Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-16
2001-02-27
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
C440S006000, C440S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192821
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electrical alternator for use on a boat. Specifically, the invention relates to a compact, low drag alternator to be used on a high speed boat for charging batteries.
Modern bass fishing boats are very sophisticated, high performance water craft. They are designed to provide the maximum amount of fishing time in a day. Bass fishing tournaments are popular events, often with large monetary prizes to the winner of the tournament. Therefore, bass fishermen are willing to pay large amounts of money for an optimized boat that can give them a competitive advantage in tournaments.
Typical bass fishing boats are designed to go from the dock to the fishing location as quickly as possible, and then to slowly troll at the fishing location using an electric trolling motor. To go to the fishing location quickly, they have a sleek, hydrodynamic hull and a powerful outboard gasoline engine. Often the boats will have engines approaching 300 horsepower, and are capable of traveling at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. Once at the fishing location, such a high powered engine is clearly not needed. The large gasoline powered outboard motors used on bass fishing boats are usually not capable of propelling the boat at the slow speeds required for trolling. Also, the noise from the gasoline engine generally scares the fish away and is detrimental to fishing success. Therefore, all bass fishing boats are equipped with a small auxiliary trolling motor. The auxiliary trolling motor is usually electrically powered and very quiet.
In order to power the electrical trolling motor it is necessary to carry a bank of batteries on the boat. The amount of time that can be spent fishing is often limited by the energy available in the batteries. Once the batteries have been depleted, it is not possible to use the trolling motor and the day of fishing is over. So while fishermen are willing to spend large amounts of money for a high performance boat and engine to get them to and from their fishing location, the actual time that they can spend fishing is often limited by the electrical energy available for their small trolling motor.
The only way to extend the charge time of the batteries for the trolling motor is to carry extra batteries. Because batteries are large and heavy, it is not practical to carry more than 4 or 5 batteries. Most boats carry 3 batteries. When the batteries on board the boat are depleted, it is necessary to return to the dock to recharge the batteries, or at least to swap out the batteries for a fresh set. During a fishing tournament, this lost fishing time for charging or exchanging the batteries could mean the difference between winning or losing the tournament. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of charging the batteries for the trolling motor during a fishing trip without the need to return to the dock.
Alternators are commercially available on the drive train of the large gasoline powered outboard engine for bass fishing boats. However, the available alternators are only intended to provide electrical energy to charge the starting battery and for operating onboard electrical equipment such as radios, lights, and miscellaneous electronic instrumentation. The available alternators are generally not big enough to adequately charge the batteries for the trolling motor. Most boats have only a 24 amp alternator, whereas a 45-60 amp alternator would be required to adequately charge the trolling batteries. Furthermore, the latest trolling motors operate on a 24 to 48 VDC electrical system, whereas the alternators found in all outboard engines are only capable of charging a 12 VDC electrical system.
Several battery chargers are described in the prior art. The prior art battery chargers are not suitable for use on high performance, high speed bass fishing boats. The prior art includes several battery charging alternators that are powered by a propeller. However, the prior art devices are designed for use on slow moving boats such as sail boats or low powered motor boats. The prior art devices are characterized by relatively large, slow turning propellers. The prior art devices would cause unreasonable drag forces on the boat when traveling at high speed. Also, the prior art devices all utilize direct current generators. DC generators are generally not well suited for use in a hydro-alternator on a fast moving boat because they tend to be large and relatively inefficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a bass style fishing boat is provided with a hydro-powered alternator. The hydro-alternator of the present invention is a compact, highly efficient device that provides maximum battery charging power while adding minimal drag to the boat. The hydro-alternator of the present invention achieves the desired results of high efficiency, maximum power, and minimal drag by employing a design that has a small propeller that turns at high rotational speed. The alternator's performance is enhanced by allowing good heat transfer between electrical components, which can become hot, and the water, which is generally at a relatively low temperature.
The hydro-alternator is essentially made in a two-part construction. It has a stationary body that is mounted to the boat, and a rotor that mounts onto the stationary body and that turns together with a propeller. The stationary body is a three part die-cast structure that has an electrical armature, a rectifier, and a voltage regulator encapsulated within it. Because the armature of the alternator is encapsulated within the die-cast body, it is completely watertight and protected from the environment. The stationary body is made from a material such as aluminum, magnesium, or thermoplastic that is not magnetically conductive. The rotor mounts on top of, and surrounds, the armature. The rotor is an extruded steel structure and it has permanent magnets encapsulated within grooves formed in the rotor.
The armature of the alternator is encapsulated within a die-cast body, and the permanent magnets are encapsulated within an extruded steel rotor. Therefore, the air gap between the armature and the magnets is largely determined by the casting of the body and the shape and size of the extruded steel rotor. Indeed, because the die-cast body is non magnetic, the casting, itself serve as an air gap. Only a minimal gap is present between the stationary and rotating portions of the alternator. This arrangement provides excellent dimensional stability for the air gap in the alternator and allows for optimal performance. Also, because of the excellent dimensional tolerances in the alternator, it is capable of operating at very high rotational speeds. It is anticipated that the rotor would spin at rotational speeds up to 22,000 RPM when the boat is traveling at 80 miles per hour.
Another advantage of the alternator's architecture is that no brushes or slip rings are required. The armature is located within the stationary body with the permanent magnets being mounted in the rotor. The permanent magnets do not require electrical excitation. Therefore, all of the electrical components are stationary and there is no requirement for transmitting power to the rotor. This is a major advantage for an alternator operating in an under-water environment where brushes and slip rings would be subject to problems and continual maintenance.
The mounting location of the alternator on the boat is also important to the function of the invention. A typical bass-style fishing boat uses an outboard motor. Outboard motors have a section called a lower end that extends downward beneath the surface of the water. The lower end supports the propeller and has a plane plate immediately above and forward of the propeller. When the boat is driven at cruising speed, the plane plate is at the surface of the water. The portion of the lower end that is beneath the plane plate is submerged when the boat is driven at cruising speed. The portion of the lower end that is above the plane plate is above the
Kruse Andrew John
Morales Robert Luke
Morales Robert
Muldoon Patrick Craig
Stormer Russell D.
VandenBosche John
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