Electrical accumulator with water sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096863-B2
Application number	US-201314442047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A boat is disclosed. The boat includes an electrical storage having a storage element electrically connected to a positive and a negative pole. The boat also includes a water sensor configured to determine whether one of the poles is in contact with water, and a disconnection device operatively connected to the water sensor and configured to interrupt the electrical connection between at least one of the poles and the storage element when the water sensor determines that one of the poles is in contact with water.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A boat comprising:
an electrical storage having a storage element electrically connected to a positive and a negative pole;
a water sensor configured to determine whether one of the poles is in contact with water;
a disconnection device operatively connected to the water sensor and configured to interrupt the electrical connection between at least one of the poles and the storage element,
wherein either:
(a) the water sensor comprises:
a first and a second measuring contact, the first and second measuring contacts separated from each other by a gap between the first and second measuring contacts; and
a measuring circuit between the first and the second measuring contact, the measuring circuit configured to determine an electrical measurement value present in the gap between the first and second measuring contacts,
wherein a change of the measurement value indicates the presence of water in the gap between the first and second measuring contacts; or

(b) the water sensor employs an optical measurement principle, the presence of water being determined by means of a light source and a light receiver arranged between a measurement point, water at the measurement point interrupting luminous flux between the light source and the light receiver or enabling luminous flux via scattering, and a change of the luminous flux indicating the presence of water at the measurement point.

2. The boat of claim 1 , wherein one of the positive and/or the negative pole of the electrical storage corresponds to the first measuring contact.

3. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the measuring circuit is connected via a series resistor to the positive and the negative poles.

4. The boat of claim 1 , wherein a voltage of more than 60 V is applied between the poles of the electrical storage.

5. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the electrical storage comprises a battery or an accumulator.

6. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the positive and the negative poles correspond to measuring contacts.

7. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the boat further comprises an electric motor.

8. The boat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second measuring circuit between a third measuring contact and a fourth measuring contact, the second measuring circuit configured to determine the electrical measurement value present in a gap between the third and fourth measuring contacts,
wherein the positive pole of the electrical storage corresponds to the first measuring contact, and the negative pole of the electrical storage corresponds to the third measuring contact.

9. The boat of claim 1 ,
wherein when the gap between the first and second measuring contacts is filled with air, the resistance and conductivity between the first and second measuring contacts comprise respective first values,
wherein when the gap between the first and second measuring contacts is filled with water, the resistance and/or the conductivity between the first and second measuring contacts changes from the respective first values, and
wherein the water sensor is configured to determine on the basis of the change of the resistance and/or the conductivity whether as the water is present between the first and second measuring contacts.

10. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the measuring contacts are not connected to the poles of the electrical storage.

11. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the measuring circuit comprises an AC voltage.

12. A method for safely disconnecting an electrical storage of a boat, the electrical storage having at least one storage element electrically connected to a positive and a negative pole, the method comprising:
detecting whether one of the poles is in contact with water, and
interrupting the electrical connection between at least one of the poles and the storage element in the event that one of the poles is detected to be in contact with water,
wherein detecting whether one of the poles is in contact with water either:
(a) includes determining an electrical measurement value present in a gap between a first and a second measuring contact, a change of the electrical measurement value indicating the presence of water in the gap, or
(b) includes an optical measurement principle, the presence of water being determined by means of a light source and a light receiver arranged between a measurement point, water at the measurement point interrupting luminous flux between the light source and the light receiver or enabling luminous flux via scattering, and a change of the luminous flux indicating the presence of water at the measurement point.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting whether one of the poles is in contact with water includes an electrical measuring method.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrical measuring method comprises measuring the electrical resistance in the surroundings of at least one of the poles at a distance of less than 30 cm from the pole.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrical measuring method comprises an AC voltage measuring method.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising disconnecting additional electrical consumers in the event that one of the poles is detected to be in contact with water.

17. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein when the gap between the first and second measuring contacts is filled with air, the resistance and conductivity between the first and second measuring contacts comprise respective first values,
wherein when the gap between the first and second measuring contacts is filled with water, the resistance and the conductivity between the first and second measuring contacts change from the respective first values,
wherein the change is interpreted as indicating the presence of water between the first and second measuring contacts.

Assignees

• Torqeedo Gmbh

Inventors

• Hartmeyer Marc
• Krieger Philipp
• Biebach Jens

Classifications

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B63H21/17

  by electric motor · CPC title

• B63H20/007

  Trolling propulsion units (trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K) · CPC title

• H02H5/083

  responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance (moisture alarm G08B21/20) · CPC title

• B63B43/00 Primary

  Improving safety of vessels, e.g. damage control, not otherwise provided for (fire-fighting in ships A62C3/10) · CPC title