The present invention concerns an outboard propulsion device for a navigational seacraft comprising a propulsion means (4), at least one engine (1) supplying torque to a drive shaft (20) extending out of the engine and driving a transmission shaft (3) intended to supply torque to the propulsion means, the drive shaft and the propulsion shaft being in a fixed relative orientation, and a transmission means (2) connected at the input to the drive shaft (20) in order to receive the engine torque and transmit it, in the form of modified torque, to the transmission shaft (3) to which it is connected at the output, and the transmission shaft (3) is a double universal joint shaft (30, 31) that extends in an inclined manner between the transmission means (2) and the propulsion means (4).

The present disclosure is directed to an electric generator and motor transmission system that is capable of operating with high energy, wide operating range and extremely variable torque and RPM conditions. In accordance with various embodiments, the disclosed system is operable to: dynamically change the output “size” of the motor/generator by modularly engaging and disengaging rotor/stator sets as power demands increase or decrease; activate one stator or another within the rotor/stator sets as torque/RPM or amperage/voltage requirements change; and/or change from parallel to series winding configurations or the reverse through sets of 2, 4, 6 or more parallel, three-phase, non-twisted coil windings with switchable separated center tap to efficiently meet torque/RPM or amperage/voltage requirements.

A method of operating a marine vessel hybrid propulsion system having a propulsion shaft and a propeller, an internal combustion piston engine in force transmission connection with the propulsion shaft, and an electric motor-generator in force transmission connection with the propulsion shaft and/or with the piston engine. The internal combustion piston engine can be started by applying electric power from an on-board power source to the electric motor-generator and rotating the internal combustion piston engine by the electric motor-generator and rotational speed of the internal combustion piston engine is accelerated to a predetermined limit rotational speed without attempting to start the internal combustion piston engine, and only after the rotational speed of the internal combustion piston engine reaches the predetermined limit rotational speed, the internal combustion piston engine is started.

A towing apparatus has a spine with multiple generally parallel spine members extending in a longitudinal direction and having a length of at least 100 m, and with a leading end and a trailing end. A series of blades are mounted to the spine by couplers which allow the blade to rotate about an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction, each blade having a first surface facing generally in the trailing end direction and a second surface facing generally in the leading end direction. Restraints prevent rotation of each blade by more than a pre-set amount towards the leading end, so that impingement of a wave on the first surface applies a force to the apparatus in the leading end direction. A pair of the towing apparatus' may be arranged to connect to a floating collector with a beach shape to collect floating debris on the sea surface, ridges helping to retain the debris on the slope until it is washed up into a channel.

A marine vessel can be propelled by using wind or solar energy. This propulsion results in the forward movement and six degrees of motion (roll, heave, pitch, yaw, surge, and sway) of the marine vessel. This invention capitalizes on the fact that solar, wind and wave energy are cyclical by nature. The invention enables the vessel to manage stored and harvested energy and use the stored energy during periods when the external natural sources of energy are not available in adequate quantities to maintain a reasonable speed of advance for the vessel. The vessel's natural energy management system (NEMS) manages it in such a way that harvesting of the energy during high energy cycles, storing it and using it when needed during low external energy cycles, allows a marine vessel to maintain faster average speed without reliance on any fossil or chemical fuel and by only using renewable energy sources.

A system is disclosed including but not limited to a processor; a hybrid power source for servicing a system load, the hybrid power source comprising a natural gas engine, a diesel engine and a battery; a linear computer program comprising, instructions determining a current system load serviced by power provided from the hybrid power source; instructions to determine a current operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery; instructions to use linear programming to determine a new operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery to reduce power consumption servicing the current system load the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery; and instructions to replace the current operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery to the new operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery.

An unmanned vehicle including a vehicle body, propulsion system, maneuvering system, vehicle control system, rack, sensor, and a power supply. The vehicle control may be used to control the unmanned vehicle in combination with the propulsion and the maneuvering system. The rack may include a retractable mount that may move between a down position and an up position. The sensor system may include a plurality of transient object detection sensors. The plurality of transient object detection sensors may include a sensor adapted to detect an item of interest and may provide an item of interest signal to the vehicle control system. The vehicle control system may identify an item of interest classification and may provide a classification signal. The classification signal may be determined by the item of interest classification and may be utilized to avoid detection of the unmanned vehicle by the item of interest.

A ship-mounted auxiliary sail system featuring a plurality of sail units mountable and movable about the ship on a rail system. The sail units can have automatic reefing safety features and/or automatic mast release safety features.

A transmission system for a hybrid power plant, such as a hybrid propulsion system of a marine vessel, is described. The transmission is configured to selectively couple a primary mover and/or a secondary mover to an output of the transmission for providing a power output, and optionally selectively couple the primary mover to the secondary mover, decoupling the output, for electrical energy generation in a compact and light-weight design.

A powertrain for a marine vessel, comprising an internal combustion engine, a transmission, a first drive unit having a first propeller and a second drive unit having a second propeller, a first electric motor and a second electric motor, where the internal combustion engine is drivingly connected to the first drive unit and the second drive unit through the transmission, that the first electric motor is drivingly connected directly to the first drive unit and that the second electric motor is drivingly connected directly to the second drive unit.