DockStar Smart Thruster Manual de instrucciones - Página 5
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Imprimir páginaSafety Considerations Employed in the Design of the Smart Thruster
The impetus for founding DockStar LLC was to improve boating safety and enjoyment while docking. Safety has
been an important consideration in the development of the Smart Thruster since the very beginning. The product
makes boating safer by giving more maneuverability to the boater. This maneuverability can eliminate the need for
jumping off the boat onto the dock with mooring lines in hand to secure the boat before it drifts away (a common
scene at any marina). It also eliminates the need for running on the boat to hurriedly get the lines ashore. In
addition, more maneuverability greatly reduces the risk of running into another boat or the dock in tight conditions
such as in a typical marina.
It is also important the product itself be safe to use. This section discusses the Smart Thruster features that have
been designed in to make it a safe product.
Motor Safety Inhibit: The Smart Thruster produces a fair amount of thrust. To make sure this power is not
released at the wrong time the Smart Thruster incorporates a safety interlock scheme that prevents the motors from
being turned on unless fully deployed into the water. This is accomplished by fitting a special magnet assembly into
the stainless T-track and stainless tube assembly that the Smart Thruster is mounted to. The Smart Thruster has a
magnetic sensor that inhibits operation of the motors unless this strong magnetic field is sensed. This inhibit function
is executed in two ways. First, the software constantly monitors the magnetic sensor and inhibits the motor control
software unless the sensor indicates the thruster is deployed. Secondly, the motor driver hardware is inhibited
directly by the magnetic sensor signal. When the thruster is fully deployed and the motors are armed the Smart
Thruster's status LED flashes a pattern to let the boater know it is armed and fully deployed.
Battery Isolation: The internal 12 volt LifePo batteries are capable of producing 100 amps of current. The electrical
contacts of the battery must be accessible to the battery charger during charging. To improve safety, the battery
contacts are isolated from the recharger port by a relay. This relay prevents any current flow unless the charger is
plugged in. When the recharger is plugged into this port the Smart Thruster's microcomputer detects the presence
of the charger by monitoring the input voltage. When the charger is detected, the relay is turned on allowing the
charger current to flow into the batteries. The charger itself has circuitry that prevents it from recharging the
batteries too fast. In addition, the Smart Thruster has a self-resetting fuse device that will open up the circuit if
excess current is detected.
Motor Current limit: The motor controller constantly monitors the current supplied to the motors from the battery.
If an over-current situation occurs, the motor controller immediately turns off current to the motor. This protects
the motor from damage, but it also prevents excess current draw on the batteries. The batteries employed in the
Smart Thruster are LifePo technology, which is one of the safest lithium battery chemistries available. It is possible
to directly short these batteries out without any fire risk (unlike many lithium technologies). Still, to be safe, the
current drain from the batteries is limited by the Smart Thruster's electronics as a double safety.
Battery over-voltage protection: During charging the Smart Thruster microcomputer is constantly monitoring
each individual battery cell. If an over-voltage condition is detected, the charging is stopped and the Smart Charger
discharges the offending cell until it is safely within normal limits. This not only prevents excessive heat buildup in
the battery cell, it also protects the life and reliability of the battery.
Battery under-voltage protection: During motor operation the motors draw considerable current from the
batteries (although well below their rated 100 amp capability). Should this high current draw result in a battery cell
being drained excessively, the Smart Thruster microcomputer will suspend motor operation. This again prevents
excessive heat in the affected cell, it also protects the life and reliability of the battery.
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