Hi, i'm looking for information about how can i regenerate energy with the motor when i'm sailing, i kind of a recovery energy break system, anyone has some information about regenerative breaks?
Good on you, for increased performance try swapping the pulleys, increasing the propeller rpm, the motor can handle it, it's up to you with the throttle as to what the motor can handle
Hi OpenROV #272 - Quick message to thank you for your informative video as it helped me in starting my own build. I am designing/building a similar setup as yours but instead using two brush-less/water-cooled 48V 10Kw Golden Motors in parallel (driving one propeller shaft). If you are interested in following the build then I have posted my first video showing the motor housing:) Thanks again and keep the boat adventures coming!!:)
I was thinking of downgrading to a battery motor but then I looked at it and decided "hell no", I am not an idiot. The silliest downgrade you can do is get a battery powered motor that goes about 15 miles before dying vs my diesel that goes 1,000 miles, costs less, refills instantly, and is super reliable. There is no real decision to be made guys. Don't fall for stupid politics - batteries are dirty and full of chemicals, expensive, pollute the world for 100,000 years after you dump the junk, and cost more. Nough said. Only fools get them.
@@Lana_Warwick ...I know I was harsh in my statement, but it is true. Lithium is a terrible mess of chemicals and harmful elements that pollute for 100,000 years after you toss it. Please, use natural energy from the Sun in the form of beautiful naturally produced oil. The Earth has blessed us by making and preserving the Sun's energy. There is nothing stronger, longer lasting, and more natural that Earth's own naturally produced oil. These man made Earth shattering chemical monstrosities are terrible. PS we now know that the Earth is essentially, a massive oil producing "factory" and that we will never run out of in the same way that we will never run out of trees. Nature replenishes itself.
I'm a bit puzzled. Your spreadsheet says that you have two batteries of 48V at 200Ah each which gives you 9,6kWh each or 19.2kWh total. In your video you said that you only had a 10kWh battery bank. I'm not familiar with those batteries and they are not available here but the LiFePO4 batteries we get here are not 48VDC but 53 to 56VDC which changes the calculation somewhat giving 53VDC x 200Ah = 10.6kWh or 56VDC x 200Ah = 11.2kWh per battery. I am assuming that the batteries are the rated voltages I mentioned and not 24VDC base meaning you had them in series to get the "48VDC" you mentioned. It is quite a nice detailed build video, well explained.
Each of the 2 batteries in my boat are (I think) 51.2 KWh. They are actually 51.2v, 100 Ah each. (But that range is called "48v", which is confusing. :D) So I have a total of 10.4 KWh. Sorry if that was confusing in the video, or on the spreadsheet!
My diesel, universal 5411, wieghted 245 lbs. A full fuel tank weighed about 160lbs. (The universal 5411 is very small for a marine diesel, many catalina 30's had larger, 365 lb, 16 hp version, or a atomic 4 at 437 lbs). In my boat, the electric motor, including mount, was (IIRC) about 50-60lbs. The batteries are 80lbs each, and I have 2. So the total weights are: Diesel - 405 lbs. Electric - 220 lbs.
I'm trying to buy an Elco electric inboard for my Catalina 27 but I'm running into phone apps. I don't even know if they make a control pannel for their engine. I would think an engine would come with standard gages that tell you RPMs, amps etc. Why on earth would I want to have to drag out a phone to look at this stuff? Not to mention the privacy concerns. This is just amazing to see a company pull something like this. Anyone know of an inboard motor company with actual equipment and no phone apps?
Pros & Cons to both. I'd rather not have the toxic smell & soot, with bonus of Much less running cost & maint. A sailor rarely needs engine or motor, mainly just around tight marinas
I like my air cooled Chinese 168 F diesel. It's much lighter and cheaper than electric and it charges batteries on very little diesel. Hot dry air is welcome in almost any humid weather.
Nice job, thank, but one must wonder, given the very reasonable price of used boats, whether it would be more effective to find another boat in good shape and upgrade. I’m thinking that if I were to replace the engine, an outboard or Torquedo would be my preference and so avoid the issues associated with the prop, shaft, bearing, etc.
hey, very nice job. it's interesting to know the global budget about this conversion (motor, controller, charger, battery pack) i'm from belgium, and found a representative contact of Thunderstruck in Netherlands.. my boat: a Kelt Sailoat, 30 feet, actually powered by a Yanmar 2GM :) or the same project, this last summer, at LaRochelle BoatShow, a firm in France propose me 15.000€ (motor, controller, charger, batteryPack),.. interesting to compare enjoy the Sea ;)
Mostly it's the $12000 (plus shipping, taxes, cables and other install costs). :D I would be okay with the extra weight (it would put me about 450 lbs over the weight of the diesel + tank etc).
Still got it. Still love it. :D I haven't had a chance to do anything worth posting, and the data (in terms of range) hasn't changed. I expect to be able to improve things (with wind data) this spring/summer. Last year was super busy for me and I failed to organize anything beyond day sailing. :D
Ne subscriber sending greetings from Tucson, Arizona. I contacted ELCO last year looking for information to complete an electric conversation installation. They were NO help and offered NO information.
@@openrov272 no friend! My question is correct. I did not mean KiloWatts and I wrote it correctly, I wrote KV which means Revolutions multiplier by volts, I watched the video again (minute 3:04) where it says 48volt * 50 RPM that means that your motor is 50KV and It gives a maximum total of 2400 RPM and that in the water is very little. You are using an engine that possibly has a lot of torque, do two things, you can get much more success with high revolutions, you can increase the revolutions with gears or change the engine for For a motor with a higher KV, I recommend above 25 thousand RPM, and you will be able to have better success using the same amount of electricity (amps).
Ah! Okay, so the max RPM of the motor is (I think) about 2800 RPM. Propeller RPM on sail boats is something like 850-1650, depending on the prop. What I have read is that a large, lower RPM prop, is the best for efficiency (while motoring, but worse when sailing, obviously). So I don't think I could do 25k RPM.
I recently installed an electric yacht 20kw in a 37' Irwin, and it was weak. The tides were stiff, and the run from dock to sail area was long. Electric is still a fantasy. Battery densities and motor efficiencies are a ways from max, and alternate power sources should be included. It was quiet and pleasant.
Range can certainly the issue with electric motors. But you should not be having an issue with power. A 20kw motor should be plenty powerful for your boat. If it feels weak, then something is wrong. Do you have gear reduction? If you do, the ratio may not be correctly matched to your prop. If your motor reaches max RPM before you prop does, max power will not be attainable. (I have this issue. I set things up for the prop I plan to get, not the one I have. And I haven't gotten the new one yet.) Alternate power sources are a great idea. Some people have a generator for back up. I have a 15hp outboard (for my dingy) that can easily push my boat at hull speed. I haven't used it yet (apart from testing) but I will.
Yes, maybe something with your setup. There's a vid of a converted all electric commercial lobster trawler hitting the swell called 'An all electric Lobster fishing boat Watch It Work Lorna Jane'. If he can do it.
So glad you mentioned the waterproof eg4's I had not considered those for my build. They're now 200 more each than the server rack versions I was planning, and I'm buying 8, but the waterproof feature makes me think these are the better option.
I think you are right. You have to protect them one way or another, and if the waterproof ones leak, it someone else's fault! (just kidding. sort-of) The insides of boats get wet more often than the insides of houses, so rack mounted batteries, on a boat, really are in danger of shorting out. If rack mounted batteries had been in stock when I needed them, I totally would have bought them. And I would have regretted it. :O
There are a ton of advantages to electric. Range is NOT one of them. (Unless you have all the time in the world, then, if you have solar panels, you could be boat-energy independent! But I don't think that would work for very many people.) Low noise. low maintenance. High torque, and instant power, on and off at the flick of a switch. The ability to run the prop at very low rpm. There are other small advantages I haven't used more than 50% of my battery in my outings. But I mostly go day sailing. You don't need a lot of energy to motor in and out of the marina. But I expect time crunches when cruising. For that I have my dinghy's outboard. It pushes the boat at hull speed. I haven't needed it yet though. But when I do, I will happily burn the required gasoline.
If motoring long distances at Hull Speed is the most important feature for you, I wouldn't go electric. Range is the one factor that is still very(very) much better with a gas/diesel power-plant. I have an outboard as a backup, in case I want to motor for long periods of time. But I haven't used it yet. I can motor at about 3 knots (2kw) for 5 hours, and that has worked well for me. Currently, my prop does not match my gear reduction ratio. (This is because I am replacing the prop, so I made the calculation for the new prop not the current one.) So I would have to guess to answer your question. I can't claim it reaches hull speed, because I haven't done it. With the 10 KWH of battery power I have, using the 10kw motor that I have, I can go at full power for 1 hour. (the range is weather dependent) The diesel motor, which I replaced, couldn't reach hull speed anyway, but this motor will get closer to it. (It might actually do hull speed, the math suggests it can.) I generally run the motor at a set power level (2-4k) so I know that I will get either 5 -2.5 hours of motoring. If you reduce your speed by 1 knot, you use half the power. So running at 2 knots below hull speed save uses 1/4 the power of hull speed.
That's a really good video, thank you for making it. I have a playlist of how I mounted my 10KW inboards by E-Tech into my catamaran's bilges. Used 3D scanner and 3D printer.
It's a great idea, especially for longer cruising trips. I don't have one, but I do have a 15 hp outboard for my dingy, and it easily pushes my boat at hull speed. So that is my back up currently. But I have seen (on youtube) several people use generators as back up when cruising. They are relatively small an inexpensive these days (for gas generators.) In a bigger boat, a diesel generator would be great.
That is at hull speed. The 5 hour range, if no recharge capability mind you, at 4 knots is fine. Solar and wind generation recharging push him all day.
@chrisstephens9948 like those that hear the first line of the analysis and stop listening. Then posting a comment making them look as thick as two thick things. There is a Dutch guy that sailed for 1 month, where he logged 80% overcast or rainy days and ran his boat's electric motor and all of the electronics in his boat without ever needing external electricity to charge his batteries. Oh well, some will just be so set against change that they cannot accept electric motor with wind and solar regeneration, even as it is being proven. Someone should ask the dumbass original poster, "how often do you operate your diesel at full speed?" What a moron.
I have a Gray Marine engine that works fine but it takes half an hour to unstick the recently replaced (they said that would fix the problem...) #1 exhaust valve every time I want to go sailing. I have been watching every electric conversion video I can find and this is the best so far. One thing that gives me pause is that many of the older videos on conversions end with the owner removing the motor and putting an engine back in the boat. Now that you have a year of experience, how's it going?
I really like it. I have plenty of power to motor out for sailing and then back into the marina. I also have an outboard, in case I want/need to motor long distances and need to rely on gas. I haven't had need of it yet, but since I have the outboard for my dingy anyway, it solves the infrequent (for me) range issue. :D
@@openrov272 Thank you for the prompt reply. Your boat is 10,200 pounds and 30 feet long and has a 10KW motor. Mine is 12,000 pounds and 36 feet long. Do you feel you have enough reserve power that you would use the same motor for my boat or would you scale up and get the 12KW motor? My use condition sounds similar to yours. I would need full power for the 1/2 mile dead into the not unusual 25 knot wind marina entrance channel. Other than that, it would be light wind usage. I sail in SF Bay so would never have to motor in big seas.
I would go with the 24kw. It is same price as the 12kw. It's a little more efficient to have the higher voltage. It think it is the same "everything" as the 12kw, but programed for 96v instead of 48 or 72. The downside, is that you would need 2 48v batteries in series, so if one failed your voltage would drop in half. I don't know if the motor would work at all at 48v. If you can afford the extra $3000-3500 USD, then you could buy an extra 2 batteries, to solve that problem. :D
@@openrov272 I had not considered higher voltage as my needs are so slight. It would be an unusual day I had to go 2 miles. 1/2 a mile of that might stress the motor but other than that, 2 knots would be fine. Obviously thee are a few days a year when the wind dies and I want to get back and turn on the engine. I take it from your reply that you don't think the 10kW motor would be enough. Am I correct on that?
Their site says "up to 12000lbs". So in theory it should be fine. The larger motor is $800 more, which for boat stuff, doesn't seem like a huge amount. (it's still 800+ dollars though!) It would mean you were not so close to the line between powerful enough and not powerful enough. The 10kw would get you 2 knots without any difficulty though. I run my boat at 2-4kw. 2kw normally. 4kw on the way home. heh. And I go whatever speed that power gets me at the time. If my hull is clean (which is not the case right now) and if wind is not too bad, I get 3.5 knots (+/- wind current effects) at 2kw and about a knot more at 4kw.
Very funny, inspiring informational vid! Thanks for sharing this useful info. Was wondering if anyone ever attempted installing a hybrid electric motor like a Prius C? Might be a dumb que but I'm not very technical so no shame on my end lol. It seems like a great redundant option that can further reduce fuel costs as well as mitigate against lightning storm damages to any onboard electrics. Would greatly value your expert feedback.
@@openrov272 :- ) Was never a fan of generators purely from the standpoint of the noise they...well... "generate". Part of the reason I support the electric movement actually is for its low noise pollution in such a beautiful, natural environment. To me its a no brainer and as the technology on batteries improves, I don't see why it can't become the standard. Anywho, just my 2 cents.
