Question: -
Would a PWM motor controller be suitable for controlling speed of a 12V or 24V DC boat winch?
This would be a 60A - 100A load, with a run time of several minutes.
They aren't (widely) used to control boat winches, yet there is a case for doing so. I'm wondering why - limitations etc?
Background: -
Winches on small boats are 12V or 24V DC.
A popular form of winch is the drum winch in which rope is wound on/off a spool with horizontal axis (not unlike a hose reel). They are popular because they don't require anyone to go up front to drop the anchor or to control the rope as it comes off the winch whel th anchor is retrieved.
A limitation of drum winches is the effective circumference of the spool increases as rope is stored, increasing retrieve speed. If the anchor hits the fair-lead at speed it can fly up and damage the front deck or windscreen. You have to be on the ball and see the anchor coming. This can be difficult if you are also focusing on controlling the boat or watching the kids or ...
Despite this issue, no/few manufacturers offer any form of speed control. They just advise marking the rope a few meters above the anchor and pulsing the winch from their. Base don my internet research this seem a sensible application for a PWM motor controller.