• Batteries
• Propellors
• Renewable energy sources
Ecolution develops substantial power during sailing particularly close to hull speed (10 knots, equivalent of 125kW) of which a part can be tapped without imposing significant reduction of sailing qualities. Part of this power is used to drive two large and highly efficient carbon propellers that generate electrical energy, which is stored in a large battery bank. less
The electric motor can be used in generator mode, where computer controlled electrical load will allow for optimum electric power generation during sailing. The propeller blades are flexible and adapt their camber (curvature) according the function, i.e. generate, propulsion or free run.
Two (bio) diesel engines provide the comforting backup and will be necessary for the extra heating when being in the arctic. The diesel engines are each 55kW.
The total energy-system of the ship is optimized according user requirements in which heat pump, hot water, heating heat exchangers etc. assure efficient use of the available energy while maintaining a high level of comfort. Energy usage will greatly depend on the climate. In moderate climates the average power usage is 1kW, which means that some 4 days of sailing can provide a full month of energy usage… The energy-management-system will advice, predict and indicate power-use and -storage requirement.
A software safety system will monitor all onboard systems and environment conditions (including radar and weather changes) and detect any hazard that requires attention. A modular design of the various systems will allow for updates according the state-of-the-art technologies.
Generating energy
A safe and smart system of the batteries has been designed for Ecolution by Victronspecialist Johannes Boonstra. (Victron. The 220 V battery-pack is placed in two strings, 110 V left and 110 Volt right. It will be a very robust system and if something goes wrong a battery-pack can be shut down without influencing the system. This back-up philosophy of ‘fail-ops-fail safe’ is such that even when the central system fails there will still be an extra back-up. All winches for instance will have local batteries and in case of failure they are eventually hand-operational.
• Batteries
Storage of energy will be in 120 maintenance free gel-lead-acid-batteries; 120 industrial 12OpzV 1500 cells (Enersys). These batteries will replace the use of conventional led-ballast.
In the future new type of batteries like Lithium polymer could be used.
