marine vessel can be any type of boat, such as but not limited to, a fishing boat, a pontoon boat, a deck boat, a bowrider boat, a center console boat, etc., while the electric marine propulsion device(s) can be any electric marine propulsion device(s) appropriate for installation on the corresponding marine vessel. In the present example, in order to accommodate both electric marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b and other house loads of the marine propulsion system 44, multiple battery packs 12a-d are provided onboard the marine vessel 42. Further power electronics are associated with the battery packs 12a-d, each with their own BMS (here, “cell monitor unit”). As noted, the battery packs 12a-d can be recharged by connection to shore power. Typically, an onboard charger 46 is required to convert shore AC to DC for charging the battery packs 12a-d. A further DC/AC power inverter 48 may also be provided to power AC loads 49 on the marine vessel 42 using the battery packs 12a-d. A DC-DC converter 50 (which may be a step-down converter) can also be provided such that the high-voltage battery packs 12a-d can power lower voltage (e.g., 12 V) loads 51 on the marine vessel 42. The present inventors have realized through research and development that packaging a majority or all of the battery packs 12a-d and power electronics 46, 48, 50 into a single watertight enclosure 52 can greatly simplify installation of the electrical power system on the marine vessel 42 as well as reduce the likelihood of contact with a high voltage load during installation. This way, those who are trained to work with high-voltage components can install them in a pre-packaged assembly, such as the watertight enclosure 52, for later installation of the watertight enclosure 52 on the marine vessel 42 by less experienced individuals. Further, sealing the watertight enclosure 52 prevents the need to separately waterproof every component within the watertight enclosure 52, as contemplated in U.S. Pat. No. 11,643,176, thus saving manufacturing time, materials, and cost.

Components that are not within the watertight enclosure 52 include the helm controls 54 (e.g., throttle lever 32 and steering wheel 36); the user interface/user experience device (UI/UX) 56 (e.g., display 34); the propulsion electronic control unit (ECU) 58, which may be in signal communication with the PCM 24; the vessel ECU 60; the house AC and DC distribution panels 62, 64; and a digital switching module 66 (e.g., C Zone′ from CZone Online of Hong Kong). These are components to which the operator of the marine vessel 42 requires ready access and/or which are personalized for a given vessel or sold as add-on modules, so it is typically not useful to locate them in the pre-assembled watertight enclosure 52.

In some embodiments, as will be discussed herein below, portions of the electric marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b are also housed within the watertight enclosure 52, as suggested by the dashed line 52a. In other embodiments, the electric marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b, including their motors and inverters, are located outside of the watertight enclosure 52. In both examples, the propulsors (e.g., propeller 20) of the electric marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b need to be outside of the watertight enclosure 52, 52a for obvious reasons, i.e., so they can contact the water in which the marine vessel 42 is operating to produce thrust. However, the connection between the propeller and the watertight enclosure 52, 52a can be protected with thick, strong material (e.g., a polyolefin copolymer) surrounding the conductors to ensure it cannot be cut through. In other examples, the watertight enclosure 52, 52a and components therein can be manufactured and sold separately from a propulsor or from a propulsor/steering/trim unit to provide plug-and-play type options to the consumer.

FIGS. 3-6 will now be referred to so as to explain several examples of how the watertight enclosure may be implemented.

FIG. 3 illustrates an assembly for a marine vessel 42 comprising a housing 370 forming a watertight enclosure 352. The housing 370 may be a box or another hollow structure made of a polymer such as polycarbonate, polypropylene copolymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or a similar material, and may be molded to reduce the need to seal edge or corner seams as much as possible. The housing 370 may be molded in two parts, which are snapped, clamped, sealed, welded, and/or adhered together after the components discussed hereinbelow are installed in the housing 370. In one example, the housing 370 is water resistant and is made of a material (e.g., a polymer as noted above) that is impervious to water and/or is coated with a water-repellant substance. Any interfaces between different parts of the housing 370 are provided with lips, flanges, overhangs, gaskets, and/or sealants that make it difficult for water to enter the housing 370. In another example, the housing 370 is waterproof. For example, the housing 370 may be made of a material (e.g., a polymer as noted above) that is impervious to water and that is permanently or semi-permanently sealed around the components within the housing 370. In one example, the housing 370 has an IP rating with a second digit of 5 or more.

A battery pack (here battery packs 312a, 312b) is sealed within the watertight enclosure 352. Each battery pack 312a, 312b may include multiple cell modules 22 and a BMS 13 as shown in FIG. 1. An onboard charger 346 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 352 and electrically connected to the battery packs 312a, 312b, here, by way of power distribution unit (PDU) 372. The PDU 372 may be a junction box, switch box, or fuse box that provides multi-battery power distribution, as well as other safety, power control, and charging features. A power inverter 348 and/or a DC-DC converter 350 is also sealed within the watertight enclosure 352 and electrically connected to the battery packs 312a, 312b by way of PDU 372. In other examples, the power inverter 348 is located with the electric motor outside of the housing 370 and only the DC-DC converter 350 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 352. In still other examples, no power converter is provided within the watertight enclosure 352. The components within the watertight enclosure 352 (here, including the power converters 348, 350) are coupled to the electric marine propulsion device(s) 14a and/or 14b by way of a pair of high voltage connectors to the motor or motor/inverter, a pair of low voltage plugs, a manual service disconnect, and optional cooling ports (as will be discussed further herein below with respect to FIG. 6). Each of these connectors and ports is IP rated (for example with a second digit of 5 or above) when connected with a mating connector, plug, or receptacle. A watertight communication interface 374 is configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system 330 of the marine vessel 42 and at least one of the battery pack(s) 312a, 312b, the onboard charger 346, and the power inverter 348 and/or DC-DC converter 350. Here, the communication interface 374 is a wired communication interface that connects the power electronics inside the watertight enclosure 352 to the communication link 328. In another example, the communication interface is a wireless communication interface. In this regard, the communication interface may include any of a number of different communication backbones or frameworks including, for example, the NMEA 2000 framework, cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, or other suitable networks. The housing 370 is configured to be installed on the marine vessel 42 and the battery pack(s) 312a, 312b is/are configured to provide power to the electric motors powering the marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b on the marine vessel 42 as well as to the inverters in examples in which the inverters are located with the electric motors. The battery packs 312a, 312b can also provide power to the steering and trim actuators 376 of the marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b as shown, as well as to house loads on the marine vessel 42 as noted hereinabove.

FIG. 4 shows another example of an assembly for a marine vessel 42 comprising a housing 470 forming watertight enclosure 452. Battery packs 412a, 412b are sealed within the watertight enclosure 452. An onboard charger 446 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452 and is electrically connected to the battery packs 412a, 412b by way of PDU 472. A power inverter 448 and/or a DC-DC converter 450 is/are sealed within the watertight enclosure 452 and is/are electrically connected to the battery packs 412a, 412b. In other examples, no power converters 448, 450 are provided in the watertight enclosure 452. The housing 470 is configured to be installed on the marine vessel 42 and the battery packs 412a, 412b are configured to provide power to the electric motors powering the marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b on the marine vessel 42 as well as to the inverters in examples in which the inverters are located with the electric motors. The noted components function in the same manner as those described hereinabove with respect to FIG. 3, with similar components starting with a “4” in the hundreds place instead of a “3” and ending in the same numbers in the tens and ones places. Here, a cooling module 478 is provided and is configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways 480 located within the watertight enclosure 452 so as to cool at least one of the battery packs 412a, 412b, the onboard charger 446, and the power inverter 448 and/or DC-DC converter 450. The cooling passageways 480 may be hoses, tubes, coils, passages within a cooling plate, or other conduits configured for carrying cooling fluid toward, past, and away from the components to be cooled.

The cooling module 478 includes a water pump 482 configured to draw raw water from a body of water in which the marine vessel 42 is operating into the cooling module 478, such as by way of an inlet grille, inlet conduit, or the like. A coolant pump 484 is configured to pump cooling fluid (e.g., dielectric fluid, glycol) into the cooling passageways 480 in the watertight enclosure 452 and thereafter return the cooling fluid to the cooling module 478. The water pump 482 and coolant pump 484 are powered by electric motors that are electrically connected to the battery packs 412a, 412b by way of the DC-DC converter 450 and low voltage lines. A heat exchanger 486 (e.g., a double pipe, shell and tube, or plate heat exchanger) is configured to transfer heat from the returned cooling fluid to the raw water, in a known manner, before the raw water is returned to the body of water from which it was drawn by way of an outlet grille, outlet conduit, or the like. As depicted, the cooling passageways 480 in the watertight enclosure 452 are fluidically connected to further fluid passageways 481 configured to cool the electric motor 416. Thus, the same cooling loop that cools the power electronics 446, 448, 450, 472 and the battery packs 412a, 412b can also cool the electric motor 416 of the electric marine propulsion device.

In the example of FIG. 4, the cooling module 478 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a, which shows an optional extension of the watertight enclosure 452 such that the electric motor 416 of the marine propulsion device 14a and/or 14b is also sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a. The extension of the watertight enclosure 452a may be integral with the watertight enclosure 452 such that a single housing 470 encompasses the watertight enclosure 452 and the extension of the watertight enclosure 452a. The raw water inlet and outlet for the water pump 482 are made watertight (such as by way of grommets, gaskets, or other known devices) where they breach the housing 470, such that water flows only through the water pump 482 as intended. As noted, the electric motor 416 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a, which is possible if the marine propulsion device 14a and/or 14b is, for example, an inboard drive, a pod drive, or a stern drive. In such an arrangement, the output shaft 498 of the electric motor 416 breaches the watertight enclosure 452a in order that it may connect to the propulsor, which is intended to be located in the water. The interface between the output shaft 498 and the watertight enclosure 452a is made watertight, such as by way of grommets, gaskets, or other known devices.

In other examples, such as if the water pump 482 is provided on the marine propulsion device 14a and/or 14b, the cooling module 478 may be provided external to the housing 470, i.e., outside of the watertight enclosure 452, 452a. In other examples, the electric motor 416 might be provided in a submersible housing supporting the propulsor, similar to the design of known trolling motors. In this latter instance, the electric motor is provided in watertight communication with the watertight enclosure 452a by way of watertight cables, tubes, or the like that hold components such as the motor leads, communication cables, and/or cooling passageways. See, for example, FIG. 6, discussed further herein below.

FIG. 5 shows another example in which the cooling module 578 is located within the watertight enclosure 552 formed by the housing 570. Battery packs 512a, 512b are sealed within the watertight enclosure 552. An onboard charger 546 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 552 and is electrically connected to the battery packs 512a, 512b by way of PDU 572. A power inverter 548 and/or a DC-DC converter 550 is/are sealed within the watertight enclosure 552 and is/are electrically connected to the battery packs 512a, 512b. In other examples, no power converters 548, 550 are provided in the watertight enclosure 552. The housing 570 is configured to be installed on the marine vessel 42 and the battery packs 512a, 512b are configured to provide power to the electric motors powering the marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b of the marine vessel 42, as well as to the inverters in examples in which the inverters are located with the electric motors. The cooling module 578 is configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways 580 located within the watertight enclosure 552 so as to cool at least one of the battery packs 512a, 512b, the onboard charger 546, and the power inverter 548 and/or DC-DC converter 550. The noted components function in the same manner as those described hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, with similar components starting with a “5” in the hundreds place instead of a “3” or “4” and ending in the same numbers in the tens and ones places.

The housing 570 in the example of FIG. 5 may comprise a Faraday cage that acts a shield configured to protect at least one of the battery packs 512a, 512b, the onboard charger 546, and the power inverter 548 and/or DC-DC converter 550 from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing 570. For example, the housing 570 can be made of conductive metal or can be made of a non-conductive material lined with conductive metal. For example, the housing 570 could be lined with copper or aluminum mesh. The shield shields the battery packs 512a, 512b and power electronics 546, 548, 550, 572 within the housing 570 from electromagnetic interference (EMI) outside the housing 570, such as that from the communication link 28, the propulsion ECU 58, the vessel ECU 60, and other marine vessels in the vicinity, which EMI might otherwise cause glitches.

FIG. 5 shows another aspect of the present disclosure, namely, that a portion 552b of the watertight enclosure 552 is isolated and watertight with respect to a remainder of the watertight enclosure 552. The isolated portion 552b comprises a separate or sub housing that holds the charger 546, the inverter 548 and/or converter 550, and the PDU 572. The assembly further comprises a panel or door 588 covering an opening in the exterior of the housing 570. The opening is configured to provide access to the remainder of the watertight enclosure 552, while the isolated portion 552b remains independently watertight. The panel or door 588 is provided with a seal (e.g., an elastomeric gasket) around its perimeter to ensure the opening is watertight when the panel or door 588 is closed. Provision of the panel/door 588 and opening may allow for addition of more battery packs (e.g., optional battery pack 512b) to the assembly without the installer coming into contact with the high-voltage power electronics within the isolated portion 552b. Such an easily accessible location for adding more battery packs allows for a modular system in which the assembly can be built or retrofitted to provide different levels of horsepower, e.g., if several 30 kW battery packs are docked together using a building-block type platform. Further, depending on the placement of the cooling module 578, another access panel or door could be provided to provide access to the remainder of the watertight enclosure 552 to service the low voltage parts of the cooling module 578 that might be subject to more wear than the power electronics within the isolated portion 552b. Further, the panel/door 588 and opening can provide access to a fuse box or to other easily serviceable parts inside the housing 570.

Of final note with respect to FIG. 5 is the shape of the housing 570, which may be concave at one end (here, the left end) to allow for attachment of the marine propulsion device 14a or 14b thereto. In this embodiment, the steering and trim actuators 576 are located external to the housing 570. This type of arrangement may be implemented with a pontoon-type housing according to the principles described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,643,176 or U.S. Pat. No. 11,591,057. In one example, two separate propulsion units on separate pontoon hulls could share power from battery packs provided in a single watertight housing 570. In another example, separate watertight housings 570 with batteries and other components described hereinabove are provided for each pontoon hull and its associated propulsion unit.

What is or is not sealed within the watertight enclosure can vary depending on the application and architecture of the watertight enclosure. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in some instances the electric motor 416 of the marine propulsion device is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a. In some examples, a steering actuator 476 configured to steer a propulsor of the marine propulsion device is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a. In some examples, a stow/deploy actuator 492 configured to stow and deploy a propulsor of the marine propulsion device is sealed within the watertight enclosure 452a. In other examples, one or more of these components is/are provided outside the housing 470.

In any of the examples provided herein, quick connect/disconnect mechanisms are provided to allow for easy installation and removal of the housing 370, 470, 570, 670 on/from the marine vessel 42. For example, any of the above assemblies may comprise a quick disconnect (e.g., 394, FIG. 3) provided on the housing 370, wherein the quick disconnect 394 is configured to connect one or more electrical cables in the watertight enclosure 352 to one or more electrical cables on the marine vessel 42. Quick disconnects may be provided between the watertight housing 370, 470, 570, 670 and the motor leads as well, such as for example as shown by quick disconnect 596. The quick disconnects would be similar to those provided at the charging port connected to the onboard charger 346. For example, the quick disconnects can comprise mating male and female elements having a housing, a sleeve, and any number of seals to ensure the mated connection is watertight and may be configured to provide electrical and signal connections. Examples of connectors that would be suitable for this purpose are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/054,812, filed Nov. 11, 2022. Other suitable waterproof quick disconnects can be purchased from Amphenol Corp. of Connecticut; TE Connectivity of Schaffhausen, Switzerland; Avertronics USA Inc. of Ontario, Canada; Shanghai Futronics Electronic Technology Co. of Shanghai, China; or HIGO Technology (Suzhou) Co. of Suzhou City, China. More specifically, in one example, the electrical quick disconnect is an AMPHENOL PowerLok® high voltage quick disconnect. Additionally or alternatively, the assembly may further comprise a quick disconnect provided on the housing 370, 470, 570, 670 that is configured to connect one or more fluid passageways in the watertight enclosure 352, 452, 552, 652 to one or more fluid passageways external to the housing 370, 470, 570, 670. For example, a quick disconnect 596 could be located between the housing 570 and the motor, as shown in FIG. 5, providing fluid communication between the cooling passageways 580 in the watertight enclosure 552 and the fluid passageways in the marine propulsion device 14a or 14b that are configured to cool the motor and inverter. In another example, in which the cooling module 578 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 552, a quick disconnect 595 provides fluid communication between the inlet to the water pump 582 and a conduit 597 leading to the source of raw water. The fluid quick disconnects can be, for example, VDA-style toolless coolant connections.

In yet another example shown in FIG. 6, battery packs 612a, 612b are sealed within the watertight enclosure 652. An onboard charger 646 is sealed within the watertight enclosure 652 and is electrically connected to the battery packs 612a, 612b by way of PDU 672. A power inverter 648 and/or a DC-DC converter 650 is/are sealed within the watertight enclosure 652 and is/are electrically connected to the battery packs 612a, 612b. In other examples, no power converters 648, 650 are provided in the watertight enclosure 652. The housing 670 is configured to be installed on the marine vessel 42 and the battery packs 612a, 612b are configured to provide power to the electric motors powering the marine propulsion devices 14a, 14b of the marine vessel 42, as well as to the inverters in examples in which the inverters are located with the electric motors. In the example of FIG. 6, the cooling module 678 is provided externally of the watertight enclosure 652. In this case, a quick disconnect 685 provides fluid communication between the cooling passageways 680 in the watertight enclosure 652 and the external cooling module 678. FIG. 6 also shows how an external electric motor 616 may be provided in watertight communication with the watertight enclosure 652 by way of watertight cables, tubes, or the like that hold components such as the motor leads, communication cables, and/or cooling passageways, as mentioned briefly hereinabove with respect to the example of FIG. 4. For example, a flexible watertight sheath 687 can be provided with a quick disconnect 689a, 689b at either end for connection to the motor 616 on one end and to the housing 670 on the other end. The quick disconnects 689a, 689b may include a pair of high voltage connectors, a pair of low voltage plugs, a manual service disconnect, and cooling ports. Each of these connectors and ports is IP rated (for example with a second digit or 5 or above) when connected with a mating connector, plug, or receptacle. The components labeled in FIG. 6 function in the same manner as those described hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 3-5, with similar components starting with a “6” in the hundreds place instead of a “3,” “4,” or “5” and ending in the same numbers in the tens and ones places.

In some examples, quick disconnects are provided for each of the fluid interfaces, communication interfaces, and electrical interfaces between the housing 370, 470, 570, 670 and the exterior of the housing. Each of these quick disconnects, or subsets thereof, can be coupled to a lever or levers that when pulled disconnect all associated quick disconnects at once.

Various additional components and/or features can be provided with any of the embodiments of FIGS. 3-6. For example, as noted, the assembly can include a battery management system (BMS). A separate BMS can be associated with each battery pack (if multiple battery packs are provided) or a single BMS can be provided for all battery packs. The assembly may include at least one of a water sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor (e.g., sensor 590, FIG. 5) located within the watertight enclosure 552 and in communication with the battery management system 513. Other optional sensors include a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, and an orientation sensor. The sensors can provide information related to the status and health of the battery packs 512a, 512b and power electronics, as well as the environment within the watertight enclosure 552, e.g., whether water has breached the housing 570. Further uses for the sensors are discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0328893, although it is noted that the sensors in the present disclosure can monitor the status of all battery packs and power equipment together, instead of multiple sensors being required to monitor individual watertight battery pack enclosures.

Further, any of the features or components discussed with respect to one embodiment can be used with another embodiment as would be readily obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art.

The housing 370, 470, 570, 670 can be installed on the marine vessel 42 in several ways. The housing can be installed under or over the expected waterline. The housing can be installed under the deck of the marine vessel or within a storage area under a seat or bench. The housing can be mounted to a support surface using vibration isolation mounts (see mounts 329, FIG. 3) configured to couple the housing to the marine vessel. The vibration isolation mounts may be springs and/or elastomeric blocks situated between the housing and the marine vessel supporting surface. The vibration isolation mounts may also help with noise isolation, although additional noise damping materials may be provided within or around the housing. Fasteners such as bolts, screws, or adhesives may be used to mount the housing to the marine vessel. Dovetail, snap-in, friction fit, or sliding track-type connections may alternatively or additionally be used.

In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different components and assemblies described herein may be used or sold separately or in combination with other components and assemblies. Various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An assembly for a marine vessel comprising:

a housing forming a watertight enclosure;

a battery pack sealed within the watertight enclosure;

an onboard charger sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack; and

a power converter sealed within the watertight enclosure and electrically connected to the battery pack;

wherein the housing is configured to be installed on the marine vessel; and

wherein the battery pack is configured to provide power to an electric motor powering a marine propulsion device of the marine vessel.

2. Then assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

a watertight communication interface configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter;

a cooling module configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways located within the watertight enclosure so as to cool at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter; and

a shield configured to protect at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the communication interface and the communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling module is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling module comprises:

a water pump configured to draw raw water from a body of water in which the marine vessel is operating into the cooling module;

a coolant pump configured to pump the cooling fluid into the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure and thereafter return the cooling fluid to the cooling module; and

a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the returned cooling fluid to the raw water.

6. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the cooling module and the cooling passageways in the watertight enclosure are fluidically connected to further fluid passageways configured to cool the electric motor.

7. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises the shield and the shield is a Faraday cage.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery pack comprises a battery management system.

9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a water sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor located within the watertight enclosure and in communication with the battery management system.

10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising the electric motor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the electric motor is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

11. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a steering actuator configured to steer a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the steering actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

12. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a stow/deploy actuator configured to stow and deploy a propulsor of the marine propulsion device, wherein the stow/deploy actuator is sealed within the watertight enclosure.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a portion of the watertight enclosure is watertight with respect to a remainder of the watertight enclosure, and the assembly further comprises a panel or door covering an opening in an exterior of the housing, the opening configured to provide access to the remainder of the watertight enclosure.

14. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more electrical cables in the watertight enclosure to one or more electrical cables on the marine vessel.

15. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a quick disconnect provided on the housing, wherein the quick disconnect is configured to connect one or more fluid passageways in the watertight enclosure to one or more fluid passageways external to the housing.

16. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising vibration isolation mounts configured to couple the housing to the marine vessel.

17. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a watertight communication interface configured to provide signal communication between a user interface system of the marine vessel and at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter.

18. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cooling module configured to provide cooling fluid to cooling passageways located within the watertight enclosure so as to cool at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter.

19. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shield configured to protect at least one of the battery pack, the onboard charger, and the power converter from electromagnetic fields generated by devices external to the housing.

20. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises at least one of a power inverter and a DC-DC converter.