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Electric Power For Boats On The Broads


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6 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

I think she was updated a couple of years ago and since then they seem to have dropped hybrid from the descriptions. I don't know if she was re-engined at the time, or they don't see any benefit in marketing terms.

You are probably right I havn't looked on there recently, I do know Barnes and Ferry still advertise theirs although from what one hirer said to me about Ferrys all electric one not sure how good a marketing tool it is.

Fred

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The thing with diesel electric is that you could use fuel-efficient turbocharged common rail engines.

Because they would be driving a genset, you could run them at specific revs where they were most fuel-efficient and could also ensure they weren't under-revved so as to avoid the turbos and injectors coking up.

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35 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Excuse me, but that is not fair comment and best to leave our armed forces out of this, I think.

If they couldn't install things in hostile territory while under fire, they never would have won D-Day.

Apologies if my comment was misread, no offence was meant, and as I said I am a supporter of our Armed Forces - they clearly do great work in very hostile environments, and I would not dream of criticising them.

It was an innocent, tongue-in-cheek comment relating to grendel and his company, who I have understood to be in the electrical generation industry.

However, happy to edit / delete if you feel it was unfair.

 

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Technology is moving fast as far as electric propulsion is concerned this in turn is leaving some electrically propelled vehicles/boats now with recent but now obsolete technology .

Lianna is currently v.o.r. due to the electric motor needing a part which is no longer available and the replacement being offered will not fit .

Not exactly green for the planet or cost effective if the whole unit needs replacing !!

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Hi Oddfellow   The American navy used electric motors to power there Battle ships the reason was that when they moved from three cylinder compound to Parsons steam Turbine engines they needed a reduction gear plus  a gear box for reverse, a turbine spines at very high RPM this high speed is perfect for electric generation and with electric motors that can be controlled at a low speed with large dia props worked very efficiently along with no reverse gear needed along with instant reverse for manoeuvring this also works  well for large rail way engines no clutch/fluid fly wheel needed or gears with the advantage of braking via the motors so no brake burnout on long descents. This also applies to smaller boats a constant fixed speed efficient small diesel with generator that use less fuel as it will charge the battery's as you sail,  then cut out when battery's are charged while you then use the battery power to poodle along then when say going across Brayden and more power needed battery would be augmented by the diesel power which would produce the extra power needed for the short duration while crossing,  over all not cheaper but smaller engine running at its most efficient less noise less emissions and with the possible use of solar power all day while sailing and when moored up and if no shore power available and if no sun the geny would be used if battery's get to low all this will require managing and is most practable for private boats, if for hire boats it would require more investment to make it user idiot proof the present electric hire boats just had the geny switching on when moored and battery power required for cooking  with the resulting noise and fumes effecting nearby moored boats all because they didn't pay out for the more efficient generators and infrastructure. Many canal boats today are now using Hybrid power along with solar panels most successfully they do of cause have larger roof space for solar BUT !! Anything is possible if there is the will to do it John

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11 hours ago, annv said:

if for hire boats it would require more investment to make it user idiot proof

Very good post John.  It took me a couple of times to take it all in, but it's all good stuff!

I have quoted just one line because it is very important.  The mix of electric motor using batteries, generator with choice of direct shaft drive and also solar panels is very complicated and needs a lot of electronics.

Le boat in France had one of these made.  They are an American "trawler" style boat with a wide cabin top going out over the side decks rather like an awning, so a large expanse of solar panels which were enough to drive the boat at about 5MPH in the hot sun of the south of France.  It was about 36ft but laid out for only two people. Most of it was a high aft saloon and under this was what looked more like a ship's engine room!  When I first saw it, just delivered, it came complete with a technician, who had been flown in from Eastern Europe, where it was built, and was sitting in there with a lap-top plugged in, trying to find out why nothing worked properly.  In the end they just had to give up on it and it went out on hire as a conventional direct shaft drive.  The solar panels didn't last long either as the overhanging roof sides got wiped off under the narrow arched brick bridges.  Not my problem luckily, as they had already got rid of me by then.  Perhaps they knew what I would have had to say about it!

You are quite right that anything is technically possible.

Making it practical for use in a hire boat is another matter.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

A small probably un important issue to most but not to me , if you have to charge a “electric cruiser” every night you’ll never be able to wild moor anymore so your always near people so for me that would be the end of me going on the broads 

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  • 3 months later...

Just spotted this new hire boat from Beacon Park Boats on the Mon & Brec Canal. https://beaconparkboats.com/search/789240/boats/the-all-new-robin . 

Its an all electric compact two berth boat which they claim you will be able to cruise for a week without a recharge. It shows what designers are aiming for, even on the Mon & Brec which already has an electric charging infrastructure (albeit owned by another boatyard - Castle Narrowboats).

I don't think the design would look out of place on the broads. Echoes of Hearts Cruisers?

Will be very interesting to see how it shapes up in practice. I think looking at the design, if it doesn't take off it would fit in very nicely as a day boat.

 

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I think on the canals it's more viable with current tech. The lack of tidal flow and the fact that 4mph is considered 'normal' reduces the power requirements considerably.

A 65ft canal boat tends to have about 40hp and I think going in a straight(ish) line at 4mph in medium depth water with a much shorter boat you're going to need a lot less than that. 

I like the fact that they're using a heat pump for hot water. Very much in experimental phase for boats but if it works well that's something we should look to bring to these shores. I can imagine there'd need to be an environmental impact study first, though.

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1 hour ago, RS2021 said:

They will buy the hull in. I don't know where from. The fit out will be in house.  https://beaconparkboats.com/our-fleet/built-by-us They do like developing unusual and unique boats (and cottages - check out the old dry dock).

It looks like somebody is putting some thought into the job. I like the narrowboat on that page; I have often wondered why more narrowboats don't have outside areas for cruising. That front area would be lovely and quiet while travelling.

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  • 5 months later...

I found a very interesting whitepaper on the sustainability impact of Lead Acid batteries compared Lithium Ion. It was written in reference to their use in Uninterruptable Power Supplies for Data Centres, but you can reflect that to the use of batteries in electric boats.

https://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_enDocType=White+Paper&p_File_Name=WP71_V1_EN.pdf

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