Diesel/Electric Propulsion System Design - Have your say!

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Here are my basic requirements:
*Large inverter to support electric oven and/or electric heat and air conditioning house loads.

I have never liked electric ovens/cooktops myself....and on a boat where I would wish to cook without having to turn on a generator?

I've often wondered how one of these units would work out?
NuWave Oven

Supposely more energy efficient....and I wouldn't think that would be difficult to outperform a conventional electric stove.

http://www.mynuwaveoven.com/?ref_version=ppc-adwords&mkwid=skzFkGgrY&pcrid=8185502409&gclid=CL-V6_jC8asCFYHe4Aod9hZstQ

[CatBuilder]

I agree, Brian.

The primary reasons were to have no CO in the galley and to eliminate the moisture from cooking. I have decided that a large vent hood and fan will take care of those problems, allowing us to use propane cooking.

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

I agree, Brian.

The primary reasons were to have no CO in the galley and to eliminate the moisture from cooking. I have decided that a large vent hood and fan will take care of those problems, allowing us to use propane cooking.

I still might consider having one of these NuWave units on the counter if the inverter could handle the current?

Wouldn't this unit also substitute nicely for a microwave oven that many of us have become accustomed to?

[FAST FRED]

Propane stoves are quite efficient , so unless you are running all 4 burners many many hours a day, with the boat all buttoned up, extra venting might never be used.

[michael pierzga]

If you will have a generator electric cooking is the logical choice. Propane bottle storage takes up precious space and refilling the tanks is a hassle.

[Yobarnacle]

Howdy
I'm new to the forumn and pleased to find it. To introduce myself, I am retired deep sea tug captain with 43 years experience towng all over the world. My wife and I own an electric powered 40 year old Albin 25 AK motorsailer. The electric drive is as simple as can be. Mounted in the original propeller aperture, attached to the keel, is a Minn Kota Riptide 160lb thrust trolling motor(2 motors and props). The small 2 blade plastic props have been replaced with 11 inch 5 bladed British Seagull Hydrofan props and propguard kort nozzles.The power cable runs up inside the former shaft log into the former engine box, now containing 10 12v batteries, Minn Kota speed control, and battery chargers.
Under sail, the motors turn props at slow speed so there is zero drag and adds about 2 knots to our sail speed, up to about 8 knots. Never completely discharged batteries, but calculate at least 72 hours power motorsailing. We get about 5 knots without sails at full power, but don't use this mode often. Motors are water cooled and everything is off shelf.

[RayThackeray]

Originally Posted by michael pierzga

If you will have a generator electric cooking is the logical choice. Propane bottle storage takes up precious space and refilling the tanks is a hassle.

I would have never thought I would say this, but since I made the decision to install a dual diesel-electric hybrid drive, I'm going to have two efficient 25kW generators aboard where I would otherwise wouldn't have thought to have even one (with excellent wind and solar generation aboard!). Having a dual generator system means a very high level of confidence that power will always be available from just one fuel that's easy to keep topped up (propulsion diesel).

That means from a holistic perspective, I'm forced to examine high-load electric appliances. I love cooking with gas and never really enjoyed electric ranges, but the thought of cutting out propane and the hassle of recharging tanks, running out at the most annoying times, eliminating the cost of the detection and alarm equipment etc., the idea starts to become attractive and more economical. Suddenly my large 4-tank propane locker becomes very useful for something else! Household electric cooktops are less than a quarter of the cost of any marine stove (I never bought into the idea of gimballed stoves anyway).

Re-examining all my assumptions further, I find that I could even install a proven and cheap household < $250 continuous "tankless" instant-on hot water heating system, using energy far more efficiently than a more expensive calorifier/heater element tank and running the engine twice a day...

Because I'm going to have a large house battery bank that will be propulsion-capable (an hour at half cruising speed 25kW!) then a lot of my incidental demand can come from the batteries, which hopefully will be recharged from renewable sources a lot of the time, just turning on a generator when the most efficient load is available including deep battery bank charging time.

[CatBuilder]

Some good advantages, Ray. I really wish I could have gone with diesel electric, but the weight was too much for a performance catamaran. So many advantages...

[Mick@itc]

Originally Posted by masalai

Hi CatBuilder,
I baulked at electrics for drive motors on my Oram39C and on the bigger versions (44C) one tossed out the useless E-motor 'pods' as they would not honour the warranty or respond to emails/phone-calls for support, He eventually went for a 60hp outboard midships in a pod slung under the bridgedeck... Another 44C has a pair of 4KW Torqeedo outboards and should be back soon to wait out the Australian cyclone season... I will be keen to see how he is doing...

i keep hearing about this cat that has two 4.0rs on it, is there any info on this cat available?

[Mick@itc]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Some good advantages, Ray. I really wish I could have gone with diesel electric, but the weight was too much for a performance catamaran. So many advantages...

So would you like to share the facts on weight with us...???

Thanks
Mick