hybrid drive decoupler

[Mark Portugal]

Hello everyone, this is my forst post on this forum.

I'll try to keep it short...

I live in Portugal, my boats are in Amsterdam; the city is bringing in a zero emission rule for all vehicles including boats.

Hybrid is ok; the boat has to get through the canal network to the edge of town on batteries.

So, my 100 year old steel workboat with Mercedes OM636; I did my sums and bought a used 12HP forklift motor with a suitable electronic control. Marinized it. geared it.

4 years couldn't travel, my boat is scrap.

Bought a new vessel but the gearbox is different; it's too stiff in neutral. I need to invent a decoupler / thrust bearing that fits between the existing gearbox and 40mm propshaft.

This 11 meter barge is insanely overpowered with a 90HP Mitsubishi that isn't fully installed yet, new shaft and bushings, new propeller. It's on blocks at a shipyard.

I'm an amateur machinist of moderate skill.

Has anyone seen/ heard of such a gizmo?
I can start from scratch but would prefer not to reinvent the wheel.

There's a ring gear that has to go on the shaft for the electric drive. It simply lifts off the gear to disengage for fuel operation.

[FPNC]

How about a sprag clutch?

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by Mark Portugal

Hello everyone, this is my forst post on this forum.

I'll try to keep it short...

I live in Portugal, my boats are in Amsterdam; the city is bringing in a zero emission rule for all vehicles including boats.

Hybrid is ok; the boat has to get through the canal network to the edge of town on batteries.

Any more information on this incredible news?

Can you run the engine for example on hydrogen instead?

What about bio fuels with catalytic converters? This would essentially mitigate the issues, but if they are hard set on zero emissions it would not be allowed?


Why not have two shafts/props, one for electric motor? This could be simpler and more reliable with slight drag penalty probably more than offset by optimizing the propeller for each case.

[Mark Portugal]

Sprag, or overrun clutch, would not allow reverse.
That could be a problem in a crowded canal.

Anyway, the whole boat and project were canceled.
The city of Amsterdam changed their rules (again).

My old 14 meter workboat was certified as historic; otherwise the limit is (was) 12 meters.
Just before paying money for the 'new' 12M vessel, I discovered they'd changed the limit to 10 meters.

So I decided to can the whole concept, and not have a workboat/ balcony anymore.
The old boat was 100 years old, and I owned it for 35 of them. But now that I don't live in the city, it doesn't really make sense.

The rule is zero emission in the city, so biofuel and hydrogen are not allowed either; well, maybe hydrogen because the exhaust is water, but I suspect that in reality there will be other compounds in there.
Anyway, electrics have come so far now, with everything available off the shelf, that it's just the practical solution. There are lots of electric marine motors, fabulous things at fabulous prices.

If you have time and budget, start from a scrap Nissan Leaf. Lots of power.

Or go for a 3-phase industrial motor, 400V battery pack, and inverter.

I sold my old Mercedes OM636 with Hurth gearbox, and my semi-home made electric drive, to a person who intends to use it all together as I'd first planned.
The little Hurth gearbox spins quite freely in neutral so there is no need for more.

I was sort of looking forward to the challenge of creating the decoupling thrust bearing.

And I really wanted to make the electric drive work, I put in a lot of hours marinizing a forklift motor, making a reversing speed control, and all the connections in solid copper strip.

Before scrapping the old boat, I tested it with 2 start batteries 24V, it was whisper smooth and made good thrust.

Meanwhile, in the city many delivery fleets are already electric, and a lot of the boats too.
Even the big 25M tourist boats, and they need some power.

I saw some Mercedes vans that look standard, but are electric.

I rode a ferry over the harbor that has electric drive, at each stop a massive cable drops into a socket and a clamp flips down on it to charge for a few minutes during turn around.

I know a lot of people are skeptical, and current technology would not get a boat over the sea.
But in the city, it already works.