Capstone Microturbine . . .

Canal Boat Power Option

Haven't done a thorough look at this possibilities yet, but here is what I might look at if considering the power system for a river/canal boat. ...and particularly a vessel that will operate in relatively slow methodical displacement speed.

Basically try to employ a single diesel engine unit that could propel the boat directly, or indirectly via its hybrid built-on generator supplying electric power for both an aux electric propulsion motor and a electric bow thuster. The built on generator would also supply charging power for the battery bank.

Both Steyr and Nani diesels are building such units.

http://www.steyr-motors.com/marine/engines/parallel-hybrid/

http://www.steyr-motors.com/marine/engines/serial-hybrid/


http://news.nauticexpo.com/press/nanni-diesel/nanni-hybrid-system-energy-in-blue-here-and-now-21510-194466.html

Nanni Diesel Hybrid

 

Thanks Brian, I've checked them all out and bookmarked them, in particular the one threaded discussion you gave me last.

I'm also looking at Kohler Power . . .

. . . and Cummins Onan


Now about the drive motors and props?

I was thinking about Azimuth Thrusters which would integrate the drive/prop and eliminate the rudder.

This Voith Inline Thruster/Voith Inline Propulsor assembly looks very shiny!
http://www.us.voithturbo.com/vt_en_pua_marine_vct_inline-thruster.htm

Two in the bow as thrusters and two in the stern as the main drive?

Thoughts?

Auriel

 

I wonder if Voith has a counter-rotating thruster to provide balanced torque in a dual-drive installation?

Auriel

 

No Auriel, they do not have that.
I can find no evidence that they have really made even a working prototype, just drawings and ACAD renderings. The web page shows a canal boat in Amsterdam, not because it is equipped with a Voith thruster, they only thought about such boats as possible candidates. In theory a shaftless prop is possible, but transmitting the thrust from the impeller rim to the housing without a bearing is still a big issue.

Voith is a large, multi-division company producing heavy machinery for industrial use, but their Rostock plant is just a research facility.

 

Rim Drive Propulsion

I too was rather surprised to see that they are now 'marketing' their unit as a propulsion one as opposed to just a thruster. I don't know that they have solved the addition problems for this unit to be in 'continous operation' as a propulsion unit would require. They do have the thruster unit.

I was very interested in this rim-drive technology:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/propulsion/exciting-new-eps-thruster-propulsion-9432.html

...but I felt that this world wide economy slow down had delayed the additional development of these units.

 

Retractable Bow Thruster

I don't think you really need two in the bow...nor azimuting there. You could do it with just one, and make it retractable as I suggested over HERE for propulsion units.
http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/Section_8_and_Rim_Drives.php

...or HERE
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/propulsion/exciting-new-eps-thruster-propulsion-9432-2.html#post130126

 

Small gas turbines with recouperators (like the Capstone unit) have good SFC from 25% power and on up. Below 25% power you will pay a penalty, but if you load it to more than that it is just about the same as a diesel. With the Capstone unit so long as your are using 7kw or more it would be similar to a diesel. As the loadings get very low (like at idle) the fuel consumption is flat so the Specific Fuel Consumption is getting worse.

As to noise, the gas turbine has one major advantage over the diesel and that is the noise it makes is all high frequency noise. High frequency noise is the easiest to control, all you have to do is stop the soundpath with a stiff surface. So long as the exhaust is aimed up away from the boat you won't hear much of it, and a straight thru pipe with a layer of glass fiber packing with a perforated liner in it will really suck up the noise.

Low frequency noise, like you get from a diesel, is really hard to attenuate. It takes mass to stop noise and if you don't want to hear it, it's going to get heavy, and expensive. It can be done (diesel cars of today are very quiet), but it's not cheap or easy.

 

Have you seen these? I haven't worked with this brand, but many years ago I was shown a special rotary genset that was orders of magnitude smoother than anything else I had seen. You could sit a cup of coffee on the chassis and there were no ripples. Noise wasn't the main concern of this unit, vibration was, but obviously they are related. It comes down to finding the low cost solution to meet your specifications. How much power do you need and what is the allowable noise spectrum and what are the dimensions of the studio area. How many consecutive hours of quiet do you want? A catamaran with the genset in one hull and the studio in the other seems possible with thoroughly ordinary kit.

http://www.alturdyne.com/pdf/20-80_kw_rotary_engine_gensets.pdf

 

Thanks for the info on Van der Velden Brian
Phil I don't know how big a studio I need yet. I was hoping for enough room for at least two guitar players sitting down and comfortably facing each other. I'm going to have to ponder that one for awhile.

 

Ok guys the dream takes another turn now.

Found this thread here on the forum.
Is a stainless steel boat possible?

The consensus was that they have been built.

For example: Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft built the 366-ton sailing yacht "Germania" featuring a chrome-nickel steel hull in Germany in 1908

But we have progressed far beyond the steels he had available at the time.

I'm thinking a duplex stainless steel barge hull?

This is a slow craft so there would not be too much stress to design around.

Auriel

 

Christ sake I had no idea it would be this hard to pick out a toilet (head) for a boat!

Auriel

 

Rather than SS I would go with aluminum. It is well understood, much cheaper, and can be left unpainted without issue. SS however while possible raises a whole host of issues. Not that they can't be solved with enough cash, but to what end?

 

You might have a look at this floating houseboat on SS tubes
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/dutch-barge-lake-ontario-39290-2.html#post481176

I had thought about 'redecorating' it.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/dutch-barge-lake-ontario-39290-2.html#post481565

There are number of different SS types and some would not be applicable. And be careful with what you might use as an antifouling bottom paint.

 

How about Aluminium Bronze?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_bronze

I was thinking of how beautiful it would look when polished.

Do you think it's too dense or brittle?

I was going to apply for a patent to use it in making guitar fret wire.

 

I'm pretty much sold on the aluminum hull idea.
Still would have to be painted and use zincs though.

Aluminum For Boats by Michael Kasten

Has anyone ever heard of this ePaint before?
http://www.epaint.com/
They say they've been around for about 20 years and invented copper-free antifouling paint.

Auriel