A braking system for waterborne propeller driven vessel which, upon activating a brake pedal or similar actuation device causes the vessel to almost immediately stop its forward movement. The system initiates a burst of highly amplified horsepower and torque, created by a controlled pulse of electrical power released from a bank of fully charged ultracapacitors. This pulse of electrical power is sent directly to AC induction-driven motors, causing oversized propellers to immediately rotate astern, thereby generating a reverse thrust in opposition to the vessel's forward movement sufficient to stop the vessel. The horsepower and torque produced by the braking system and operation of the present invention will also cause the oversize propellers to transmit this tremendous power into the water, without cavitation, to assist in stopping vessel movement.

A braking system for waterborne propeller driven vessel which, upon activating a brake pedal or similar actuation device causes the vessel to almost immediately stop its forward movement. The system initiates a burst of highly amplified horsepower and torque, created by a controlled pulse of electrical power released from a bank of fully charged ultracapacitors. This pulse of electrical power is sent directly to AC induction-driven motors, causing oversized propellers to immediately rotate astern, thereby generating a reverse thrust in opposition to the vessel's forward movement sufficient to stop the vessel. The horsepower and torque produced by the braking system and operation of the present invention will also cause the oversize propellers to transmit this tremendous power into the water, without cavitation, to assist in stopping vessel movement.

A braking system for waterborne propeller driven vessel which, upon activating a brake pedal or similar actuation device causes the vessel to almost immediately stop its forward movement. The system initiates a burst of highly amplified horsepower and torque, created by a controlled pulse of electrical power released from a bank of fully charged ultracapacitors. This pulse of electrical power is sent directly to AC induction-driven motors, causing oversized propellers to immediately rotate astern, thereby generating a reverse thrust in opposition to the vessel's forward movement sufficient to stop the vessel. The horsepower and torque produced by the braking system and operation of the present invention will also cause the oversize propellers to transmit this tremendous power into the water, without cavitation, to assist in stopping vessel movement.

A system for operating a boat equipped with an electric drive includes a component controller. The component controller includes a component interface for connecting a system component of the electric drive, and a communication interface for connecting the component controller to a system bus of the drive control.

A power distribution system including first and second ac busbars connected to ac generators. A first active rectifier/inverter has ac input terminals electrically connected to the first ac busbar. A second active rectifier/inverter has ac input terminals electrically connected to the second ac busbar. A first dc interface is electrically connected to dc output terminals of the first active rectifier/inverter and a second dc interface is electrically connected to dc output terminals of the second active rectifier/inverter. The dc interfaces include reverse blocking means. A third active rectifier/inverter operates as a drive and has dc input terminals electrically connected in the parallel to dc output terminals of the first and second dc interfaces by means of an interposing dc busbar. An electric motor, that can optionally form part of a marine thruster T1, is electrically connected to ac output terminals of the third active rectifier/inverter.

A DC grid for an offshore structure has at least four switchboards, each switchboard having at least three connections to other switchboards and each connection including a switch. The grid further includes a plurality of energy sources on the offshore structure, at least one energy source being associated with one of the switchboards; and a plurality of energy consumers, at least one of the energy consumers being associated with one of the switchboards. Switches of the connections are adapted to be closed in normal operation; and the controller is adapted to send a signal from the controller to the switch to open the switch in the event of a fault.

A device for holding a motor and a propeller includes a body operable to hold a motor that, when coupled to a propeller and a power source, is operable to rotate the propeller. The device also includes a mount operable to releasably fasten the body to a personal-sized watercraft. With the mount, the device (and thus the motor and propeller that the device holds) may be releasably fastened to any personal-sized watercraft, such as a kayak, a surfboard, an inflatable paddleboard, and a non-inflatable paddleboard. The body includes a cavity configured to receive the motor such that, when the motor is disposed in the cavity, the body holds the motor. The body also includes a conduit configured to hold a power cable that, when coupled to the motor and the power source, provides power from a power source to the motor.

A device for holding a motor and a propeller includes a body operable to hold a motor that, when coupled to a propeller and a power source, is operable to rotate the propeller. The device also includes a mount operable to releasably fasten the body to a personal-sized watercraft. With the mount, the device (and thus the motor and propeller that the device holds) may be releasably fastened to any personal-sized watercraft, such as a kayak, a surfboard, an inflatable paddleboard, and a non-inflatable paddleboard. The body includes a cavity configured to receive the motor such that, when the motor is disposed in the cavity, the body holds the motor. The body also includes a conduit configured to hold a power cable that, when coupled to the motor and the power source, provides power from a power source to the motor.

A drive for a boat, in particular a sailing boat, comprising an electric motor configured for the operation in the first quadrant and in the fourth quadrant, a propeller connected to the electric motor, and a control device. The control device is configured to operate the electric motor in the fourth quadrant in such a way that flow energy transmitted via the propeller to the electric motor is regenerated into electrical power. The control device is further configured to operate the electric motor such that a product of the propeller's pitch and rotational speed is smaller than a relative flow speed between the water and the drive.

A vessel propulsion apparatus includes a propulsive force generator including a duct and a propeller. The duct includes a stator. The propeller includes a rim that includes a rotor disposed at a position facing the stator, and a blade on an inner side in a radial direction of the rim. The vessel propulsion apparatus further includes a steering shaft that turnably supports the duct, a motor controller that rotationally drives an electric motor including the stator and the propeller in forward and reverse rotation directions, a turning mechanism that turns the duct in a full turning angle range including a range of180 degrees, and a turning angle range limiter that limits a turning angle range of the turning mechanism to a reduced turning angle range narrower than the full turning angle range, and when a predetermined limitation cancellation condition is met, cancels the limitation and allows turning in a turning angle range wider than the reduced turning angle range.