T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Folding Prop and Regen

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Re: [Electric Boats] Folding Prop and Regen

Hello Gary,

Folding/feathering props will work for regen depending on how well the system you have does regen from the motor to controller and to the batteries. Oceanvolt uses Gori feathering props on their systems and the regen they have is the best available. That is due to the engineering they have done to achieve a high level of regen with their controllers. Thoosa systems work well with folding or feathering props to achieve good regen. We've sailed on a boat in Denmark and watched the regen work with a folding prop.

The trick is to get the prop spinning and the centrifugal force of the boat moving through the water then keeps the prop open and spinning. But, and this is the main thing about regen, your boat has to be able to sail fast enough to spin that shaft fast enough to put energy back into the motor. Not all boats can do that. Also, the amount of regen you receive is not huge - perhaps an amp or two per hour (more if you are a catamaran of course). Still, if you can sail at speed and keep the regen up for 5 or 6 hours or more it helps with putting some amps back into your batteries.

I have no experience with the kits from Thunderstruck and how well, if at all, their motors can achieve regen on a sailboat. Hopefully you can get your boat sailing fast enough to see some regen, but don't expect a lot from it.

Sally Reuther

Annapolis Hybrid Marine

On Wed, Jun 5, 2019 at 8:37 AM garystriyle@yahoo.com [electricboats] <electricboats@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Anyone using a folding or feathering prop and able to regen? Im converting my NY 36 from a volvo md7a 13hp to a 10kw thunderstruck sailboat kit. I have a folding prop and i was wondering if it will spin up for some regen underway.

Thanks
Gary S.