My fuel effiencient powerboat project , any suggestions?

sketch

Doppson

I will put the sketch here tomorrow, it is on my desktop at work.. it's a real sketch, basically a sideview of something I really like, but need a hull for it.............have you looked to www.johnsboatstuff.com and his wavepiercing trimaran powerboat design ?

 

thanks for the link!

wavepiercing is just what i need. But frankely, i don't think people would buy boats like a tri-cats. People are conservative and are looking for style, tri-cats doesn't make it, im affraid. That's why im struggeling with an almost as good compromised singel hull design. Because that's what people wanna buy. And i think tri-cats still will be kinda like outkasts in the future to come, not as much as today but still....
ok, i will be looking forward to tomorrow then. And as you problably guessed, i also got tons of paper sketches of similar designs as in this thread..

// micke

 

I got a question for all you members out there!!

Why should i go for a semi-deplacement hull instead of a planning hull?
I have seen small v-hulls with stepped hull configuration and with the "new" micro bubble surface finish, which can increase fuel efficiency by ~30 % in crusie speeds at 25 - 35 knots. so a tight beam > 1,8 m with minimum wet area at cruise speed could actually satisfy my demands!?
by installing a electric motor, ( great torque!! ) enables me to fit a even bigger propeller ( i could even fit a cylinder around the propeller to create a after burner effect ), which could infact increase the effiency even more.. My only demands are 4 hours cruise range in just under 30 knots.

Currently; ~25 lbs of LI-IOn batterys generates about 4-5 min of runtime in cruise speed of ~25 knots on a planing hull based on a 65 kw electric motor.* without considering the total amount of batteries needed for a extended cruise range. So i would therefore need about 1550 lbs of batteries..

Tomorrow: who knows!? but im certain that it will improve significantly.

i think i need to get hold of figures and data from planing V-hull powerboats. To see if there is infact a design that could match my needs. Because im still convinced that people still want to go fast in future, despite the fact that the gasoline might not be available for personal-lesiure use.....
Am i still wrong??

 

My sketches

Doppson.... here are the sketches one based on boxed hull sharp clean monohull (lot's of solarpanel area) and one based on wavepiercing tri (electro engine mid forward hull or single outboard (60 Hp will make 22 knts, prooven), what you think ?

 

I believe that if you use the automotive world as an example, you will see that performance has been a factor in the adoption of innovative fuel efficient technologies. It has only been recently with increases in fuel prices and with more refined hybrid and biodiesel technologies that the demand for vehicles that use these technologies has increased, but I think the biggest factor that has helped the adoption of these technologies is that the vehicles are very similar to the vehicles people are already used to, both in a appearance and performance(i.e. Prius Hybrid and say the biodiesel capable Jeep Liberty). Until fuel gets significantly more expensive, I don't think that most people (in the US) will be willing to drive around in, say an electric car going 25 mph. These are not my opinions as I am all for any fuel efficient technology and have made and run biodiesel, but rather these are observations of the general sentiment in the marketplace. So in short, to answer your question, Yes, I feel people will still want to go fast, in a boat or on land, as that is just human nature.

Jeremy

 

ASM:
I like them. the mono hull looks very similar to a couple of my designs too . im right now researching about them solarpanels. it looks to me like you got about ~20 sqaure meters of solar panels on your monohull design and even more on the tri-cat. That would take about 36-40 hours to recharge, guessing... But still its a good idea, which will be a part of my final design too.
Did you knew, that there will soon be transperent solarpanels available. that would be a cool effect on a sun roof like yours.
asm: what are the specs on each boat, more in detail, do you have it?

 

Thanks for the input Jeremy. Im glad to have you on my team

 

Sun roof

Doppson,

Thanks, yes I know many thoughts are in a lot of peoples mind, you just have to find eachother occasionally... I fully agree with your argument about fossil fuels and people not caring enough or not knowing it will end in 20 years or so time...... boatbuilders who turn into electric are scarce now and not really a booming market, but I feel in 5 years time they will, especially looking at the Dutch inland marine market. About 10% of people living here own a boat of some sort, and when you look a second hand adds, they always point out the low fuel consumption. If the prices shoot up, a lot of people can't simply afford to run their boat, their car will be no.1 then for fuel burning.

Do you have information regarding those transparent solar panels ? It sounds awesome ! and will for sure look good in the monohull design... the trimaran is more of a retro-classic, so don't know if transparent will work there..

The principles of my designs.... I can just give you the length and width... I am not a naval architect and have no knowledge whatoever regarding hull design, so I just hoped to 'nick' a hull design or use common sense and modeletsting to find a good solution. The tri is based on a john's boat stuff design and I do have the panel plans, though they are under copytright..

I will place the monohull underwater design later.

 

http://transstudio.com/tm/2006/03/transparent-solar-cells.htm

here one of many links i found regarding transparent solar cells... Im looking for a foldable solarcell. That would be great for my design. Because you just unfold your solar cell blanket, on the beach,shore or a "watercliff" while you are sunbathing in the sun. You sunbathe, aswell as your boat at the same time. Another way to go is of course to letting the sunroof become a solarcell... But i don't know. I think my boat needs a retractable sunroof of some kind. Espacially here in Seden, where we swedes love to bask in the sun whenever a opportunity appears =)

 

Here is a link with some good examples of electric and fast semi displacement box boats, some with an underwater keel to house the batteries and prop, bit similar to what I was intended to use on the monohul design, but with the addition of two thin sponsoons on each side to widen the design a bit and have more stability.
http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/mainpages/mundoo.php

 

Here is another intersting link on cat models, will different assists to increase speed: http://www.kkg.at/de/72/

 

great stuff ASM!
thanks a lot, but im still skeptical about making my boat a cat.... but you should go for it!!!
here is a good link, which will give you something to think about!!
http://www.ocke.se/motorboats/one_off_designs/index.html#eco

 

Economical boats

It would be a good idea to consider a foiled catamaran these boats boast a massive fuel consumption savings and are well and truelly tested over many years of design and proptotpes, thanks to Rewi Kemp a Navel achitect from NZ, see www.foilcats.com for more details,

 

Here is my latest, soon to be outdated design of the hull. Becasue i just realized that people will drown, not enough bow -too much of a risk of water intake from the sharp bow.

yes, i know. it looks very similar to the big wally. that just got to change before i start building it.

but i will consider some new ideas i got from the foilcat site. The only problem really, is the big dissproval from people in general about cats and tri-cats. I have asked around alot and they all prefer monohulls to catamarans.

but i got real question for you, i tried to do a Box-keel configruation. How do you people think a box-keel configuration will perform on a boat like this? it will weight around about 4000lbs.
// micke

 

How do you people think a box-keel configuration will perform on a boat like this? it will weight around about 4000lbs.

I think it will depend on the SL desired. At low speeds SL 2, 2.5 the box keel should be fine but beyond SL 4 or 5 , a deep V plaining hull will hold speed better.

FF