A hybrid propulsion system for a marine vessel is described. The hybrid propulsion system includes a shaft coupled to a propeller, a planetary gear system configured to operate in a first configuration and a second configuration, and a motor-generator. The motor-generator is configured to selectively rotate with and provide torque to the shaft through the planetary gear system in the first configuration and to rotate independently from the shaft in the second configuration. The shaft extends from the propeller through the planetary gear system and the motor-generator to a torque producing device for the marine vessel.

A marine propulsion system includes an outboard motor including an outboard motor engine, a propulsion generator to be driven by the outboard motor engine, and an electric starter to start the outboard motor engine. The outboard motor is installed on a hull, and an outboard motor capacitor is provided in the outboard motor to supply to the starter power to start the outboard motor engine. The outboard motor capacitor has a higher output per unit volume than a lead storage battery.

A marine propulsion system includes an outboard motor installed on a hull and including an engine to drive a propulsion generator, and a generator to generate power by driving of the engine, a capacitor provided in the outboard motor to smooth the power generated by the generator and output the smoothed power to a device on a hull side, and a power distributor provided in the outboard motor to limit an output from the capacitor to the device on the hull side.

A motor/generator/transmission system includes: an axle; a stator ring having a plurality of stator coils disposed around the periphery of the stator ring, wherein each phase of the plurality of stator coils includes a respective set of multiple parallel non-twisted wires separated at the center tap with electronic switches for connecting the parallel non-twisted wires of each phase of the stator coils all in series, all in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel; a rotor support structure coupled to the axle; a first rotor ring and a second rotor ring each having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of the axle, at least one of the first rotor ring or the second rotor ring being slidably coupled to the rotor support structure and configured to translate along the rotor support structure in a first axial direction or in a second axial direction.

A hybrid power generation plant system and method are disclosed, the system including but not limited to a plurality of diesel engines; an electrical bus switchably attached to the diesel engines, batteries switchably attached to the electrical bus; a tug boat propulsion load attached to the electrical bus; a diesel engine and a battery; a processor the executes a computer program; instructions to determine a current system load serviced by power provided from the hybrid power source; instructions to determine a current operating state for the diesel engine and the battery; instructions to determine a new operating state for the diesel engine and the battery to reduce power consumption servicing the current system load the diesel engine and the battery; and instructions to replace the current operating state for the diesel engine and the battery to the new operating state for the diesel engine and the battery.

A marine propulsion system includes a marine propulsion unit, a first battery for a starter of an engine, a second battery for an electric motor, a third battery for at least one of a plurality of devices in or on a marine vessel excluding the starter and the electric motor, and a charge amount acquisition controller configured or programmed to perform a control to acquire a charge amount of at least one of the first battery, the second battery, or the third battery based on a first power supplied from a power source to the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery, and a second power supplied from the first battery, the second battery, and the third battery to devices in or on the marine vessel.

A marine power supply system includes a battery unit including a first battery to supply power to a starter that starts an engine, and a second battery to supply power to an electric motor, and a power distributor connected to the first battery and the second battery. The power distributor outputs a demand power amount of power required by the first battery to the first battery, and outputs at least a portion of surplus power to the second battery when a total demand power amount required by the battery unit includes the surplus power.

An outboard motor includes a power converter to convert AC power generated by a generator that generates power by operation of a drive engine into DC power and to supply converted DC power to a plurality of batteries, a voltage detector to detect a voltage value of the DC power converted by the power converter, and a phase angle controller configured or programmed to perform a retarding/advancing control until the voltage value of the DC power becomes equal to or higher than a first preset voltage value, which is higher than a voltage value at a start of the retarding/advancing control.

An outboard motor includes an engine, an electric motor, a propeller that rotates due to a driving force from the engine and a driving force from the electric motor, and an anti-cavitation plate disposed above the propeller. At least a portion of the electric motor is disposed above the anti-cavitation plate and below a waterline of an outboard motor body.

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.