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

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Re: [Electric Boats] Intro

All great suggestions & guidance from all!

My boat's still in the backyard & I've got a couple of more years before she hits the water. I'm definitely going electric & I've got the time to shakeout the options. I'm flying the MD7A out of the boat this spring & figure once the fuel tank/water lift muffler is removed this would become a perfect place for the battery bank. The Sabre 28 is a fast boat & with an offset prop shaft turning a 3 bladed wheel, it'll be interesting to see how much regen we can get out of her.

That is good data on the Honda Mike, thanks for the suggestion on the chargers. The Hondas are competitively priced & you can buy quite a few of them for what an over the counter DC genset would cost:) I'm not sure how the Generac's stack up against the Hondas but they 2000 watts with a 2200 surge which would allow one to run a larger charger. From what I've seen cruising the web a 48V alternator alone is close to a grand. Even I built a genny using a small 3.5 KW air cooled diesel, I'd be into for 3K + very easy before it even went in the boat.

Thanks for the input on the prop shaft turning an alternator Roger L. I suspected if it was that easy people would have bagged ICE along time ago.

Enjoy the rest of the day!

Bob

On Sunday, December 29, 2013 9:50 AM, Julian Webb <julian.proto@gmail.com> wrote:

mike

- couldn't agree more. anytime you mix heat/water/electiricty together and then poke them in a small/cramped space you're asking for eventual pain. i just had to offer quick/cheap fixes.

- my refit included fitting a 25-30kva 3 phase genset and every time i mentioned "i don't want below decks or marinised/heat exchanger cooling" i got shown the door.

- none of the big makers would deviate from their standard plans so i got a smaller guy who made gensets for fishing boats to make an air cooled unit (low rpm diesel) fitted with triple acoustic foam, and no kidding apart from the deck space i lost (but gained internally where the old motors had been) the thing is quieter than a 2kw air cooled unit.

- i think the guy wanted quiet, so really it's hard tp beat the efoy units.......... if you got the pocket depth.

- if weight, space and noise are issues there really is nothing else.

http://www.efoy-comfort.com/

cheers

On 29 December 2013 15:20, Mike <biankablog@verizon.net> wrote:

Bob:

IMO the Honda 2000 generator is a great workhorse and one of the quietest generators out there. It's small size, weight and output make it a good option for smaller EP boats for not only charging but, also using various 120 volt power tools for on board projects. I also use it to power my hookah dive compressor for cleaning the bottom. One of the reasons I never wanted to have another ICE down below is because I got tired of squeezing my six foot two inch frame into cramped spaces to maintain/repair it.Though when I made the leap of faith to go EP six years ago it was an option. Now after six years of using EP for me putting another installed ICE generator down below for me would be going backward. Another plus for the Honda 2000 is you could easily remove it off the boat if needed. I bet a lot of people who lost power and heat during the recent ice storm in the northeast would have loved to have that option.

As far as charging, the trick is to match the battery charger to the generator output. My Zivan NG-1 has a limit of 16 amps (900 watts) but, has been a real workhorse including motoring my boat for hours at three knots. Eric uses an Elcon charger which puts out more amps (faster charging) and is more closely matched to the Honda's maximum output (1600 watts). I was not aware of it at the time I converted. Though I am considering adding a 48 volt DC power supply to use along with the Zivan to add some additional amps for my system. That's the nice thing about EP you can add and adapt as the need arises if you choose a component approach your system.

Capt. Mike
http://biankablog.blogspot.com/

On Sunday, December 29, 2013 5:28 AM, Julian Webb <julian.proto@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi

Most batteries don't like or last with quick charges so you've got three quick alternatives to get around your noise problem:
1) Install a battery bank big enough to last your mooring time (use a standard noisy air cooled genset when you're out of the area)
2) Use a heat exchanger on your engine to cool it with sea water then heavily insulate it (way less noise but still some)
3) Use a methanol etc type fuel cell e.g. Efoy (expensive but work silently and beautifully)
Don't forget soar panels, wind turbines of drogue/flow generators depending on your situation.

Cheers

On 29 Dec 2013 08:24, "bob jennings" <sabre281@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi, new member here.

EP for recreational boats is a pretty interesting concept.

I have a 28' project sailboat & want to repower the old Volvo before I put her in the water. I've pretty much decided to go the electric route. There is a lot of information out there & decided to join the group before undertaking my science experiment. I am leaning towards the 5KW electric yacht system.

My boat will be on a mooring so I'm contemplating building a small DC generator instead of an AC charger run off a gas generator. Seems many that go this route have a slip with shore power or use the Honda 2000 as part of their hybrid but from what I've read they have to run her for 3-4 hours when recharging the battery bank due to amp limitations of the generator. Coming from the power boat crowd I don't mind a little noise but up here in the northeast the sailors go nuts when you run a generator in an anchorage....
Is a DC generator fueled by gas or diesel a viable solution for quickly recharging a bank compared to an AC charger & Honda generator?

Another thought I had. Has anyone tried to install a sheave on the prop shaft so that it turns an alternator when in EP mode to help recharge the battery bank? I wasn't sure if the addition of a sheave & belt put so much additional torque on the electric motor that it was counter productive.

Thanks & Happy New Year!
Bob Jennings