dhmeissner
Guru
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2012
- Messages
- 1,569
- Location
- North America
- Vessel Name
- The Promise
- Vessel Make
- Roughwater 35
Elco already has the solution right here: The EP Hybrid Electric Serial System - Elco Motor Yachts
Now there's an idea. A wind generator on a boat to charge a battery to keep an electric boat going. Anybody see anything wrong with that idea?
Pray, tell us more about your thinking. I do suspect wind power would be better at anchor and really meant to pitch solar panels but wind should make good augmentation. One of posters, I believe Mule, has both solar and wind.
Seems like a free energy scam to me...if you could figure that out ExxonMobil may take you out with sniper fire
I should have put a at the end of that post.
My thinking is that it would be the classic perpetual motion machine. Any wind generated electricity resulting from the boat's forward motion would be at the expense of the battery powering the boat.
Use solar and mount a bank of LED lights shining down on it for night powering.
Hi DJ, the Elco EP-1200 is what was recommended for my boat by Elco & my yard, so I have to assume it's the right engine. They assure me I'll have ample range at 6-7 knots for 4 hours.
The ELCO motor that you have chosen uses 48 V at 106 amps DC maximum. But the motor itself is alternating current, not DC. You will need some kind of inverter/controller to make AC from the DC battery supply. The ELCO site says that you use four 12V batteries to power the motor. That means that you cannot use 6, 12V batteries which gives you 72 volts. You have to use them in groups of 4 for 48 volts.
.............One possible solution...2 banks... use one till it's down...start using the other and start charging the first. That way you always have an emergency backup in case of a bank malfunction and you can control the charge rate better on a smaller, non loaded bank ...I would think.
The auto industry, both her and abroad have spent years and millions of dollars trying to produce an electric car. So far, they have not come up with anything practical and cost effective except maybe for riding around town.
For some reason the vast majority of people did not pay attention in science class. I was a Toyota technician when the first Prius came to market. Sure you get regen braking to recoup lost energy during acceleration. Sure you get start/stop features to not burn fuel idling. Maybe that nets you 10-20% real world savings in miles per gallon.
At the end of the day you still have a primary propulsion system that wastes 2/3rds of the BTU energy out the exhaust and radiator as heat. We can never get around that no matter what how you skin the cat. The ONLY way cars will ever become drastically more efficient in a scenario where recharging or electric generation (like a Volt) is out of the question is fuel cell. You atomically gather a bunch of electrons in a near perfect manner and send them through a motor which is upwards of 80-90% efficient. It's the only way right now it can be done in my opinion. Any constant duty long running energy demand cannot be met with some type of hybrid system (in a small scale like a vehicle) with an internal combustion engine.
Well Duffy boats has done ok...obviously a more specialized boat than most would buy (unlike cars that need to be more practical or specialized to do well for mass production).
Not every cruiser does 100 miles a day, or needs to go 8+ knots ,or is counting the days till they leave on a long voyage.
But some well off folk like to glide around in silence and are buying them, and rental fleets are doing well. Check out their site for a business opportunity...oh that's right, they aren't practical.
I can't begin to comprehend someone taking an electric powered boat on the ICW from Norfolk to Miami.
Starside, I love your boat. I would never own a wooden boat but am thankful that others have the desire and funds to keep them going. I am interested in this electric propulsion idea. I am wondering why you have gotten involved in it. What was the reason that you feel that electric propulsion is the way to go? I have rented Duffy launches a few times and love the silent, smooth propulsion. In the limited range sheltered water application it was great. But setting up a longer range situation would be expensive. Just wondering what you expect to do with your boat. What was it powered with originally and currently? Best of luck with what ever you do.
IMy motor is the Elco motor w 6 deka 8D AGM glass matte wet cell batteries.
Thank you, Marin.
My system is 12v but I'll ask my yard crew about that. Maybe I could have a few golf cart batteries as my backup. Love that it takes less space.