Hydrogenerator for power

[GILow]

Jim, I did consider the F&P washing machine motor for a while but there were some problems with them. The main issue is the size. They are really big. At least in diameter. The second issue is there appears to be a need for some fiddling around with the wiring to convert them from an efficient dc motor to an efficient generator. Not a show stopper in itself but when I looked at this in light of the size issue I felt it was worth the $$$ to buy something commercially available. The bulk of the cost savings looked to be in the DIY part of attaching the prop (like your method) and making the whole thing weather proof.

Regarding the skipping out of the water at speed issue, I am hoping that our rather sedate old Swanson will make that a non issue. I mostly see water speeds around 6 knots. Only rarely higher, and the highest I have ever seen was 8.9 from memory. I've heard stories of the S42 going faster from the PO but I couldn't help wondering if that was a gps reading that did not take the current into account. Not least because the boat still had the really tired old sails on it then, and she certainly a lot quicker with the new sails.

At what speeds did the prop start to give trouble for you?


Matt


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[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I reduced the problem by fitting prop shaft anodes to the s/s 'log' ( that the blades are mounted on end of ) to ballast it down a bit. Other option wouuld be longer rope.

Only gets airbourne now when going a bit fastish in a biggish following sea... then it will leap out of the face of the following wave and come at you like Ahab's harpoon...

I like the anode idea. How fast is "a bit fastish"? I can't find that on any of the recognised conversion charts at my disposal.


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[lifgun]

Wckoek - I don't metering the electricity which is produced by the hydro gen but if I use the 280mm propeller I would say the output is around 16-20 amps which means around 200-220 watts. The output is not adjustable...and in my case it's rather the diesel gen set which is backup for the hydrogen....And no, I don't think that the 300 is producing less electricity then the 600 but at higher speeds the 600 is more powerful. Depends on your boat which model is best for you. And until now i did not regret one second the spent money ! Fair winds

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by lifgun

Wckoek, I use a watt and sea hydro generator cruising 600 since two years on my boat. If you are under way this thing is working just amazing great. Above 6 knots he is covering 100 % of my energy needs. After 7.5 knots I start normally producing hot water :-) . However it was a very good investment and is with every penny ! Have a look on my website - there you should find a few photos how the gen is mounted. This is in fact the only tricky thing to mount the hydro in the correct way.

Lifgun, I've just seen your website, I must say I am very impressed with your boat, every setup was very well thought out, and gives me a some idea on how to setup for single handed, though I have a taste for more classic designs.

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by lifgun

Wckoek - I don't metering the electricity which is produced by the hydro gen but if I use the 280mm propeller I would say the output is around 16-20 amps which means around 200-220 watts. The output is not adjustable...and in my case it's rather the diesel gen set which is backup for the hydrogen....And no, I don't think that the 300 is producing less electricity then the 600 but at higher speeds the 600 is more powerful. Depends on your boat which model is best for you. And until now i did not regret one second the spent money ! Fair winds

200 is very good and could work for a primary system, I don't think my heavier cruiser would do more than 7 knots that often. Thank you.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

I like the anode idea. How fast is "a bit fastish"? I can't find that on any of the recognised conversion charts at my disposal.


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Maybe 7 or 8 knots..... invariably involved a bit of a sea as stated..

If you look at page two here http://www.xylemflowcontrol.com/file...structions.pdf
you will see that is the top of the speed range for the blades....

[Jim Cate]

Matt, as El P said, it is partly dependent upon sea state and your course relative to the wave fronts. But IIRC it was quite stable at 6 knots but less so at 7 and above that it would leap athletically into the air, spinning madly, both around its axis and end for end. This usually resulted in a huge knot that would take hours to unravel.

I didn't use anodes as weights because my shaft was but 9/16 inch diameter. the shaft was tubular and i filled it with lead, and added a big lead sinker on the shaft. Didn't think of putting it at the front end as El P suggests... IIRC it was just in front of the prop.

"A bit fastish" is neither metric nor imperial in nature. It is a British unit, coming between "rather ordinary" and " we should get the crew to reef her down before she does something awkward and spills the Gin".

Jim

[El Pinguino]

'A bit ordinary' is 'strayan. In the Queen's English 'a bit fastish' lies just above ' I say, chaps, this is jolly good fun, what!'

[GILow]

OK, I will update my nautical tables based on the advice of both, thank you.


7 knots and above... yep, not out of the question for us, but rare, exceedingly rare.


(I am happy to report, that with our rather broad beam and extra couple of tons of lead in the keel, our gin-spillage threshold is pretty good for a monohull, but, of course, very ordinary by multihull standards. And therein lies one significant appeal in a multihull, IMHO.)


ElPinguino, that article you have linked is fascinating to me, not least because of the "apparently" simple blade design, and, more important still, the very small area of the blades. This lends significant weight to Jim's 6HP prop being a much better size than what I was thinking of. At this rate I will be testing with the 3.5hp prop from the Tohatsu as well.


Matt

[Wckoek]

Another thing I worry about is the hydrogenerator will interfere with wind vane, but if it can produce power consistently, I can forgo the whole windvane itself and go for all power?
If it can be easily lifted, I can use windvane when it is not in used as a backup system.
I have considered wind turbine as well, but it takes spaces and I don't know if it can produce more than 100-150 watt downwind.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

Another thing I worry about is the hydrogenerator will interfere with wind vane, but if it can produce power consistently, I can forgo the whole windvane itself and go for all power?
If it can be easily lifted, I can use windvane when it is not in used as a backup system.
I have considered wind turbine as well, but it takes spaces and I don't know if it can produce more than 100-150 watt downwind.

I don't know where you are or what you sail but this is what I have For Sale: Tow Generator $700 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums and it can run alongside a windvane on the transom.

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I don't know where you are or what you sail but this is what I have For Sale: Tow Generator $700 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums and it can run alongside a windvane on the transom.

The tow type can benefit on this aspect but it produces a bit lower power than I like from what I read, but I heard it can be used with attachment to wind as well, but no luck in finding accessories.
It was a good price, how is its condition?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

The tow type can benefit on this aspect but it produces a bit lower power than I like from what I read, but I heard it can be used with attachment to wind as well, but no luck in finding accessories.
It was a good price, how is its condition?

Sorry, my bad composition, I'm not selling it....

I have one with all the bits but the major benefit is the towed function. One that can still be bought new is the Aquair

[Emerald Sea]

Our cat is fitted with a Watt&Sea hydrogenerator with the new generation mounting bracket and we use it primarily on longer passages. We installed it in South Africa in January and used it 24/7 till we got to the Caribbean without any issues and will be down when we cross the Pacific next year. Our main reason for the purchase was to maintain the batteries during night passages for which it excelled at. We took the larger optional prop, 280mm if I recall, which drives more amps in to the batteries. Well recommended.

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Sorry, my bad composition, I'm not selling it....

I have one with all the bits but the major benefit is the towed function. One that can still be bought new is the Aquair

The hyperlink displays for sale, a function that is nice but get into misunderstanding, but a towing one can be considered as well, since it can be easily deployed without installation trouble.