Hybrid Engine Systems and Sustainability

Been done. I can remember decades ago, some experimented with windmills built on boats and directly connected to propellers for direct wind propulsion into the wind. Search around the internet and probably this forum for stories.

Eric

 

Well, I thought I was smart thinking that up, apparently not so much haha.

I still think though, add steam power to conventional diesel would make a boat more efficient.
Install one of these to the drive shaft:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msOH1M8ulxQ

And then use the heat from the engines to run it.
Use the engine coolant to pre-heat water, and the exhaust to bring it past boiling point. Use a keel cooler to re-condense the steam to water, and not much water would be wasted.

Those steam engines can run thousands of hours before rebuild, and if the fuel is free (main engine), it seems like it could be a worthwhile system.

 

People have used direct injection of water into the cylinder to convert excess heat energy into motion. You can insulate the engine to prevent heat loss through other means (no radiator is needed).

 

One combined diesel-steam system: http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/general/0810dp_cummins_isx_diesel_engine/photo_04.html

 

I posted this on another thread, but it applies here as well.

Think hamsters, lots of 'um. Don't laugh yet, I've given this some thought and it may be about the greenest (well, at least brownish/gray and fuzziest) displacement speed propulsion setup available.

Naturally, you'd have to approach it logically, so lets start with an enclosed breeding area, for self sustaining little beasts of burden, maybe an acrylic box or two, so you can see your future fuzzy engines, grow into feisty little slaves. A small PV panel to supply heat and a fan for their growing little bodies.

Next would be the training area and again, acrylic boxes, with little tubes and wheels to keep them entertaining, in good physical shape, as an electrified fence keeps them motivated and on course. Naturally, you'd probably want to shape the fences to keep them going around something, maybe a dog track looking kind of thing, just to spice things up. A miniature, revolving electric bunny would be a nice touch.

Once trained, the new recruits can be introduced to the wheel of death, because lets face it, this is where they're going to toil until dead right? They're just hamsters, so get over it, besides, there's more on the way, remember the breeding boxes you built and they taste good with a little garlic, so consider this recycling.

The wheel should suck about 2/3's a days energy level out the little beauties, just to keep them honest and worth the meager amounts of food you'll have to provide. I hope they like fish, right . . . they'll learn. Say 50 or so hamsters, which is 25 pounds of rodent muscle, walking around a 48" diameter wheel, an appropriate gear setup for torque multiplication, with an eye towards being easy on your tough, but frail little beasts.

I think this is near perpetual motion, especially if they could be trained to fish for their own food too and self season themselves just before they drop dead from exhaustion. You can distil their own pee for their water needs, with supplements from your own pee if necessary, because what are you going to do with it anyway, but waste it.

Come on, being green isn't hard, can offer some friendly companionship (don't get too attached), a tasty supplement to your diet and cost little, once you get a few generations under your belt. Screw that nasty diesel, go green.

 

PAR, Great Idea! Perhaps you remember the RIG generator from back in the late 1980s--Roach Induction Generator? It was published in SAIL magazine (attached below), and as I recall, it was really quite the rage. I think literally thousands were built, but the developers scaled up production too fast and were saddled with unbearable warranty problems and they went out of business. I think what happened is that the roaches multiplied too quickly and took over the plant.

Eric

 

LOL @ animal powered boats haha.

 

Sweet God, I do remember, damn I'm getting old. Did you make Sunnyland this year?

 

"A Modest Proposal" ?

 

No, I begged off this year. There wasn't going to be anything that I particularly wanted to see that I had not seen before, and I had plenty of work to do. Perhaps next year.

Eric

 

wind turbine catamaran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzGCYaJbf0A

interesting?

 

buahaha!
thank's for that... and the RIG...

April is a good month!

 

'Sailing' Directly to Windward

You might have a look thru this rather long subject thread

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/sailing-directly-windward-27000.html

...and pay particular attention to the numerous postings by "High Tacker"

...some
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/sailing-directly-windward-27000-14.html#post571639

 

Questions for Nigel Calder

Hi Eric,
I read that article with great interest as well, but I think I need to reread it several times over, as I am 'electrically challenged'
I just wrote this 'letter to the editor' that will hopefully reach Nigel Calder.

Nigel Calder
Professional Boatbuilder Magazine

Dear Nigel Calder,
I've been following this diesel-electric technology development since David Tether began his work down in Solomon Island, MD,....the 'electric wheel' I think it was referred to originally. I have also followed, and participated in, some of the fairly extensive discussions that have been posted at least 4 of the boating forums.

From all of the documentation I have collocated and saved, I find your writing on the subject the most trustworthy in my opinion. I particularly value your series of articles that have appeared in Professional Boatbuilder magazine.

I just finished reading your latest article in ProBoat #142, “The Hybrid Conundrum”. I must admit that I am a little confused, and a little disappointed that this diesel-electric technology has NOT worked out to be a much more positive technology for the pleasure boater. I was sure hoping it would live up to the much vaulted hype it had originally espoused. My compliments to you for not getting trapped by the 'hype', but rather treating the subject in a very professional manner.

I do have a couple of questions for you though,...and please realize these are coming from a guy who is real 'challenged' with the subject of electrics.

1) Contained in that latest article from ProBoat, you post a photo along with this description, “BluWav Systems was the most efficient large electric-propulsion motor tested by the author. The motor controller, which supplies three-phase AC power from a DC input, is at the top of the photo.” Are you saying that the AC motor(s) are the most efficient and should be utilized in these DE systems? Are you saying that DC sources (either stored and/or from a DC gen-set) are converted into AC by the motor controller to power up the AC motor??

2) Correct me where I am mistaken, but wasn't one of the real attractive features of these 'modern' DE systems the fact that simpler permanent-magnet DC motors would be utilized? ….or even a more unconventional DC motor configuration such as these recent rim-driven propellers.
I was already anticipating the development of these rim-drive propulsion units for my gamefishing catamaran design,....retractable drives as well. Retractable rim-drive on catamaran.

3) Was my interpretation that the use of DC verse AC components in these 'modern' DE systems was advantageous such that the DC generating set could be allowed to operate at a variety of RPM's and output levels, depending upon the slow or fast speed needs of the DC motor units it was powering? In other words the DC gen-set would not have to be operated at full speed all of the time, as do the AC gen-sets need to in order to product that proper AC wave form?

My thoughts and hopes here were that the DC gen-sets would be more adaptable at supplying the propulsion motor's and the ship system's requirements. ....And maybe even without the ship needing a big storage bank of DC power? Wasn't that the goal that Glacier Bay's OSSA system was pursuing?....a closer match between the DC power being produced vs the DC power needed at any particular time??

4) I had in mind another DE application aboard this 'New Age Trawler/Explorer' vessel with gamefishing/diving/survey capabilities. It was to be a smaller version of the Humphrey's 40M SkySail Motor Yacht
New Age Trawler/Motorsailer, Kite-Assisted Power Yacht

“The power would be a single main engine sized to develop the vessel’s desired top speed, and it could transmit this power by conventional shaft/prop arrangement, or with a Volvo IPS dual prop unit, or via a retractable azimuthing Rim-Drive prop unit.

Supplementing this single main engine would be a single DC diesel/electric power unit to provide for:
1) Ships electrical requirements
2) Slow speed operation by electric (wing) motor belted to main prop shaft for docking, trolling, etc
3) Maneuvering bow and/or stern side thrusters

The entire ship would be powered by only two diesel engines, basically sized to provide:
1) Full main diesel power, unimpeded by interceding diesel/electric conversion
2) Slow speed operation and ship’s systems via the smaller diesel/electric unit
3) ‘Twin power’ emergency backup as either engine can run all gear”

This is still a very viable configuration, is that correct??

 

Hi Brian,

I think those are all good questions, and hopefully Nigel will reply and that PBB will publish both in the next issue.

Eric