A gyroscopic roll stabilizer for a boat includes an enclosure mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, and a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, with the flywheel assembly rotatably mounted inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer also includes a motor operative to rotate the flywheel assembly and disposed inside the enclosure. A motor cooling circuit is configured to transfer heat away from the motor. The motor cooling circuit has a closed fluid pathway for recirculating cooling fluid therein. The fluid pathway includes a fluid channel jointly defined by the motor and the enclosure and having the cooling fluid therein. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to transfer heat away from the motor to the cooling fluid. Related methods are also disclosed.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer for a boat includes an enclosure mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, and a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, with the flywheel assembly rotatably mounted inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer also includes a motor operative to rotate the flywheel assembly and disposed inside the enclosure. A motor cooling circuit is configured to transfer heat away from the motor. The motor cooling circuit has a closed fluid pathway for recirculating cooling fluid therein. The fluid pathway includes a fluid channel jointly defined by the motor and the enclosure and having the cooling fluid therein. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to transfer heat away from the motor to the cooling fluid. Related methods are also disclosed.

MOST ships, whether they are monohulls, multihulls, displacement hulls, planing hulls or semi displacement hulls, have a bow(s), stern(s), starboard, portside, external deck(s), superstructure(s), keel(s) and are oriented along their horizontal central longitudinal axis between their bow and their stern. They are sensitive in how they orient themselves to waves that may occur in Beaufort Scale numbers 0-12 and this sensitivity increases dangerously as Beaufort Scale numbers increase and wave size increases. SSS is a spinning (rotating) stabilized ship and is dissimilar to most ships due to its rotationally symmetrical wetted surface around its vertical axis, active spinning (rotational) ship stabilization and passive ship's shape stabilization. Due to these unique active and passive stabilization features, SSS has extraordinary stability.

MOST ships, whether they are monohulls, multihulls, displacement hulls, planing hulls or semi displacement hulls, have a bow(s), stern(s), starboard, portside, external deck(s), superstructure(s), keel(s) and are oriented along their horizontal central longitudinal axis between their bow and their stern. They are sensitive in how they orient themselves to waves that may occur in Beaufort Scale numbers 0-12 and this sensitivity increases dangerously as Beaufort Scale numbers increase and wave size increases. SSS is a spinning (rotating) stabilized ship and is dissimilar to most ships due to its rotationally symmetrical wetted surface around its vertical axis, active spinning (rotational) ship stabilization and passive ship's shape stabilization. Due to these unique active and passive stabilization features, SSS has extraordinary stability.

A marine vessel may include thrusters, an electrical system, and multiple flywheels (i) to supply electrical power to the electrical system and (ii) to stabilize marine vessel roll and/or pitch angle. A flywheel controller may be configured to control electrical power output from the flywheels to the electrical system, and control axis of rotation of one or more rotors of respective flywheels to compensate for roll and/or pitch angles of the marine vessel. A method of powering and stabilizing a marine vessel may include supplying, by flywheels, electrical power to an electrical system to supply electrical power to thrusters and electrical equipment. Flywheel(s) may be used to stabilize marine vessel roll and/or pitch angle. Electrical power output may be controlled from the flywheels to the electrical system. Axis of rotation of one or more flywheel rotors may be controlled to compensate for roll and/or pitch angles of the marine vessel.

A gyro stabilizer includes a rotor arranged to rotate about a spin axis, and a stator, wherein the rotor and the stator include rotor and stator assemblies, respectively. The rotor assembly is arranged radially outside the stator assembly with respect to the spin axis, wherein the rotor and/or stator assemblies include magnets with magnetic axis in the direction of the spin axis.

A gyro stabilizer includes a rotor arranged to rotate about a spin axis, and a stator, wherein the rotor and the stator include rotor and stator assemblies, respectively. The rotor assembly is arranged radially outside the stator assembly with respect to the spin axis, wherein the rotor and/or stator assemblies include magnets with magnetic axis in the direction of the spin axis.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer includes an enclosure, a flywheel assembly, a bearing, a motor, and a bearing cooling circuit. The enclosure is mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure. The flywheel assembly includes a flywheel and flywheel shaft. The bearing rotatably mounts the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis. The bearing has an inner race and an outer race. The inner race is affixed to the flywheel shaft, and the outer race is held rotationally fixed relative to the enclosure. The motor is operative to rotate the flywheel assembly. The bearing cooling circuit is configured to transfer heat away from the bearing by recirculating cooling fluid along a closed fluid pathway. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to transfer heat away from the inner and/or outer race of the bearing to the cooling fluid.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer includes an enclosure, a flywheel assembly, a bearing, a motor, and a bearing cooling circuit. The enclosure is mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure. The flywheel assembly includes a flywheel and flywheel shaft. The bearing rotatably mounts the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis. The bearing has an inner race and an outer race. The inner race is affixed to the flywheel shaft, and the outer race is held rotationally fixed relative to the enclosure. The motor is operative to rotate the flywheel assembly. The bearing cooling circuit is configured to transfer heat away from the bearing by recirculating cooling fluid along a closed fluid pathway. The gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to transfer heat away from the inner and/or outer race of the bearing to the cooling fluid.

The invention provides a marine drive unit (1), such as an outboard motor, for a marine vessel, comprising: an engine or power plant (E), such as an internal combustion; a drive transmission for transmitting or transferring mechanical power generated by the engine or power plant (E) to a propeller shaft for generating propulsion for the vessel; a casing (3) that houses or at least partially encloses the engine (E) and/or the drive transmission; a mounting assembly (2) configured to mount the marine drive unit (1) to a hull, preferably to a transom, of the marine vessel; and a gyrostabiliser (4) arranged in or on the mounting assembly (2) or the casing (3). As an alternative to an outboard motor, the marine drive unit (1) may be provided as a stern drive unit or a pod drive unit. The invention also provides a marine vessel incorporating such a drive unit (1).