Electric Trawler

Greetings,
Mr. intjonn. Well, there you have it. By your own admission..."This technology already exists.......... solar panels, batteries, motors - they already exist!" Mr. Rick B. has graciously supplied you with a direct source for the SDV propulsion system and you seem to have a bevy of EE expertise...Soooooo, to quote Mr. psneeld "I'll be looking for the maiden voyage of your newbreaking trawler in the next couple of months ..."
Case closed IMHO and have at 'er boy...

LOL, ...sometimes the loudest sound comes from the quiet kerplup of a door closing from the apathetic urge of a finger instead of an all-out slam. I think I just heard it.

Greetings,
Mr. hh. Apathetic?



Awwww......

@IntJonn - Electric Motors for Trawlers with worldwide range

AC Electric motors can be used with frequency modulation for adjusting the speed/power to the prop.

We'll be using this concept when we install a 50 HP electric motor with an adaptor plate through the existing reverse gear to replace the 50 HP diesel in my 42ft US Yacht and the results should get over hull speed.

We'll be installing the new 50KW Plasma Engine Generator that is suggested to run for 3 to 4 years continous operation re-using inert gas for its power.

NO BATTERIES REQUIRED. We found the plasma engine generator at the consumer electronics show last week in Las Vegas.

Check it out on their Website: www.plasmicgen.com

A 50 hp NEMA Class B motor is already 90% efficient. A high efficiency motor is around 93%. Premium efficiency ~95%. Do you really think that this crux of the problem with your solar powered trawler is with the super secret unattainable SEAL Delivery Vehicle motor?

The beauty of a project that requires unobtainium is that it removes the "put up" side of the equation.

RickB said:

That is a bit of a harsh conclusion. I interviewed Raphael Domjan and his team for a yachting magazine article when the boat was in Miami and came away impressed with the man and his purpose, the crew, and his vessel.

It safely navigated more than 37,000 miles around the world on an average of about 25 horsepower day and night - it was far more than a "controlled drift." It was never intended to be a form of marine transportation, it was meant to be an example of what solar power and alternative thinking can do, and it performed that task admirably.

I suggest that before anyone dismiss the project, they spend some time reading about Domjan and why the boat was built and what he wanted it to show the world.

Click to expand...

Good point Rick......It is always hard to decide how to characterize this type of stunt. On the one hand it is primary research that must be done to move forward, but on the other hand, "These are professional stunt drivers and don't try this at home folks."

As the Planet Solar project has been cited several times in this thread as a successful pure solar vessel, I wanted to emphasize that her actual use was pretty hairy......I read a number of the skipper's blog posts as the voyage took place, and he did a helliva job to get her around in one piece. But drifting towards a lee shore for days waiting for cloud cover to lift so you have power is not really workable for the average cruiser.....

If this guy wants to use technology that already exists, then why doesn't he round up some Plutonium and have that crew of engineers build a small reactor and then he can cruise for as long as he wants.

Greetings,




Problem solved!

Come on now, if you have all this brain power at your disposal someone must know about the first law of thermodynamics. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. So the plasma generator that can put out 50KW for 3 years without fuel must be using some sort of fusion or fission reaction. The only other possiblity is that they have done what Nikola Tesla was trying to do, Tap into the ether (nutrino flux)

Greetings,
Mr. T-R. "Energy cannot be created or destroyed." As far as we CURRENTLY assume...What about the interociter? As quoted from a Wiki article "There's no limit to what it could do."
Interocitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




I rest my case....

windmill29130 said:

why doesn't he round up some Plutonium and have that crew of engineers build a small reactor and then he can cruise for as long as he wants.

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The idea of our enquirer in charge of a nuclear reactor is not comforting.

RickB said:

The only "heat problem" anyone had was from Chevron and GM attorneys filing patent infringement suits to prevent the commercialization of large NiMH cells and their application to automotive use.

Click to expand...

The heat thing and how Tesla got around it was in a recent article about the lithium batteries and the current situation with the 787. The article didn't say anything about attorneys, only that the system of lithium battery packs used by Tesla avoids the high heat buildup during charging that can be problematic in large lithium batteries like the ones being used in the 787 and A350.

boatrips said:

AC Electric motors can be used with frequency modulation for adjusting the speed/power to the prop.

We'll be using this concept when we install a 50 HP electric motor with an adaptor plate through the existing reverse gear to replace the 50 HP diesel in my 42ft US Yacht and the results should get over hull speed.

We'll be installing the new 50KW Plasma Engine Generator that is suggested to run for 3 to 4 years continous operation re-using inert gas for its power.

NO BATTERIES REQUIRED. We found the plasma engine generator at the consumer electronics show last week in Las Vegas.

Check it out on their Website: www.plasmicgen.com

Click to expand...

Thanks, but that website is pathetic, tells us nothing. Are we talking about a Papp engine?
From Papp to PlasmERG - The Convoluted History of the Noble Gas Engine

Third-Reef said:

Come on now, if you have all this brain power at your disposal someone must know about the first law of thermodynamics.

Click to expand...

There is probably enough around to know when there is a tongue in a poster's cheek.

Oh my another one, in a few years I can see it now, driving up HWY 63 in his boat to Fort McMurray AB protesting the oilsands. Just remember intjonn make sure you are smarter than the rest, don't have any wood, fiberglass or plastic products onboard so that we end up laughing at you too. Most of these protesters come wearing clothes and driving big diesel trucks, so be a step above the rest when you get it all put together.

Another high school lurking Junior (or his/her teacher) has been unveiled. A few years ago one was posting on boatdiesel about building a trend setting fast boat, quickly being reminded Reggie and Don had already been there done that.

Marin:
A friend who just bought a Tesla (!!!!!) tells me it runs on cell phone batteries - it is just that there are several hundred making up the floor of the vehicle.

Good post, The OP started out with a electric boat with fold out solar and look how far the ideas strayed. My first thought was his electric boat towing a air craft carrier with a solar panel flight deck but now I want to convert the oceans surface into a solar panel, Now there's some food for thought

Or you could go for diesel powered space ship??

Chrisjs said:

Or you could go for diesel powered space ship??

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I'm in ... But I will have to get some longer hoses for my fuel trucks

intjonn said:

I finally found where to begin my search for the motor I need:

General Dynamics Electric Boat

...and as I wrote I did not come here for a social expereince so moderator/admin you may close this thread and remove all posts.

Thanx & Ciao........INTJonn

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I hope he buys the motor and it sinks the boat with all his money.

Hard to believe some people.

SD

electric sailboat

Check out the electric powered sailboat, used as a backup to the wind --- Kijiji -- Victoria........ private sale .. moored North Saanich Marina .... super clean looking boat(IMO)..private sale..... john

I saw a thread on BoatDesigns.net that probably had just what the OP had in mind finding.

So which thread was it? Save a lazy man a search, please.

intjonn said:

Hi; I've just joined this forum and am interested in feedback/info re an electirc powered trawler:

My idea is to buy an 1980's ish trawler; fiberglass; approx. 34' to 38'; no flybridge; something along the lines of a mainship pilot but doesn't need to be one specifically. don't care about the condition of engine or interior per se' but want a solid hull.

Replace engine with a low rpm high torque electric motor and fuel tanks with rechargeble lithium-ion battery bank; install solar panels along with foldout 'wings' for additional solar radiation collection; also install some type of wind generator..........

Thats the basic thesis; would like info on types of motors, batteries; solar panels etc; anyone done this??; etc.

I'm somewaht amazed that in this day where its time to get off fossil fuel that the over a hundred years old idea of larger electric powered boats is not utilized........ intjonn

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would need to be a diesel electric so you can run at night or during bad weather. I'm thinking alone the same linws as you

skipperdude said:

I hope he buys the motor and it sinks the boat with all his money.

Hard to believe some people.

SD

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well today i was reading an add for a company maqking 60 footer's that are driven by a tiny little joystick. I mean a real boat is supposed to have a wheel not a tiny joystick that steers and controls the engines.

It's true that I wouldn't want to give up my helm wheel, but since I've been reading the thread on Automatic Pilots, I want my joystick too.

Well folks, I'm new to this forum also, and unlike the OP, I enjoy the social aspect of forums. Check my history on the Cruiser's Forum.

I'm starting out a bit more modest in my plans for electric propulsion. I did my thesis on minimum wetted surface vessels (fast ferries) at CMA. I have assembled the components and have an electric kayak. I know there are already electric kayaks, but I don't know of any that have the range of mine.

First is energy storage, and even though we have had some good advances, we are still a long way from the energy density of fossil fuel. This is where we are now

LiFePO4, not as energy dense as other lithium designs, but a whole lot safer.
This is one of the two 12 volt batteries I've assembled with 3.2 volt 100 a-hr cells. 1/2 the weight of a LA group 24 at twice the capacity.


A series string.


Two, so an outbound battery and a return battery.


The best range I've seen for an electric kayak is 16 nm with the typical 60 lb group 24 deep cycle battery. With 60 lbs of LiFePO4, 80 nm range. With thin film solar panals I'm looking forward to some great kayak camping in the Sea of Cortez.


For a quick charge along with a meal and drinks at marinas, this 50 amp charger only weighs 8 lbs. Got to love switching power supplies that do away with heavy transformers.

healhustler said:

It's true that I wouldn't want to give up my helm wheel, but since I've been reading the thread on Automatic Pilots, I want my joystick too.

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so your one of them kinda guys thats gotta have a little stick to play with at the helm?.........

But who am i to talk i love gadgets

I'm tired of all the clutter and would like to try everything kind of put together. With a nice large touch screen display it is possible to have deptsounder, gps, ais, radar, chartplotter, compass weather all together so why not the autopilot as well?
One glance and its all there, if you can see it with all the new clutter occupying the extra space. I am about to build a windows machine with the intention of using it on board this way if i can figure out how