Hybrid Boats............Coming to a Marina Near you

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Two Austrian companies build first hybrid motor for recreational boats

By IBI Magazine

Steyr and Frauscher Bootswerft have collaborated on the world's first production hybrid propulsion system for recreational boats. The two Austrian companies said that they would unveil the motor aboard a Frauscher boat at Boot Düsseldorf in January.

"The environmentally friendly hybrid solution marks a new chapter in the history of pleasure boat propulsion," said a statement. "It not only assures zero emission and low speed manoeuvring in harbours, noiseless drive on inland waters and nature reserves, but also eliminates the need for separate generator units for other onboard equipment."

The "zero emission" electric drive mode also allows for a speed of 5 knots using solely electric propulsion and switches to the combustion engine with an easy turn of the ignition key, noted the statement.

(14 December 2007)
 
I am not sure that this is the first hybrid production boat. Lagoon has been making a 42 electric engine/battery power, with diesel genset sailing vessel for at least 4 years. They have at least 5 production boats which have been on the water for some time.

Of course the diesel electric submarines have been around for a very long time--and are one of the first examples of this technology which is well proven.

The OSSA powerlite system is also a diesel electric hybrid drive system. This was tried in the Maine Cat, and and as I understand it the results were a bit disapointing--and the full production boats will be direct diesel--with the diesel electric as an option.

Also a pure electric drive boat using only solar pannels and batteries crossed the Atlantic Sun 21 began the 7000 mile voyage in the late fall of 2006 and arrived in New York in May of 2007.

I am also aware of several moderate sized cruising sailboats which used two salt water trolling motors as their only auxillary power.

Catmarrans seem to be the best platform for the low power/electric boats. Of course battery charged electric boats harbor type (Duffy) have been around for a long time. There is also the boats like
http://www.tamarackelectricboats.com/new.htm all sorts of small electric boats.

The Frauscher boat has a serial hybrid system, where the boat goes at slow speed under electric power, then uses the boost of the electric motor to help get the boat on a plane, and along with the Steyr diesel for high speed performance. There are mixed reviews on the Steyr diesel in the American market. This may have some advantages, but I suspect that the costs and weight will make this specific hybrid problematic. But it will be interesting to watch and see if this takes off.
 
Bob - your first link does not work for me. If you delete the two trailing -- after the htm, it will.

Like Dan, I am not impressed with the electric boats. I think they are too heavy and you get too little boat for the money.

It looks like you can cross the Atlantic faster with sails than the electric boat.
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Dave dlt.gif
 
pic01_sm.jpg


This hybrid guy would really suck in the Ugliest Boats contest. I don't know if it is still in production, but I saw one at the SBS a few years back.
 
I almost built an electric fishing boat about 20 years ago.

My plan was buy an ~18-20 ft. retractable keel sailboat and do the following:

1. reduce the mast and boom to support a small working sail.

2. mount two electric trolling motors, one attached to the surface of either side of the rudder, and with the speed and F-N-R controls on the tiller.

3. add a really large bank of golf cart size batteries down in the cabin next to the keel.

4. add a small generator at the back of the cockpit.

5. add several solar panels on the cabin trunk forward of the cockpit.

6. add a large conventional battery charger and shore power cord for dock use.

7. put in the appropriate but simple battery switching and monitoring equipment.

Thus create an environmentally friendly stealth fishing machine.

I'd keep the switches very simple, using my head to direct the making and using of power, unlike the boat discussed a couple of posts ago, which pretends to automate the boat operation as long as you choose the correct mode, etc. This is another time where your brain beats the computer, hands down.

I got the idea after renting a trolling motor powered canoe on Maline Lake in Jasper National Park in Alberta. They wouldn't allow any gas outboards on the lake, but electric was OK, and their one tour boat was diesel powered, but exhausted into the air only. Our canoe lost it's battery charge after about 5 hours, so I thought about adding a very small generator, then expanded the idea later. Used small retractable keel boats are very cheap. Might paint it up with a non-conspicuous/camouflage paint scheme.

Joe. :teeth
 
I thought someone would point out, the first hybrid boat was either a galley with sails and oars, or the first sailing ship with a steam engine and paddle wheel.

I'm not an engineer, but batteries are heavy and that is a pretty big penalty just to find a way to store energy. If electricity is the end form of energy to drive the propulsion system of a boat, then someone needs to find a more efficient way to store electricity or the fuel needed to generate it.

Over to you Sea Wolf or Thataway.

By the way see you in Seattle.

Tom
 
tpbrady":jec6qvsa said:
I thought someone would point out, the first hybrid boat was either a galley with sails and oars, or the first sailing ship with a steam engine and paddle wheel.

I'm not an engineer, but batteries are heavy and that is a pretty big penalty just to find a way to store energy. If electricity is the end form of energy to drive the propulsion system of a boat, then someone needs to find a more efficient way to store electricity or the fuel needed to generate it.

Over to you Sea Wolf or Thataway.

By the way see you in Seattle.

Tom
Click to expand...

Tom-

All very good points.

Battery technology is advancing pretty rapidly, but weight is still a major drawback.

The future is in fuel cells which create electricity through a chemical conversion process. The fuel can be hydrogen and the oxidizer oxygen, thus creating harmless water as a by-product. The H2 and O2 can be created by the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen by electricity. It's a very simple and efficient energy storage and retrieval system. While we have fuel cells now, it will be down the road a few years or more before they're commercially viable. Best of all will be the gradual replacement of petroleum as an energy source if we can harness other forms of energy to drive the hydrogen / oxygen creation process.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Thanks Dave, link fixed.

The Martini Ranger 21 looks to be the precessor of the current C Ranger or Ranger 21...don't know if they still make this or the electric boat?

Not much new under the sun!

Agree, that the weight of batteries is a major issue. The solor powered Sun 21 cat had just enough batteries to run for about 24 hours, with no sun. Higher voltages were used than our standard boat batteries : 520 Ah/C5, 48 V DC lead acid batteries in each hull supplying an 11 hp motor. This solar powered cat averaged about 80 miles a day, and we averaged 170 miles a day under sail over the same route. I suspect that the solar powered craft cost over twice as much as the Taiwan built motor sailor to build--and that the "energy cost" of building the solar boat was more than that of the sailboat....So I agree it is not practical. Plus the solar boats have gone thru areas of calms, or down wind--not to weather or into the waves.

I have a 43 lb thrust trolling motor on a 12 foot skiff with 220 amps of battery power. It is great to slowly sneak up on birds and alligators...but I don't see it as a viable form of voyaging.
 
This may sound nuts, but one of the reasons I chose the C-Dory was that it was outboard powered, and required moderate HP compared to other boats of its size.

Because, see, I'm counting on electric outboards of sufficient power and fuel cells of sufficient capacity to become available by the time I have to repower this boat.

Seriously, this was a factor in my decision.
 
Dan-

Nice step by step analysis of energy conversion in conventional petroleum powered engines vs fuel cell technology! (Even if intentionally drawn out a bit for emphasis!)

Yes, we all know (those trained in physics, at least) that more energy is ultimately needed to run fuel cell power systems than gas and diesel engines, at least with present technology.

The best real hope is that alternative forms of energy, such as solar, wind and thermal, coupled with a new attitude towards nuclear (fission) and the development of fusion energy technology will allow for the necessary extra energy to use fuel cells in applications and areas where combustion engines and their pollution are considered outlaws!

This leads us to our momentous conclusion in our study of the Immutable Laws of Physics:

Moreover, everything notwithstanding, and irregardless anyway, who really knows to what wondrous destinations the Global Warming, Green Revolution, and Carbon Footprint Free Freedom Train with Engineer Al Gore at the controls will take us on our Earth's Brave New March into into the Evolution of the Cosmos and its role in the fantastic developing History of the Universe!

al-gore-on-saturday-night-live.jpg

Al Gore faces another inconvenient truth about the Laws of Physics!

Just for you, Dan, my DogOn Friend!

Joe. :xseek

(P.S.: Not intended to be political, religious, or controversial, just entertaining!)
 
Sea Wolf":2n9v5sjh said:
some stuff clipped
Nice step by step analysis of energy conversion in conventional petroleum powered engines vs fuel cell technology! (Even if intentionally drawn out a bit for emphasis!)

Yes, we all know (those trained in physics, at least) that more energy is ultimately needed to run fuel cell power systems than gas and diesel engines, at least with present technology.]
Click to expand...

Without any training in physics I knew that, but its sure hard to believe or understand how many who don't and yet are counting on the fuel cell technology to solve the problems associated with our present hydrocarbon based energy supply.

Dan--thanks for the injection of present energy source and transmission reality. Wonders may be just over the horizon, but then again they may not.

Joe may be right about the alternative forms of energy, but none of them with present technology is going to make a dent in present and projected future world needs. Nuclear is the only present technology non carbon source that could make fuel cells practical and with the prejudice against it coal will still be king for the foreseeable future unless we go back to oars, sails, horses and turn off the lights and heat.

We are all faced with some inconvenient truths if we want to continue our present life style and that includes driving and boating.

Jay
 
In essence, a fuel cell works by catalysis, separating the component electrons and protons of the reactant fuel, and forcing the electrons to travel through a circuit, hence converting them to electrical power. The catalyst is typically comprised of a platinum group metal or alloy. Another catalytic process takes the electrons back in, combining them with the protons and the oxidant to form waste products (typically simple compounds like water and carbon dioxide).
Click to expand...
It appears to me, fuel cells would be worse for the environment than our petroleum based energy. According to Al Gore carbon dioxide is the major contributor to global warming. With fuel cells how much more carbon dioxide will the inefficient fuel cell produce than the internal combustion engine? Also how will all that extra water going into the atmosphere from the fuel cell impact our environment?
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Dave dlt.gif
 
I agree with you Dan. It is getting tiring hearing EXPERTS discuss Global Climate Change when not addressing population growth as the real cause. Anyway I thought some folks might like to see the Solar Powered boat I use to own. It was a lovely cocktail cruiser for taking friends on summer evening cruises. I sold it to get my TC24. We had lots of fun cruising quietly, slowly and clean and green with her.
Sorry I forgot how to post picture but it is FanTC photo folder.
[http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=FanTC&id=5X6SolarBoat&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php][/url]
 
Zydecomo-

Here you go:

5X6SolarBoat.sized.jpg

Description : 8 flexible solar panels powered this 48volt cocktail harbor cruiser. No need to plug it in. Sold it to get a TC24.

Any more engineering details?

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
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