Electric Outboard Motor

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by myocean

One more thing for people who hate tree huggers:

Another manipulation of the facts to get the desired answer.
- Your average car goes thru upwards of 500 gallons per year vs 5-10 gallons for a typical small outboard (full time cruisers are outliers in terms of usage). It's far more cost effective to implement pollution controls on cars as a result.
- Many of the "pollutants" are only an issue when concentrated. Cars are frequently operated in dense urban areas where their large numbers concentrate the emissions. Your typical outboard use is on a quite lake where it disperses quickly having no significant impact.
- Then there is the confusing statement that large outboards are more efficient but would perform significantly worse...oddly, they don't provide these numbers but what I believe they are trying to say is a larger engine burns more fuel so they must produce more pollutants. Reality is large outboards are much closer to cars in the sense they have computer controlled electronic fuel injection where as it's impractical on a 5hp, so they use traditional carbureted engines. Then again the larger the engine, the less practical the electric alternatives are, so they go vague rather than provide facts.

If we are going to discuss them, we have to define "tree hugger". In common usage, a "tree hugger" is someone who could care less about effectively helping the environment as long as they can maintain the appearance of helping the environment.

My job is heavily invested in improving the environment but only if it ACTUALLY improves the environment.
- I was the lead engineer testing and evaluating the use of LED traffic signal heads for a large state that reduced electrical consumption by 90% and with the electrical consumption savings, we were able to pay for the higher cost of LED lights in 3-4 months.
- I regularly conduct traffic signal optimization projects that reduce fuel consumption enough in 1 year to pay for the project. The reduction in emissions is just a bonus.

If your goal is zero emissions, I suggest starting by selling the boat and getting the smallest 1 room apartment you can find. Then leave the air/con off no matter what and the heat only if it's a life threatening situation and make sure it is close enough to walk to work. Anything else and you have lots of room to improve your planet saving skills.

[myocean]

Well, I wouldn't be too emotional about all these subjects. Its just a question of time that practically all mobility will be electric. Some early adopters do go for it already now (they pay more and do not get a universal, perfect solution),
others wait longer, until the battery technology has made significant progress.

[Stumble]

I would also point out that this is per gram of fuel burned. Which is a grossly unfair comparison. Try the same numbers per pound moved and the numbers change radically. I moved my 4,000lb boat around with a 3hp outboard, my car however needed far more power to start.

[newhaul]

Yep Greg you got it right . Just look at the BNSF railway they move a ton of cargo 500 miles on one gallon of fuel

[myocean]

Originally Posted by Stumble

I would also point out that this is per gram of fuel burned. Which is a grossly unfair comparison. Try the same numbers per pound moved and the numbers change radically. I moved my 4,000lb boat around with a 3hp outboard, my car however needed far more power to start.

So you think if you take a really small car with a tiny engine
and let it pull a huge, heavy trailer, the emissions get really, really bad like with an outboard? Even though there is a catalyzer and lots of modern stuff to keep emissions low?
Why is that different from just running fast, or may be uphill, which makes the engine run with maximum power possible?

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by myocean

So you think if you take a really small car with a tiny engine
and let it pull a huge, heavy trailer, the emissions get really, really bad like with an outboard? Even though there is a catalyzer and lots of modern stuff to keep emissions low?
Why is that different from just running fast, or may be uphill, which makes the engine run with maximum power possible?

No, what I am saying is that it's a stupid comparison. Everyone in the world knows small simple engines are far more polluting than large complicated ones with all sorts of bolted on hardware to clean up the exhaust. So what?

The problem with that chart is that it rates things according to the pollution/gram of fuel, which from the start grossly favors the car. If the two engines were rated by how much work they did for a given amount of pollution the chart would look vastly different.

It's like rating cargo ships based just on miles/gallon versus a 18 wheeler. Well sure the cargo ship comes off looking terrible. But for the same amount of cargo moved the ship looks incredible. A large cargo ship may only get 30 feet/gallon but multiply that by 10,000 containers and the fuel burn per ton cargo moved per mile is exceptionally good.

[uncle stinkybob]

I think unicorns fart rainbows. but back to reality.............put a 3 hp motor in your 4000 pound car, put your unico.....I mean your huge heavy trailer behind it and yes, in short order it will be puking oil and smoke and usually leave a few non critical parts on the road before turning into scrap metal. As far as non mythical modern outboard motors? Perhaps you should just google "modern outboard emission standards".

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by myocean

Well, I wouldn't be too emotional about all these subjects. Its just a question of time that practically all mobility will be electric. When does this mythical time start...50yrs or 500yrs. Some early adopters do go for it already now (they pay more and do not get a universal, perfect solution), that's a massive understatement.
others wait longer, until the battery technology has made significant progress. Battery capability is and likely will be the 800lb gorilla in the room for decades to come. There is no sign that batteries will approach even 1/4 of the capability of liquid fuels.

Reality is electricity has proven very difficult to bottle. Until we have a cost effective way to bottle it, electric will remain a niche technology for transportation.

There are a few use cases where it is viable but those of the green faith seem to constantly derail them by claiming perfection instead of asking for good enough.

[myocean]

Originally Posted by Stumble

No, what I am saying is that it's a stupid comparison. Everyone in the world knows small simple engines are far more polluting than large complicated ones with all sorts of bolted on hardware to clean up the exhaust. So what?

That just means that its not such a perfect strategy to use such a system.
So it might be a good idea to think about, if better, less polluting solutions are possible.

[uncle stinkybob]

Originally Posted by myocean

That just means that its not such a perfect strategy to use such a system.
So it might be a good idea to think about, if better, less polluting solutions are possible.

Like wind....and the small amounts of low sulfur diesel/ or biodiesel my 15hp yanmar burns.
How many pollutants produced with the manufacturing of all the components of a EP system? How much in disposal of them? Battery's? Running gas or diesel gensets for recharging?
The notion of this being a environmental issue is nothing more then ignorant uninformed, I'm doing the earth better than you BS.

If EP is your bag, cool, leave me and my fuel sipping diesel alone, it produces less pollutants.

[offpist]

Batteries are the most expensive part, and it can be harvested from wrecked EV`s like i did. Now I also have an BMS so I have better control of SOC and individual cell voltage. It gives an alarm at 10% SOC or if any cells runs out of their limits.

[newhaul]

Around here the best EV batteries you can get cheaply are out of golf carts there are acouple'big cart rental places near me they contract with most of the local courses batteries have usually been used for about 40 to 50 deep cycles and fully charged between all cycles. They go for as little as 25 bucks. Guess what my next battery bank will be. All 8 of them ( about 800 ah split between two banks of about 400 each) but still want my diesel

[myocean]

OK, guys, this subject convinced me and so, since about 10 days, I am working for the company with the T.
Since today I am even more convinced: After testing the boat shown below with the new 10 kW outboard, I am fascinated by
the astonishingly pleasant absence of noise. It feels like this is the future, despite of the disadvantages discussed before.

Practically it's indeed, as said, just "the sound of the wind and splashing of the wake" which you hear while speeding around.
Look here: https://youtu.be/BxHMV2kWzz8

[bentimby]

On a different note, check out this slick electric conversion on this Columbia 29. Not a bad option if you're not in a rush and wanna lower your carbon footprint.

Electric Propulsion Columbia 29 Tranquility video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoDakonESz8

[bentimby]

Check out this conversion, has a backup 5kw generator mounted in front of electric drive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elxbkDZcQVU