TKO Electric / Solar Concept

My skills can only go so far. Seeking someone to help with blueprints.

 

There are some immediately noticeable issues related to that styling and layout, but their relevance will depend on the intended use of the boat. Can you say a bit more about the idea behind the boat - the intended scope, target speed and range/autonomy, power plant...
Do you have a pic of the side view, and did you check the many threads about electric boats (and their practical limits) on this forum?
Cheers

 

Reply

There are many advances in engines, batteries, and solar within the last few years that I could discuss. However our design uses: (2) engines are each 12 HP , 9 KW, 64 Amp - each engine is equal to 48 HP. Batteries will allow 4 hours of cruising, solar cells will recharge batteries without cost in 2 days, and of course you can recharge by plugging in which would take a few hours. I do hope that addresses some of your questions.

 

If the motors consume 9kw at 64 amperes then you will need 140 volt battery banks to satisfy the 12 HP claim.

The only way the motor can indicate 48 HP is by use of the now popular advertising chicanery for vacuum cleaners and hand power tools. The scam involves measuring the amperage load while the rotor is locked. You'd need to indicate 256 amps at 140 volts to calculate 48 HP. I believe that it is evident that boats do not work very well with locked rotors.

Batteries with a potential of 140 volts will be a bit heavy for a small boat. OK for a large boat only if you will be satisfied with displacement level speeds.

Aside from the immediate issues, your boat is a jazzy looking piece of artwork. Your stylish design skills appear to exceed your technical skills. This is not to be taken as a personal criticism. You posted here with the expectation of critique of your boat design. Stay with us you will get more comments from others.

 

I am affraid that's not enough. What are the boat's dimensions, what speed do you hope to attain, what is the design weight and what is the design category of the boat?

 

Motor capabilities are verivied by 4 years testing

What we were able to find based on on a global search and testing may surprise you. I appreciate the comment though because as you say - this was a very hard motor to find. In our descovery we also looked at generators, re-wound alternators, and many other power generating devices. This included Golf Cart Motors, Motors used in electrc cars, and many other sources. We could recommend Baldor.com, or NorthernTool as your starting point, however the engine we are using will be under wraps for now for obvious reasons.

 

Dimensions

Good question : Approx: 8 feet wide, 21 feet long, and 3 ft in height

 

weight

approx 1300 lbs

 

If, say, the boat only uses around 50% of its rated power on average over the 4 hour quoted endurance, then it's going to use 9 x 4 = 36 kWh of energy.

To recharge in 2 days (assuming 12 hours of 100% sunlight per day) will require a solar panel array rated at 36 / (2 x 12) = 1.5 kW.

Current solar cell technology can give maybe 20% efficiency at best, less if the panels run hot. Peak insolation will be around 1000 W/m², less at the start and end of the day and less if it's cloudy. If we assume that it's never cloudy and that the sun is always dead overhead and giving 1000 W/m², then to deliver the 1.5 kW needed to charge the batteries in two days is going to need a solar panel array with an active area of around 7.5 m². In reality the panels will deliver maybe 50% of their rated power through each day, so you'd need to double this area to around 15 m² to have any chance at all of recharging in two days.

That's a lot of deck area to cover with solar cells, equivalent to a bit more than 10ft x 16ft of deck space. Even then I think the solar cells will struggle to provide enough power.

My own solar powered electric boat has a bit more than 65% of the deck area covered with solar panels, only runs at 4 mph and yet can only get about 60 to 70% of it's required power from the solar cells. I'm using a very high efficiency motor, driving a very high efficiency two blade prop and an easily driven hull, and still I can't get better than about a 2 : 1 charge to run time.

 

You know your math

Consider these options
- the total top of the boat is a high performance plexi / solar panel
- recharging can be augmented by 12 internal alternators that each can generate over 12 volts on the go
- Automatically alternate battery banks so that one is always recharging

 

What is running the alternators? Whether you alternate banks or not, it makes no difference. The total charge is the same. Flexible panels are not efficient because they won't be oriented to the sun at 90 degrees. You may get 50% at best and that only for a couple of hours if there are no clouds. The numbers don't add up. Also, the hull has a lot of drag and is only appropriate for planing speeds.

 

I agree with both Jeremy Harris and Gonzo here, though no target speed has been specified yet. This hull shape (any side views available?) doesn't appear suitable for efficient operation in displacement speed range, and and doesn't appear to be good enough for fast displacement or planing speeds under electric propulsion. Solar panels area is just not there to ensure the sufficient electric energy for the intended autonomy and recharge time.
However, lots of info is still missing. For example - the target cruise speed and the intended usage.
Cheers

 

I agree

The solar panels were an OPTION we considered
The internal generators are connected to the engine, shaft within the hull.
We chose generators from a source you may not have considered - Wind Perminant Alternators. Output for one such device is well over 1000 watts ... now may I ask you what you could do with a few of these on board with proper gear ratios? How might that impact your design?

 

You intend to drive the generators with the prop shaft? You are very near to describing a perpetual motion machine. At one kw the generators output at 140 plus volts will deliver 7 amps while input will need 8 amps or more to drive the generators, all of which will equal a net loss.

 

Slowly but steadily we are starting to have some info. Now what you just wrote is very different from what you had stated in your post #3. Back in that post it appeared that the this is an all-electric boat with PV pannels for recharge, didn't it?

Ok, so this is your idea - a classic powerboat with IC engines and a solar-charged electric drive as an option, is that correct? Or is it an alternator-charged electric drive?