Solar/Wind/Current Boats - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

dknguyen · 19th July 2006, 12:54 AM

Has anyone see heard of that boat called the Orcell that uses solar, wind, and water current generators in addition to diesel to run?

How effective is it to take a tiny pager-type motor and stick some kind of fan blades or propeller on it to get it to generate power from the wind (or water for that matter)? In another thread in another section someone said that it wouldn't work very well because the motor is designed to be efficient at around 3000RPM.

The idea is to charge up a bank of supercapacitors to power electronics and the ocassional sail winch servo or rudder every now and then (miniature model-sized boat). It'd be nice to be able to augment the solar cells with wind power or water current power, with wind sails doing most of the movement work.

audioguru · 19th July 2006, 04:41 AM

Like the guy who used a computer fan as a generator for his LED array headlamp on his bicycle. It lighted a single LED dimmly when he pedalled as fast as he could go, and didn't charge his battery.

For your propeller generator to do anything, it will have wind resistance so will act like a sail.

oldtimer · 24th July 2006, 12:05 AM

I had a 30 foot sailing boat with a keel instead of lead I installed lead acid batteries and two 100 watt solar panels on the coach roof. I scrounged a golf cart motor 3 H.P and I never bought any fuel after 11 years in the Med. I also had two wind generators which are easy to build.

bristol188 · 16th August 2006, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtimer

I had a 30 foot sailing boat with a keel instead of lead I installed lead acid batteries and two 100 watt solar panels on the coach roof. I scrounged a golf cart motor 3 H.P and I never bought any fuel after 11 years in the Med. I also had two wind generators which are easy to build.

That's interesting. Are you a saying that you lowerd the batteries down into
the keel cavity with webing staps or sim. And they (the bat.s) would have to
be sealed gelcell wouldn't they?

Rog.

oldtimer · 16th August 2006, 10:43 PM

They were sealed gell electrolite batteries, I built the keel seperately from the boat then bolted it on. The top of the battery case was sealed to prevent gasses from getting into the cabin. Why carry lead around when it can be put to good use.

philba · 17th August 2006, 12:30 AM

how do you replace the batteries when they, inevitibly, go bad?

**Nigel Goodwin** · 17th August 2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philba

how do you replace the batteries when they, inevitibly, go bad?

I would have thought it's fairly obvious?, you remove the keel to get at them!.

philba · 18th August 2006, 06:28 AM

oh, that sounds pretty easy...

**Nigel Goodwin** · 18th August 2006, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philba

oh, that sounds pretty easy...

Nobody said it would be easy?

philba · 18th August 2006, 04:03 PM

I guess rhetorical questions loose their meaning around here...

to be more explicit. since gelcells are typically designed for a 3-5 yr lifespan, anything that makes it hard to replace them is a huge usability issue. I just wonder what oldtimer's experience here was. I also wonder how salt water invasion was handled - seems another big issue what with salt water being conductive...

oldtimer?

Hero999 · 18th August 2006, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldtimer

I scrounged a golf cart motor 3 H.P and I never bought any fuel after 11 years in the Med. I also had two wind generators which are easy to build.

I bet that was slow, there again I suppose you're not after speed.

19th July 2006, 12:54 AM	(permalink)
dknguyen Experienced Member	Solar/Wind/Current Boats Has anyone see heard of that boat called the Orcell that uses solar, wind, and water current generators in addition to diesel to run? How effective is it to take a tiny pager-type motor and stick some kind of fan blades or propeller on it to get it to generate power from the wind (or water for that matter)? In another thread in another section someone said that it wouldn't work very well because the motor is designed to be efficient at around 3000RPM. The idea is to charge up a bank of supercapacitors to power electronics and the ocassional sail winch servo or rudder every now and then (miniature model-sized boat). It'd be nice to be able to augment the solar cells with wind power or water current power, with wind sails doing most of the movement work. Last edited by dknguyen; 19th July 2006 at 01:42 AM.

19th July 2006, 04:41 AM	(permalink)
audioguru Experienced Member	Like the guy who used a computer fan as a generator for his LED array headlamp on his bicycle. It lighted a single LED dimmly when he pedalled as fast as he could go, and didn't charge his battery. For your propeller generator to do anything, it will have wind resistance so will act like a sail. __________________ Uncle $crooge

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24th July 2006, 12:05 AM	(permalink)
oldtimer Experienced Member	I had a 30 foot sailing boat with a keel instead of lead I installed lead acid batteries and two 100 watt solar panels on the coach roof. I scrounged a golf cart motor 3 H.P and I never bought any fuel after 11 years in the Med. I also had two wind generators which are easy to build.

16th August 2006, 10:43 PM	(permalink)
oldtimer Experienced Member	They were sealed gell electrolite batteries, I built the keel seperately from the boat then bolted it on. The top of the battery case was sealed to prevent gasses from getting into the cabin. Why carry lead around when it can be put to good use.

17th August 2006, 12:30 AM	(permalink)
philba Experienced Member	how do you replace the batteries when they, inevitibly, go bad?

18th August 2006, 06:28 AM	(permalink)
philba Experienced Member	oh, that sounds pretty easy...

18th August 2006, 04:03 PM	(permalink)
philba Experienced Member	I guess rhetorical questions loose their meaning around here... to be more explicit. since gelcells are typically designed for a 3-5 yr lifespan, anything that makes it hard to replace them is a huge usability issue. I just wonder what oldtimer's experience here was. I also wonder how salt water invasion was handled - seems another big issue what with salt water being conductive... oldtimer?