T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Electric motor conversion

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Electric motor conversion

Not knowing the type of motor or controller that you have that would be hard question to answer. The answer to your question depends on the native rpm of the motor, And the HP the controller puts out. I also think you will most likely need a larger motor with a 41 foot house boat, unless that was a monster golf cart! You might could get away with it with a 32' catamaran.

Also for sustained traveling, wind is not going to be reliable enough to travel on, solar-cells are really your only real choice, Wind is good for house loads coupled with a good size battery pack, but not for travel power. Unless we are talk really small hopes each day, or a really really large battery bank.

On Feb 1, 2011, at 10:45 PM, bill garrison wrote:

Hello James,
Good to hear from you. I was also glad to hear that they are doing the majority of the Loop on electric. However, in my last message when I was referring to going slow, I was describing my potential experience on the loop using electricity. I was stating that It would be acceptable for me if the results of using my golf cart motor, etc. were that my cruising speed was slow. I have actually been excited about this project and the prospect of being able to do the Loop on electric only (biodiesel only backup). I am actually looking into wind power and possibly a micro submersible hydropower generator to recharge the battery bank. Still researching that one. A question I have yet to answer is, "should I include the transmission with this electric motor and use a larger propeller, or use a direct drive with a straight shaft from the motor to the propeller?" If you have any suggestions, they would be appreciated. Thanks again for your feedback, I need all the help I can get.

William A. Garrison

--- On Tue, 2/1/11, James Sizemore <james@deny.org> wrote:

From: James Sizemore <james@deny.org>
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Electric motor conversion
To: "electricboats@yahoogroups.com" <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "electricboats@yahoogroups.com" <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 7:55 PM

Your last comment about slow boat was incorrect they do most of there trip on the electric drive, they only used the diesel for a few open ocean crossings.

On Feb 1, 2011, at 4:58 PM, "Eric" <ewdysar@yahoo.com> wrote:

Bill,

Keep in mind that a boat hull doesn't care what generates the power, whether it's a gas engine, diesel engine, sails, pedals, paddles , oars or an electric motor. Each boat requires a given amount of power to reach and sustain a given speed. So, how much horsepower does the 40' houseboat use today?

I don't have any specifics about your golf cart setup, but if it is setup up for 100A max at 48V, then it is a 4.8kW drive which translates to 6.4hp. And that sounds about right for a golf cart. Here's another way to look at it. Would consider repowering your 40' houseboat with the gas engine (about 300cc) from a golf cart? If that sounds good to you, then go for it.

You don't mention whether you already own the houseboat, so i don't know what kind of information that you can provide. One excellent method to determine your average power needs is to look at your typical fuel consumption. Another common conversion rule is to use 1hp of electric for each 2.5 to 3hp of gasoline engine.

However, the idea of converting a large houseboat to electric has been discussed here a number of times. Because of the size and windage of the boat, electric usually seems like an impractical solution. But there is a lot of information out there, you can do the calculations yourself. Once you figure out what your power requirements will be, then come back here and we can help with other aspects of the conversion.

Alternatively, check out this blog. http://www.slowboatcruise.com/ The owners have put together a canal boat that can be run slowly on electric, although most real distance is covered with diesel power. This may give you some ideas...

Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Bill" <wagarrison@...> wrote:
>
> I have a golf cart, 48volt, with a working controller, charger, and transmission. I am wondering if I could use this set-up on a 40' houseboat. If I can do this, what size/type propeller should I use? Should I use the transmission with a larger propeller, or a pulley system directly to the motor. Or are there other options that are more efficient or better. I am new to the houseboat scene. My fiance and I are considering a livestyle change that involves cruising around the great american loop but starting in Jamaica. I believe an electric set up would serve our purposes best. Can someone out there help?
>