interesting addition to the hybrid market

not much info on this yet but looks very promissing for a retrofit of an existing boat

http://steyr-motors.com/products/pdf/hybrid.pdf

Victron Gel Batteries

Still doing math on the EMotion Hybrids.  Their battery spec sheet seems jump from about 4-5kWh to 15-20kWh.  What’s missing?  About 7-9kW which translates to roughy 580-750 Ah @ 12V, or what I consider close to the sweetspot as that would give me about 300-375 “usable” Amp hours of battery life, at roughly 50% discharge.  

So far I’ve been looking at Odyssey batteries to try and work out the math.  Odysseys are TPPL batteries which are talked about quite a bit (look at links on the menu).  Odyssey batteries are also dual-use (deep-cycle and starting).  Victron on the other hand has GEL deep-cycle batteries with some impressive characteristics.  Here is some math (remember we need 12 of these batteries to make up 144V).  Ah are given at 10hr discharge rates.  

• Victron BAT412550100, 55Ah @ 12V. 9.4×5.2×9.3 in. 44lb.  String 12 together and we get 7920Wh (660Ah @ 12V) at 528 lb
• BAT412600100, 60Ah @ 12V. 10.2×6.5×93 in. 53lb. Yields 8640 Wh (720Ah@12V), 636 lb
• BAT412800100, 80Ah @ 12V. 13.8×6.6×72 in. 57lb.  Yields 11520 Wh (960Ah@12V) 684 lb

Additional specs:

• “Technology: flat panel Gel”
• “Float design life” 12 years
• Cycle design life: 300 cycles @ 30% discharge ; 600 cycles @ 50% dod; 1300 cycles @ 30% dod

The design life seems comparable to Odyssey TPPL batteries.

Can a 9kW motor replace a 45hp engine?

The more I think about it, the more confused I get.  Here are some thoughts and calculations so far.  Surprisingly, it looks within the realm of possibility.  And I haven’t figured out propellers yet.

I’ll update this page as I think about it more. now it’s time to cook.

Victron 12V battery charger

OK, last note for today;  It turns out the DC-DC converter that EMotion Hybrids is really a mutli-input, 12V charger developed by Victron to handle various inputs yet still provide stable charging for 12V banks. As outlined in this News release from Emotion Hybrids, the charger can take an input of 90-265VAC @ 50 or 60Hz and 90-144VDC.  What’s interesting about this:  Can we use this charger to charge a medium-sized 12V bank and forego the 144VDC shorepower charger?

Another consideration with this system, especially if the 12V bank grows to a significant investment: how well-suited is this charger to acting as a power converter as opposed to a battery charger?  If my house load increases or decreases, will it maintain optimal charging characteristics/power output to maintain 12V bank efficiently over a long period of time?  Traditionally, we’ve asked the 12V bank to discharge, then recharge.  What’ we’re asking it now is to act as a middleman and “float” all the time, with whatever power is drawn from the bank being almost immediately replaced by the charger.  This can potentially include significant loads, with simultaneous high-amperage outputs and inputs.  What, if any, effect does this have on battery life?

Fischer-Panda Diesel-electric

I guess I should note that I did not consider the Fischer-panda solution as seriously as I considered the EMotion Hybrids and OSSA Powerlite options.  Here’s why:

• Fischer Panda seem to put their eggs in the Aziprop.  Although I have no beef with that system, I am concerned by two things: First, the cost of a retrofit (seems a lot of cutting on the hull and rudder). Second, the fact that the entire electric motor body is submerged all the time.  They also have a “DE-Shaft” system but couldn’t find much information
• At the boat show, they were more interested in the Redskins game than they were in their own generators.   (Admittedly, it was 16-17 with 32 seconds to go! I almost stood there myself to watch the end.)  There was also no mention of their D-E stuff anywhere in sight.  Not even a slick.

On a separate note, Emotion Hybrids’ Dave T. mentioned at the boat show that Fischer-Panda has had problems with all but two of their generator models.

e-Motion hybrids diesel-electric propulsion: musings

(Or, Post-sailboat-show-wandering)

13 October 2008: Questions questions

Questions been spinnin’ ’round my head. Mostly about the 144V system for E-Motion Hybrids’ system. First question is…

do I build up the 144V bank or the 12V bank?

I’m just starting to take a serious look into this system.  The way it makes sense, so far, is to think of the propulsion motor as another house load. And why not? at 9kW (or 4.5, or 16) it doesn’t draw any more power than a hefty microwave.  Not that I have a microwave (hefty or otherwise), but you get the idea. Windlass? 1.2kW.  OK, so I lie…it’s 10x more than a microwave.  Let’s face it, a motor draws a lot.  On the other hand, ideally it’s used a not-so-lot.  Anyway, more on-topic, the motor runs at 144V.  The generator generates at 144V to top off the motor battery bank.  There’s also a 12V battery bank (maybe consisting of a single battery but let’s call it a bank) for generator starting, and basically 12V loads that can’t be handled through the 144-12V DC-DC power converter.  For the time being, I’m going to focus on this system rather than compare D-E to a conventional diesel, or e-Motion Hybrids to other systems.  This question is strictly about the 12V vs 144V bank.