Method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller

• US 6,379,114 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Manthey, Matthew J., Schott, Carl G., Suhre, Blake R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NINH H
• Application Number:
  US09/721,236
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 416/1, 416/27, 416/30, 416/35, 416/155, 416/162, 440/1, 440/50
• US Class Current: 416/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 3/10 characterised by having pitch control conjoint with propulsion plant control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers

Abstract

A control algorithm provides a method for selecting a pitch magnitude for a controllable pitch propeller. The pitch magnitude is selected as a function of the difference between a desired engine speed and an actual engine speed in addition to the actual pitch position of the controllable pitch propeller. The desired engine speed is selected as a function of the position of either a throttle control lever or the throttle plate of an internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of an input parameter;

selecting a desired magnitude of an engine operating characteristic as a function of said input parameter;

measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic; and

determining a desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller as a function of the difference between said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing said controllable pitch propeller to experience said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said engine operating characteristic is engine speed; and

said causing step comprises the alternative steps of either increasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is less than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic or decreasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is greater than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said input parameter is a manually controlled input parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said manually controlled input parameter is a throttle lever position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said input parameter is a throttle plate position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller; and

adding said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller to said actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to determine a desired pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

causing said controllable pitch propeller to experience said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller, wherein said causing step causes said propeller to move directly to a position which satisfies said desired pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said engine operating parameter is engine speed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said measuring of said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is performed by a tachometer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller is determined as a function of a calculated difference between said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic multiplied by the ratio of an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic is selected from a table, said table comprising a plurality of magnitudes of said engine operating characteristic associated with a plurality of magnitudes of said input parameter.

13. A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable marine pitch propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of an input parameter;

selecting a desired magnitude of an engine operating characteristic as a function of said magnitude of said input parameter;

measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;

determining a desired pitch change direction as a function of said desired magnitude and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic; and

determining a magnitude of a pitch change to be applied to said controllable pitch propeller in said desired pitch change direction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said pitch change magnitude is a preselected fixed magnitude.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller, said pitch change magnitude being determined as a function of a difference between said actual magnitude and said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic multiplied by the ratio of said actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic.

16. A method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller of a planing watercraft, comprising the steps of:

determining a magnitude of a manually controlled input parameter;

selecting a desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic as a function of said manually controlled input parameter;

measuring an actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;

determining a desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller as a function of the difference between said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic;

measuring an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller; and

adding said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller to said actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to determine a desired pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller, said engine operating characteristic being engine speed, said causing step comprising the alternative steps of either increasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is less than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic or decreasing said pitch of said controllable pitch propeller when said desired magnitude of said engine operating characteristic is greater than said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing said controllable pitch propeller to experience said desired change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said input parameter is a throttle plate position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said change in the pitch of said controllable pitch propeller is determined as a function of a calculated difference between said actual magnitude of said engine operating characteristic and said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic multiplied by the ratio of an actual magnitude of said pitch of said controllable pitch marine propeller to said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said desired magnitude of a engine operating characteristic is selected from a table, said table comprising a plurality of magnitudes of said engine operating characteristic associated with a plurality of magnitudes of said input parameter.