Researchers in Portugal are working on an electric assist propulsion system for sailboats that harnesses the wind energy gathered in a ships sails to subsequently power an electric motor when the vessel is mooring and unmooring, instead of using standard gasoline or diesel engines.
Electricity would be generated by an onboard turbine running on wind power gathered by the sails. The electricity generated during a vessel’s journey would be stored, and used when docking and undocking. Presumably that same wind turbine could also be used when docked during windy conditions.
The advantage of using an electric motor when in port would be lower emissions in populated areas, and a reduction in noise pollution. The electric assist motor could also be used for sailboats when there is ‘dead air’ and they lose their windpower.
The researchers are already focused on trying out their ideas on the Saltillo (not pictured above), a vessel belonging to the University of the Basque Country. It is 24 meters in length and displaces 80 tons. No word yet as far as projections of reduced emissions. One of the researchers, Mr Larrabe, remarked, “You still have to have the traditional engines on board, but the idea is to use them as little as possible. ”
It sounds as if the technology would enable the retrofitting of a large number of current vessels, if it proves sound. Air pollution at ports has been an issue for some time. In Los Angeles various entities are working on just this issue for larger boats.
But what of the design of future vessels? Could we eventually see sailboats and ships with electric motors and battery packs that produce no emissions? Hybrid technology has been used on one of Toyota’s Prius car carrier vessels which uses solar panels to reduce electrical consumption while it crosses the Pacific delivering cars to the United States. But its’ conventional engines still burn bunker oil, and produce a mind-boggling volume of air pollution.
Change is often gradual, and it might turn out that what comes before going all electric, is the reverse of what the Portugese researchers are thinking; hybrid propulsion with electric as the primary source and diesel as the back-up.
Source: EurekAlert!
Image Credit: mikebaird / Creative Commons
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This technology is already on the market in the UK for leisure yachts and other water craft. See http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/
Good to see it being looked at for larger boats.
David
This technology is already on the market in the UK for leisure yachts and other water craft. See http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/
Good to see it being looked at for larger boats.
David
This technology is already on the market in the UK for leisure yachts and other water craft. See http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/
Good to see it being looked at for larger boats.
David
why aren’t they using the sails surface as PV panels. there must be enough surface area there to push a small propellor especially on low wind or windless days?
why aren’t they using the sails surface as PV panels. there must be enough surface area there to push a small propellor especially on low wind or windless days?