Flotation body for personal watercraft
A personal watercraft includes a hull having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom and side walls define an interior volume of the hull. A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules. The battery pack is positioned within the interior volume. A flotation body is positioned within the interior volume between the battery pack and at least one of the bottom wall of the hull and the side wall of the hull.
1 . An electric personal watercraft, comprising:
a hull defining battery pack mounting pads and an interior volume of the personal watercraft;
a deck forming an upper portion of the personal watercraft, the hull and the deck enclosing the interior volume;
a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules for powering an electric motor, the battery pack positioned within the interior volume and fixedly attached to the battery pack mounting pads of the hull via at least one mount; and
a flotation body positioned within the interior volume between the battery pack and the hull, the flotation body and the battery pack including complementary features to position the battery pack within the hull.
2 . The personal watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the complementary features provide at least some lateral support for the battery pack.
3 . The personal watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the complementary features include at least one groove extending into the flotation body and at least a portion of an exterior of the battery pack received in the at least one groove.
4 . The personal watercraft of claim 1 , wherein the flotation body includes an upper wall, and the battery pack includes a battery enclosure housing the plurality of battery modules, the battery enclosure abutted against the upper wall of the flotation body.
5 . The personal watercraft of claim 4 , wherein the complementary features include interlocking features at an interface between the upper wall and the battery enclosure.
6 . The personal watercraft of claim 5 , wherein the interlocking features include at least one groove extending into the upper wall of the flotation body and at least part of the battery enclosure received in the at least one groove.
7 . An electric personal watercraft, comprising:
a hull defining battery pack mounting pads and having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the bottom and side walls defining an interior volume of the hull;
a deck forming an upper portion of the personal watercraft, the hull and the deck enclosing the interior volume;
a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules for powering an electric motor, the battery pack positioned within the interior volume and fixedly attached to the battery pack mounting pads of the hull via at least one mount; and
a flotation body positioned within the interior volume between the battery pack and at least one of the bottom wall of the hull and the side wall of the hull.
8 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the flotation body includes a foam material.
9 . The personal watercraft of claim 8 , wherein the foam material at least partially isolates the battery pack from vibrations from the hull.
10 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the flotation body includes a lower wall having a shape at least partially conforming to a shape of the bottom wall of the hull.
11 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the flotation body includes an upper wall, and the personal watercraft includes an electric motor powered by the battery pack, the electric motor abutting the upper wall of the flotation body.
12 . The personal watercraft of claim 11 , wherein the upper wall has at least one groove, the electric motor received in the at least one groove.
13 . The personal watercraft of claim 11 , wherein the flotation body includes a notch to receive a drive shaft of the electric motor.
14 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the flotation body is positioned within the interior volume between the battery pack and a portion of the side wall of the hull.
15 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the battery pack rests on the flotation body and applies a load to the flotation body.
16 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , wherein the flotation body is a unitary body.
17 . The personal watercraft of claim 7 , comprising a straddle-seat.
18 . A personal watercraft, comprising:
a hull extending between a bow of the personal watercraft and a stern of the personal watercraft, the hull defining an interior volume;
a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules, the battery pack positioned within the interior volume; and
a flotation body positioned within the interior volume vertically between the battery pack and the hull, the flotation body having a centroid located closer to the stern than to the bow.
19 . The personal watercraft of claim 18 , wherein the hull includes a side wall being substantially upright, the side wall having a stern side wall portion at the stern, the side wall having a bow side wall portion at the bow, the centroid of the flotation body located closer to the stern side wall portion than to the bow side wall portion.
20 . The personal watercraft of claim 18 , wherein the flotation body extends between a bow end of the flotation body and a stern end of the flotation body, a bow distance defined between the bow and the bow end, and a stern distance defined between the stern and the stern end, the bow distance being greater than the stern distance.