Fuel Cells

[sunchaser]

H
When at anchor, what are your power needs that a battery bank cannot cover for an overnight? A passive diesel stove/heater is not uncommon plus you can ditch that questionable safety alcohol stove.

 

[Haloo]

H
When at anchor, what are your power needs that a battery bank cannot cover for an overnight? A passive diesel stove/heater is not uncommon plus you can ditch that questionable safety alcohol stove.

We’d like to be able to anchor out for several days at a time. If the weather is cool we would be running the diesel heater (which has a blower) a bit. The refrigerator would be the other big draw, then charging up cell phones, and LED lighting.

The alcohol stove is NOT pressurized. We’ve used it a fair amount. Am I missing something on the safety of the thing?

 

[koliver]

We’d like to be able to anchor out for several days at a time. If the weather is cool we would be running the diesel heater (which has a blower) a bit. The refrigerator would be the other big draw, then charging up cell phones, and LED lighting.

The alcohol stove is NOT pressurized. We’ve used it a fair amount. Am I missing something on the safety of the thing?

You are. I have seen (up close) two vessels burn to the waterline, the ignition caused in each case by an alcohol galley stove. The most serious problem is that the flame is hard and sometimes impossible to see, so accidents happen. Though my own Dad used alcohol safely for decades, I won't have it on my boat.

If your diesel heater is an old Espar, which I have had, it will use too much power. If you get a passive diesel heater, like a Dickinson or Fab-All you eliminate almost all of the 12 v useage.

If you had a pair of 160w solar panels you would have plenty for both your Espar and your fridge. I installed solar last spring and haven't had to plug in while the fridge is on, since. I also ran a freezer for our 5 weeks away from shore power, so equal consumption to 2 fridges. Even in overcast and rainy weather (this past July in Desolation Sound, for example) there was plenty of Solar for all of our power needs. We don't yet have any LED lighting, so you are well ahead of us there.

Agreed, wind is an east coast or trade winds answer, not for where you want to go.

 

[FF]

"The alcohol stove is NOT pressurized. We’ve used it a fair amount. Am I missing something on the safety of the thing?"

No, only the speed with which it works. The old dangerous alcohol stoves use a large pressurized tank (5-10 gallons).This was so the burner could be large enough to operate faster.

The lighting drill was to allow the priming cup to fill, light the priming cup, and then light the heated burner .

Folks were told in a flair up water could be used to put out the fire.

NOPE it simply spread out the fire.

 

[Haloo]

And I failed to add, 18 batteries on the barge is one canister of charge, two canisters is 36 batteries and three canisters is 54 batteries.

In our area, I really believe Efoy is the best way to go. But if you only cruise between May and September it might be overkill. But if you go off season, my money is on Efoy, not solar.

And besides, how cool is it to tell your passengers your boat has a fuel cell. Almost as good as a Tesla..... lol.

Can you give us an update on how your Efoy is working? Is it performing the way you hoped?

 

[wjstults]

Our Efoy still works well. It puts out about 5.8 amps.
We don’t rely on it anymore though. We added 4 160 watt solar panels and batteries are typically back to 100% by noon when at anchor.

 

[Nepidae]

The only issue that I saw with Efoy is that you need to get the fuel from them. There aren't any (many) outlets for the fuel.

Watt, a company in PA was working on a fuel cell with higher output and the fuel is propane. My last discussion with them revealed that they are directing their sales to power companies before the recreational market.

We have 3-220W Xantrex Flex panels. Yes, solar will charge your batts, until there isn't any solar, try a week of rain.

In my mind, the fuel cell is a fill-in. Our Xantrex SW3012 charger/inverter will support an autostart for a generator. That generator can be a fuel cell.

It would be an easier frame of mind system to be covered for most eventualities. Solar when available, fuel cell to fill in and large batt bank to span the longest period of no power. There will be times, a pedestal at a marina will be necessary.