Saturday, December 1, 2012

[Electric Boats] Re: Question about a prop for a Columbia 9.6m

 

I agree!! There seems to be a dearth of logic. also boat shape, hull speed, and whether the prop is out in the open or tucked behind a deadwood affects prop selection. A faq or wiki would be helpful.
A hp at the prop at the same rpm is the same whether it is; gas diesel or hamsters.
mike

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Reid" <axius@...> wrote:
>
> This is the strangest thread we have ever read. There are too many assumption needed to even comment, but here goes;
> Before you can start comparing 2 blade to 3 blade, diesel to gas to electric, we need to know the the gear reduction of each.
> We need to assume one is going to use the same diameter and pitch whether 2 blade or 3 blade. Then we can START looking at theory and finally compare to actual results.
> What exactly do you mean by a prop being a little "too powerful?" Too much pitch, too large a diameter or too much cup?
> When you speak of a "smaller prop" do you mean diameter, pitch, cup or all 3?
> The last time we checked 1hp=746W, not 760.
> In our experience of building aux power packs;
> 10hp gas powered, requires 7.5hp diesel or 5hp electric for the same loads.
> Additionally a lot of consideration on a sail boat needs to be give to the drag of the prop when not under power. Again, we must make the assumption that the prop folds?
> With your Yanmar, is would be interesting to accurately measure your fuel burn rate and then look up the hp on the manufactures power curve diagrams.
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Gunning" <mike@> wrote:
> >
> > A question was asked on the Columbia Yahoo site and I thought I would share my answer with this group. The question was about the boat with a 10hp Volvo with a 2 blade prop and changing it to a 3 blade prop and possible issues. The technical issues of propellers are not as well understood by most of us. I would like to see a technical discussion of these issues and a formula that is easy to apply. This is especially important to the DIY as the system units are engineered.
> > Mike Electric Yacht of Southern California
> >
> > Jeff,
> > I agree with Jim in his assessment that the Volvo 10hp is a little light for the boat. The two blade prop is likely the only way the motor can get to its power curve.
> > We have a 15hp Yanmar 2QM15 on our boat (the factory offered this motor) plus our electric motor. With the factory 2QM15 a two blade prop was recommended. We installed a 3 blade 14X12 prop and the prop is likely a little too powerful but it does get us to 6 kts with hull speed being 6.57. We know the true shaft hp used when we run the electric with the computer display. We artificially limit the electric because of the small diesel thrush power inhibitor.
> >
> > This is what we see calculated at shaft hp (shp) and which is not brake hp (bhp). Bhp is a bench test without the losses from transmission and alternator and other loads on the motor and at peak power rpm. These numbers are spot on (formula is (amp X voltage)/760 = hp):
> >
> > 4 knots at 40amps 48v is 2.25shp
> > 5 knots at 80amps 48v is 5.05shp
> > Our computer projections calculates the requirement for 6 knots as
> > 6 knots at 150amps 48v is 9.47shp
> >
> > Your Volvo is likely in good enough shape will likely put out about 7.5 shp, less than the 11.25 shp that our Yanmar does.
> >
> > I would think that the two blade prop is right for your boat. If you want to go with a smaller three blade prop, you should work with a good prop guy and follow their recommendations. I can tell you that the prop is a very important part of the propulsion equation. Get an expert as I know from direct experience when we built a system with the wrong prop information it does not perform. We re-engineer and re-program the system once we get the correct data and it works
> > as projected.
> > Mike
> > sv Electric Fluke Columbia 9.6
> > Electric Yachts of Southern California
> >
>

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[Electric Boats] Min kota

 

Our minkota stopped working at the end of thos season. I pulled it apart and found the wires that go to the motor. Put power and ground dirrctly and no action. Pulled the motor out of the case and could not see or smell anything burnt. No sign that water evet got in. I figure it is time to replace it but just wanted to check if there was something I may have missed as these are usually pretty reliable. Any advice? Richard


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Friday, November 30, 2012

[Electric Boats] Re: Question about a prop for a Columbia 9.6m

 

This is the strangest thread we have ever read. There are too many assumption needed to even comment, but here goes;
Before you can start comparing 2 blade to 3 blade, diesel to gas to electric, we need to know the the gear reduction of each.
We need to assume one is going to use the same diameter and pitch whether 2 blade or 3 blade. Then we can START looking at theory and finally compare to actual results.
What exactly do you mean by a prop being a little "too powerful?" Too much pitch, too large a diameter or too much cup?
When you speak of a "smaller prop" do you mean diameter, pitch, cup or all 3?
The last time we checked 1hp=746W, not 760.
In our experience of building aux power packs;
10hp gas powered, requires 7.5hp diesel or 5hp electric for the same loads.
Additionally a lot of consideration on a sail boat needs to be give to the drag of the prop when not under power. Again, we must make the assumption that the prop folds?
With your Yanmar, is would be interesting to accurately measure your fuel burn rate and then look up the hp on the manufactures power curve diagrams.

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Gunning" <mike@...> wrote:
>
> A question was asked on the Columbia Yahoo site and I thought I would share my answer with this group. The question was about the boat with a 10hp Volvo with a 2 blade prop and changing it to a 3 blade prop and possible issues. The technical issues of propellers are not as well understood by most of us. I would like to see a technical discussion of these issues and a formula that is easy to apply. This is especially important to the DIY as the system units are engineered.
> Mike Electric Yacht of Southern California
>
> Jeff,
> I agree with Jim in his assessment that the Volvo 10hp is a little light for the boat. The two blade prop is likely the only way the motor can get to its power curve.
> We have a 15hp Yanmar 2QM15 on our boat (the factory offered this motor) plus our electric motor. With the factory 2QM15 a two blade prop was recommended. We installed a 3 blade 14X12 prop and the prop is likely a little too powerful but it does get us to 6 kts with hull speed being 6.57. We know the true shaft hp used when we run the electric with the computer display. We artificially limit the electric because of the small diesel thrush power inhibitor.
>
> This is what we see calculated at shaft hp (shp) and which is not brake hp (bhp). Bhp is a bench test without the losses from transmission and alternator and other loads on the motor and at peak power rpm. These numbers are spot on (formula is (amp X voltage)/760 = hp):
>
> 4 knots at 40amps 48v is 2.25shp
> 5 knots at 80amps 48v is 5.05shp
> Our computer projections calculates the requirement for 6 knots as
> 6 knots at 150amps 48v is 9.47shp
>
> Your Volvo is likely in good enough shape will likely put out about 7.5 shp, less than the 11.25 shp that our Yanmar does.
>
> I would think that the two blade prop is right for your boat. If you want to go with a smaller three blade prop, you should work with a good prop guy and follow their recommendations. I can tell you that the prop is a very important part of the propulsion equation. Get an expert as I know from direct experience when we built a system with the wrong prop information it does not perform. We re-engineer and re-program the system once we get the correct data and it works
> as projected.
> Mike
> sv Electric Fluke Columbia 9.6
> Electric Yachts of Southern California
>

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[Electric Boats] Question about a prop for a Columbia 9.6m

 

A question was asked on the Columbia Yahoo site and I thought I would share my answer with this group. The question was about the boat with a 10hp Volvo with a 2 blade prop and changing it to a 3 blade prop and possible issues. The technical issues of propellers are not as well understood by most of us. I would like to see a technical discussion of these issues and a formula that is easy to apply. This is especially important to the DIY as the system units are engineered.
Mike Electric Yacht of Southern California

Jeff,
I agree with Jim in his assessment that the Volvo 10hp is a little light for the boat. The two blade prop is likely the only way the motor can get to its power curve.
We have a 15hp Yanmar 2QM15 on our boat (the factory offered this motor) plus our electric motor. With the factory 2QM15 a two blade prop was recommended. We installed a 3 blade 14X12 prop and the prop is likely a little too powerful but it does get us to 6 kts with hull speed being 6.57. We know the true shaft hp used when we run the electric with the computer display. We artificially limit the electric because of the small diesel thrush power inhibitor.

This is what we see calculated at shaft hp (shp) and which is not brake hp (bhp). Bhp is a bench test without the losses from transmission and alternator and other loads on the motor and at peak power rpm. These numbers are spot on (formula is (amp X voltage)/760 = hp):

4 knots at 40amps 48v is 2.25shp
5 knots at 80amps 48v is 5.05shp
Our computer projections calculates the requirement for 6 knots as
6 knots at 150amps 48v is 9.47shp

Your Volvo is likely in good enough shape will likely put out about 7.5 shp, less than the 11.25 shp that our Yanmar does.

I would think that the two blade prop is right for your boat. If you want to go with a smaller three blade prop, you should work with a good prop guy and follow their recommendations. I can tell you that the prop is a very important part of the propulsion equation. Get an expert as I know from direct experience when we built a system with the wrong prop information it does not perform. We re-engineer and re-program the system once we get the correct data and it works
as projected.
Mike
sv Electric Fluke Columbia 9.6
Electric Yachts of Southern California

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

[Electric Boats] Re: Paint for ME0913

 

Well, yes and no. Yes, if the kids leave the lights on in the winter, that energy is going to heat the house. However, lights tend to create little hot spots often near ceilings. Your furnace does a much better job of heating the air that you live in. If the lights are placed in moving air that gets distributed evenly to the house, they are just another electric heater. So, nothing gets lost in the conversions because what we normally think of as conversion losses isn't really lost. It ends up as heat. If we are trying to charge a battery or move a boat through the water, that is a bad thing. If we want heat, it is a good thing.

Pat

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Reid" <axius@...> wrote:
>
> Pat,
> I am intrigued. Are you saying that we have been wrong all these years trying to get the kids to turn out the lights? When the house is heated by electricity, it will cost the same whether you leave all the incandescent lights on or not? Of coarse some of the light escapes through the windows, so this is a loss. And there is no loss of conversion from heat to light and back to heat? Interesting.
> Thanks,
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "greenpjs04" <forums@> wrote:
> >
> > Just a comment about light bulbs... Incandescent bulbs (ie, not florescent, CFL, LED, etc) are a pure resistive load. In other words, they are not indictive or capacitive. Therefore they make pretty good heaters for enclosed spaces. A 100 watt bulb, will supply 100 watts of heat to an enclosed space. Some of that (more than you might guess) is directly produced as heat while the rest of comes away from the bulb as light. That light, however, then gets absorbed by "stuff" in the space and gets converted to heat.
> >
> > I would still recommend buying parts designed to be used as heaters such as the one you recommended because light bulbs can easily get broken and they burn out, but light bulbs do work as heaters.
> >
> > Pat
> >
> >
> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Reid" <axius@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Jim,
> > > That is the perfect part for the job. Most people don't seem to >realize that you want a pure resistive load to generate heat, not a >light bulb.
> >
>

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

[Electric Boats] Re: Paint for ME0913

 

Pat,
I am intrigued. Are you saying that we have been wrong all these years trying to get the kids to turn out the lights? When the house is heated by electricity, it will cost the same whether you leave all the incandescent lights on or not? Of coarse some of the light escapes through the windows, so this is a loss. And there is no loss of conversion from heat to light and back to heat? Interesting.
Thanks,

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "greenpjs04" <forums@...> wrote:
>
> Just a comment about light bulbs... Incandescent bulbs (ie, not florescent, CFL, LED, etc) are a pure resistive load. In other words, they are not indictive or capacitive. Therefore they make pretty good heaters for enclosed spaces. A 100 watt bulb, will supply 100 watts of heat to an enclosed space. Some of that (more than you might guess) is directly produced as heat while the rest of comes away from the bulb as light. That light, however, then gets absorbed by "stuff" in the space and gets converted to heat.
>
> I would still recommend buying parts designed to be used as heaters such as the one you recommended because light bulbs can easily get broken and they burn out, but light bulbs do work as heaters.
>
> Pat
>
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Reid" <axius@> wrote:
> >
> > Jim,
> > That is the perfect part for the job. Most people don't seem to >realize that you want a pure resistive load to generate heat, not a >light bulb.
>

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[Electric Boats] Re: MinnKota RT160EM

 

Donald,

you seem pretty knowledgeable about this ;-)

Any idea how much thrust required to "safely" move this boat through a 4kt current?

Thanks,
Doug

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, KEN <rekkamurd@...> wrote:
>
> I dont have practical experience with that particular MK, just some general practical knowledge-experience with some of em. 24ft wooden catboat, I'm going to guess is maybe a 22ft waterline sq-rt being 4.69, x 1.56 is 7.31, and that x 0.75 being 5.49 mph..
> rough ballpark estimate for 75% of waterline length hull speed, being right about its threshold for good efficiency, faster just gonna gobble down the power a lot more...
> BUT, trolling motors rarely do over 4 to 4.5 mph anyway, Kipawa prop inclusive.
> (yes they're a good bit better performers, anywhere 10-20% more speed or range)
>  
> things to think about is how much the catboat really weighs, and how much thrust is it really going to need to reach that 4.5 mph, is about where motor and prop rpm is going to run out of legs anyway! they just arent gonna spin or push any faster, even with a hull thats very efficient and slippery, its just how trolling motors are designed.
> (not saying they arent great and convenient for what they do!)
>  
> in my own little electric toy (and it is that) where a trolling motor is its primary propulsion,
> 55lb thrust 12v MK with a Kipawa prop didnt perform any better than the 36lb thrust MK with a Kipawa prop. the 55lb'r being about 600 watts, the 36 being about 400 watts, I went right back to the 36lb thrust that offered the longer runtime and range. 50% more power at the prop really didnt do a darn thing for it, but hey its only 12' long is everything why.
> beyond 4.1 to 4.2 mph its only gonna drain harder and harder and harder....
> (not the same when you have the higher cieling of a 22ft waterline)
>  
> so.. what I'm saying is you really might not be needing 160lb worth of thrust, is going to cost more and end up draining the batteries much faster, for being less efficient maybe.
> I cant think of a way to KNOW, other than maybe towing the boat at just 5 mph with a scale on the towing line, to see how many lbs average is needed to actually do the job.
> which is still under 75% of waterline length hull speed, and just 1/2 mph over anything I'd actually expect something trolling motor to ever really do. not knocking the idea of using a trolling motor as an alternate, just being realistic with what I know about em so far.
> if the boat only pulls 60-70 lbs to do 5 mph, then range just about doubled for doing that.
> (if it DID do 5 to 5.5 mph with 80lb thrust and Kipawa prop, thats a pretty darn good roll!)
>  
> I've had 30# 36# 55# from MK, and 30# 50# from MG, is 5 total (no expert either at all)
> and sure notice a bit better performance for mounting a Kipawa prop on em, where near the same kind of full speed of a stock prop is reached with less power to the Kipawa, or a slight increase in amp draw at full power and a bit better top speed, prettymuch right in line with what they claim their product to do. btw theyre all just 12v motors.
>  
> to the opposite, I've tried MK's weedless wedge prop is a bit larger diameter, less pitch, and a lot more blade surface area for less prop slip.. it was less speed for me with my lightweight little boat, but for something much heavier loading it very well COULD mean better performance and speed than the stock MK prop, lower current draw and less slippage, but topping out at about 3.3 to 3.4 mph, where the stock prop might only reach 3 mph for slipping badly, unable to overcome a load and getting onto its pitch step..
> but for me it was "gee this sux" and right back to the stock prop that I'd increased pitch to a little by heating blades in boiling water and twisting (with LOTS of measurings!). I'd got it to a pretty happy place, very nearly like how the Kipawa does, is 3 blade not 2, so naturally I went to the 3 blade Kipawa is a better stiffer grade-type of plastic, like a carbon filled injection molded nylon, lots tougher and much more rigid.
>  
> yeah, sometimes I get long-winded, maybe helpful, and maybe not..
> I'd want to know how much or how little thrust is needed at 5 to 5.5 mph before spending,
> even knowing a trolling motor may still fall into being 1 mph slower than that anyhow.
>  
>
> --- On Mon, 10/29/12, donald bland <dlblandjr@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: donald bland <dlblandjr@...>
> Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: MinnKota RT160EM
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, October 29, 2012, 1:19 AM
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
> motor guide currently offers a 105 # torque, 109 weight, 36 volt, motor for $1250 US dollars,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: acsarfkram <acsarfkram@...>
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sun, October 28, 2012 11:32:27 AM
> Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: MinnKota RT160EM
>
>  
>
> Hi Doug,
>
> That MinKota should work well. My first electric sailboat project was an Ericson 23 with a MotorGuide 109 Great White (36 volt 105# thrust). It gave me about 4 knots at full power. The longest I motored with it was only about 45 minutes. It had decent power for moderate winds (20 knots). You might want to play around with props I ended up with a Kipawa prop that gave me a bit better top end speed.
>
> Mark
> Santa Cruz
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Doug McQuilken <dougmcq000@> wrote:
> >
> > I would like to add electric auxiliary propulsion for my 24' wood catboat.This is  a really convenient setup with remote control, variable speeds forward & reverse.Does anybody have any practical experience with this motor?Thanks,DougPS - Specs here, http://www.walmart.com/ip/Minn-Kota-RT160EM-Engine-Mount-Saltwater-Motor-160lb-Thrust/15686827
> >
>

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