Regenerative Sailing- cutting pollution at sea.

[Porcupine]

This technology: http://www.solomontechnologies.com/index2.html

Reviewed here: http://www.multihull-maven.com/Electric_Lagoons

Anyone interested in giving the system a thorough testing could do worse than charter WAYPOINT, the first Lagoon 410 S2E (electric) built – booking through The Catamaran Company in the US. In November 2003, this cat made the first ever Atlantic crossing of a production cat with electric propulsion during delivery to its owners and its charter destination in the BVIs.

The twin electric drives going into the Lagoons are 12 HP STI 74 "Electric Wheels" developed by Solomon Technologies Inc., Florida, US. They replace the much higher rated twin 28 HP diesels. Still, WAYPOINT is said to do 10 kts with the STIs because of the greater efficiency and constant torque of the electric configuration.

If there is little wind Waypoint must bow to necessity and run the 15kW diesel generator to recharge her batteries. With good winds the STI system can regenerate power through the spinning prop. The regenerating system is a key technical advance of the STI system, although of course it causes significant drag on the boat. Developed to a high degree of sophistication by Solomon Technologies, it significantly increases the attractiveness of electrical power systems on a sailing boat. With the throttle off the STI system uses the power in the ‘wind-milling’ pop shaft to recharge the batteries. It takes about twice as long to recharge the batteries under sail as it does to drain them while under power. So motoring out of the harbour, sailing for four hours, then motoring back in for a hour would result in no overall change in the charge in the batteries.

Powered with electric motors sailors can literally power up one side of a swell and generate power coming back down the other side. Now that's classy technology.

edit: another link http://www.multihull.com/elec_wheel.html

(from above link) Many people watched as Sea Spirit was lowered into the water and, having been in this situation before, I knew exactly what they were thinking?"this guy is nuts!". Keith Palmer, spiritual leader of the Texas A&M sailing program, who was there along with the builders and Frank's son Richard, who came to toss me overboard if it did not work. These Texans are a rough sort. Both motors were turned on and the waiting was over. Each motor was tested for operation at low power and then given full power. It almost tore the dock lines off the boat. Frank then took the helm and backed Sea Spirit out of the travel lift slip. A grin came across his face as he noticed the raw power and precise control. We had a 20-minute motor out of the channel in Galveston to get to Galveston Bay. We went against the tide and into a 15-knot head wind, exceeding the 5 and half knot limitation that existed with the fossil fuel motors. Frank's grin widened. We left the dock with the battery pack charged to 152 volts and we were drawing approximately 20 amps, which was not full power, but it was enough to exceed any previous speeds. Rounding the channel buoy Keith Palmer took charge of setting sail, and in 15 knots of wind they immediately noticed that the balance problem was cured and Sea Spirit was sailing faster than she ever had. More importantly, both Solo 6 electric motors had gone into regenerative feedback because of the flow of the water pushing the props and the amp hours/voltage were starting to increment. Switching to amps on the E-Meter showed that each motor was generating about 5 to 7 amps or 760 to 1,064 watts (5 amps X 150 V =760 watts). The batteries began to charge and after about 50 minutes of sailing we had regenerated all of the power that was used to motor out of the channel. The crew was delighted.

[NNadir]

1. This looks like a great system for...

...rich trust fund brats who really want to feel noble about themselves while consuming. It sort of reminds me of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior, except that the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior probably features huge diesels.

How many brazillion tons of carbon dioxide will these systems save?

What proportion of the world's climate change gases is released for liesure sailing?

[Porcupine]

3. Those "rich trust fund brats" with sailboats.....

make the decisions in this unequal world. If they see alternative energy systems as classy, powerful and silent it's better for all of us. Anyway TPTB just won't let us install plutonium batteries on pleasure sailing craft.

One of the most significant aspects of this system is that it provides silent, turnkey, power. With no nasty fumes, fuels or engines to mess with the average weekend sailor can walk up to his boat, pull the dock electrical connection and cast off. You can't do that with a diesel engine.

Another benefit is that there are no fumes, oils or fuel wastes discharged into the water from these boats. That same stink would also be banished from inside that hull; believe me this is a significant benefit.

This would improve, however slightly, the water quality at marinas. Given the number of sailboats on San Francisco Bay outfitted with kevlar sails I think there might be some yacht owners willing to switch to this system just for the bragging rights.

[NNadir]

5. Well I for one am very impressed by these consumers.

They're not quite as noble as trust fund brats sustainably managing a gazillion acres of inherited land in Maine, you know the kind, the one's who lecture on solar energy, and wood fired power plants, but these yacht owners are right up there in the swell guy department.

Personally I think water quality at Marinas is the premier environmental issue of our times.

Thank god we can save our yacht owners from embarrassing themselves. This is the greatest environmental movement of my times: Yacht Owners For Environmental Justice!!!! Catamarans For Nader!

You never know, maybe in the next New Orleans type floods they'll be in an excellent postion to pick up the bodies floating out to sea before them become chum.

[don954]

2. I'm putting in a similar system in my sailboat, replacing my

old diesel engine. So far it runs good, im still tweaking the design though.

My boat is a mono-hull 1971 Morgan 35, which is significantly slower than a Cat boat, and i can reach hull speed under max power or 75% hull speed under 40% max power. The motor generates lots of power under sail, so im adding a regen mode to recover the wasted power.

My project "blog":
http://renegade-cruisers.net/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7106&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[Porcupine]

4. Hey, good for you!!

Sliding silently away from the slip without all that chugging and smoke has to be slick as hell. I am officially jealous.