Hi everyone,
I am working on a
project that's a bit off from the norm for this site but I also know that you guys are an invaluable source of information (and sometimes entertaining misinformation).
I'll explain more about the
project as a whole in another post but the simple breakdown is that we are restoring a 126'
classic steel fantail yacht built in 1929 and retrofitting it with modern technologies to prove the viability of various green techs and products for the vessel
refit market. if everything goes well, we'll have a zero-fuel yacht when finished that doesn't sacrifice anything in the process to be sustainable and doesn't cost a fortune.
Aside from the predictable
solar and all that, our main focus is on the
propulsion systems of the vessel. Our solution is a hybrid approach witch uses a SkySails
wind propulsion system for the bulk of propulsion needs and then combines this with a hydrogen-powered
electric motorized propulsion system.
It's the motorized propulsion system that I'm writing about today:
Our
boat currently is powered by twin 250 hp GM diesels directly driving a pair of fixed props on either side of
rudder. (like this -> (not the same vessel but equivalent stern)
We will be removing the existing mechanicals and installing four
electric pod drives which will also replace the mechanical
rudder.
Two of the pods will be lower
power and will be installed in similar positions to the original propellers. These will be fully azimuting pods that can rotate 360 degrees and turn independent of one another. Controlled together they allow for very versatile and efficient
steering and also provide forward or reverse (or for that matter sideways) propulsion as needed. These pods will be in use even when under
wind power on an as needed basis for
steering the vessel but in most cases would operate far below their full power.
The two other pods will be mounted in a fixed position further forward and probably higher on the
hull. These pods will not be used for steering but will instead be the primary forward propulsion when operating solely on the motors. They will be more powerful than the steering pods and will ideally be able to handle around 80% of propulsion needs on their own if needed.
These pods however have an important role that for our purposes is actually a bit more integral than simply propulsion. Because the SkySails system that will be fitted to the vessel produces more than enough propulsion power to carry the
boat at max cruising speed, we'll have excess power that needs to be captured. This will be accomplished by using the pods themselves as regenerative power generators so that as
water passes them, the propellers turn with the electric motors in the pods working as electric generators and feeding electricity back into the ship's power grid. This is one of the main ways we're getting around the usual "let's load a ship down so much with
solar panels that there's nowhere to fish" approach to green yacht design.
What I need to figure out, is where and in what sort of configuration should our drive pods be placed to give us maximum regenerative potential. Because the SkySails does such a good job pulling the boat, a limited amount of added drag is not a problem if it means we can be able to hit the most power production potential off that drag.
We're not set on only having four pods or not considering some other sort option such as a retractable system as well for the regenerative approach.
Right now though, we're just trying to get a general idea of how we should basically layout this propulsion system and how much power needs to go where and of course how to best take advantage of the
hull design and all that.
My question to you guys is, where in general would the ideal locations for such a system be on a boat such as this:
(Older picture -- she no longer has the NASA arrays on board)
Here are the specs:
LOA: 126'
Beam: 23'
Draft: 9'3"
Displacement: 247 tons
Currently listed cruising speed is 11 and max is 12. We are thinking that we can be somewhere between 15-20 on those numbers when we're done due to some of the techs on board including low-friction coatings, hull refinements, and the upward pulling effect of the SkySails kite.
Any ideas?