[brian eiland]

from DENSO site

Benefits and Features

Small compressor power consumption
The ejector uses energy, which is lost in a conventional expansion valve, to increase the pressure of refrigerant drawn into the compressor, resulting in compressor power consumption almost two-thirds smaller than the power consumption required in a conventional expansion valve cycle.

High evaporator performance
Only liquid refrigerant flows into the evaporator, reducing pressure loss and improving evaporator performance.

Small size and light weight
Compared to the expansion valve cycle with similar refrigeration capacity, the overall weight of the ejector cycle is reduced by 40 percent thanks to the remarkable minimization of the compressor, condenser and evaporator. The weight reduction also increases fuel efficiency by 60 percent.

[Marmot]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

[SIZE="4"The new air conditioning system reduces the compressor's power consumption by up to about 25% compared to conventional car air conditioning systems, and thus contributes to fuel savings.

Very interesting.
http://www.mdienergy.com/163136AC.pdf

[brian eiland]

Lotus details meths-drinking hybrid e-car engine

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/09...hows_e_engine/

According to the Norfolk-based car maker, the three-cylinder 1.2l engine has been optimised to perform at two power generation points, developing 15kW (20bhp) at 1500rpm and 35kW (47bhp) at its maximum 3500rpm via an integrated electrical generator. Peak torque of 107Nm (79lb ft) is generated at 2500rpm.

The engine is made entirely of aluminium, with the cylinder block, cylinder head and exhaust manifold all part of a single casting. Dry weight is given as 56kg (123lbs) including the generator.

[brian eiland]

Regarding Alternative Power sources

Has anyone tried the Whispergen? www.whispergen.com

We are in discussion with a few clients who are interested in trying it. One for our new 46 Powercat (with aircon) and 1 for a new 56 monohull (no aircon). Seems like it has advantages to replacing a generator if/when you don't need aircon.

Almost silent, (sounds like a fridge apparently) can run 24/7, creates hot water and around 800w continuous charge from memory so in 24 hrs that's a lot of power for 90kg unit, can replace a few batteries to reduce weight.

Around $15k so not cheap but nothing is these days to save weight and make power. Generating continuous 800w from solar and wind takes a few dollars ...snip...

REPLY
If your potential client is planning to roam far from home the whispergen may not be the ideal choice. Very hard to find service support far from home base. We had a whispergen running on display at IBEX 2003 and I was scheduled for factory training to do installs up her in PNW. Then the product was withdrawn from the North American market due to servicing issues.

When I contacted the factory direct I was informed a newer and improved version was being designed and field tested . Sales outside NZ was not contemplated until field trials were successfully concluded. Through the back channel grapevine I learned they had encountered some manufacturing quality control issues. Tech support overseas was proving an expensive proposition. Hence the redesign and new field testing program.

The heat produced would be a bonus up here in the PNW but down south in Florida it simply represent waste heat which poses yet another technical problem requiring a cooling solution. The 800 watts is insufficient to drive the kind of air conditioning demanded by the Florida market. And as we all know in North America this is the trend setting market sector. I would think a similar situation prevails along the northern shores of Australia and likely as far south as Sydney in the summer months.

Although Steve Dashew eschews full air conditioning in favor of cross ventilation in his designs; this approach does not seem to gain many adherents in North America or even with the Mediterranean boating crowd.

My design calculations suggest a power source of at least 4 kW is needed to sustain the kind of air conditioning demanded by the market place. And that 4kW has to be supported by a surge capability of another 2 - 4 kW if the compressors or chiller pumps all start simultaneously. Very few air conditioner manufacturers incorporate soft start inside their products.

All this is only applicable for under 20 meter vessels. Over that size the cubic volume of the interior spaces require much more capacity.

A Stirling cycle engine is at the heart of the Whispergen and there are few standalone generators of this design in the smaller 2- 10 kW sizes. A Swiss design of 2 kW is now being field tested but the company flatly told me no immediate plans were made for sales outside their domestic market. Sweden has a submarine powered by a 5 MW Stirling engine but somehow I don't see it being adapted for cruising yacht application.

At this time most Stirling engines are a DIY one of a kind. I have plans for how to machine such an engine but it does not look like an attractive venture at this time.

An acquaintance in Denmark recently installed an Italian made fuel cell of 6 kw capacity for UPS application field trials by his company. This product may well prove to be the closest thing to an off the shelf power unit suitable for installation in a consumer application. Coleman reputedly has a 2kw fuel cell, but I have never seen it on the market.

this discussion appeared on another forum, and I thought it fit in with these discussions

[brian eiland]

Saving thousands of gallons of fuel while battling through thunderous 50-ft waves are challenges for today's commercial fishing boats operating in the frigid Bearing Sea. Those challenges are met by the Gen-Tech system, a patented workboat power-generation improvement that is a major energy and fuel saver.

The Gen-Tech system eliminates running a separate auxiliary engine for generator operation when the main engine is in travel mode. When equipped with the overhung load adaptor (OHLA) from Zero-Max, the two hydraulic pumps connected to the primary engine work effortlessly providing generator power so auxiliary engine operation is unnecessary. A fuel cost savings of $2,300 or more in an eight-day fishing excursion is typical using this system, according to Gen-Tech.

"The auxiliary engine is not fuel efficient when in the travel mode," says Erling Skaar, president of Gen-Tech. "Our system maximizes the operating efficiency of the primary engine with the help of the overhung load adaptor, so running a secondary engine is unnecessary. The additional load on the main engine from operating the Gen-Tech system is negligible, and therefore highly efficient and fuel saving. There is no added wear to the engine or connecting components. Thanks to the OHLA's rugged design, we're assured of smooth and reliable pump and generator operation. That's extremely important in the adverse and hostile environments that these fishing vessels are subjected to."

Workboat of the future includes innovative power system
The first application for the Gen-Tech system was a state-of-the-art workboat called the North American, a 35-year-old 110-ft house-forward fishing vessel capable of carrying a full load of king crab weighing 170,000 lb. The North American is a crab boat that ventures forth for the Alaskan king crab fishing season. As movies and TV shows have accurately depicted, the king crab season is a high-risk business where crews and boats frequently face catastrophic storms, injury, and death.

The equipment needed to deal with these conditions requires the best and most robust technology, exactly the way the North American was designed and outfitted. What makes the North American's power system so unique is the Gen-Tech system aboard. According to Skaar, that system is a product of over nine years of innovative research, rigorous testing, the development of new technology, and a dedicated mission statement.

"When the fishing vessel isn't risking it all for a quick fortune and the continuation of an epic lineage, it's being put to use as a working model for the environmentally conscious vessels of the future," says the North American's website (http://www.fvnorthamerican.com/). Its fuel-saving and pollutant-reduction features make for a greener fishing operation, which has a positive global impact.


How the Gen-Tech system works
Gen-Tech's secret is in the patented controller and software design. The controller actually "learns" the power requirement for the input to the hydraulic pumps from the ship's main engine. Using that information, the controller then adjusts the displacement of the hydraulic pump to maintain stable frequency and voltage through the entire rpm range of the main engine.

In the Gen-Tech system, the overhung load adaptor from Zero-Max provides a rock-solid, permanent mounting surface. It transmits rotary motion from the main engine to the hydraulic pumps. Using the OHLA in the system eliminates the need for a secondary gearbox to operate the hydraulic pumps that can be more costly. Also, the OHLA adds much more stability in the drive train than a gearbox. Most importantly, the OHLA enhances motor operation by eliminating premature motor or pump failure due to overhung loads (axial or radial) on the pump and motor shaft. In high seas, violent shifting motion multiplies power-train stress, so the OHLA's stability role is even more important than in calm operating conditions. It allows the Gen-Tech system to operate flawlessly in wildly fluctuating conditions.

The OHLA (Model 1036S) is belt driven off the main engine (Caterpillar Model 399-1125 hp) via a 2.8 to 1 speed ratio using a Gates polychain drive. With a SAE-D face mount, the OHLA has a 13-tooth 8/16 spline input, a 2 1/4-in. output shaft, and a 7-in. pitch diameter on the OHLA's pulley. For added durability, spherical bearings were selected for this application. Extra rugged to meet all operating conditions, the OHLA housing is made of 25,000-psi tensile cast iron with shafts of 130,000-psi stress-proof steel. Weight is 195 lb.

The OHLA operates at 1,540 idling rpm, 2,500 cruising rpm, and 3,360 maximum rpm. Connected to the two variable displacement hydraulic pumps mounted "piggyback," the pumps produce 3,000 psi pressure and deliver 120 gal per min.

"With Gen-Tech, the North American cruises at 10 knots using only 21 gallons of fuel an hour," says Skaar. "Without Gen-Tech, the North American cruises at 10 knots using 25 to 26 gallons of fuel an hour. While the dollar savings for an actual eight-day fishing excursion is huge at $2,300, also huge is the reduced carbon emissions and pollutants that help preserve our fishing environment. We're pleased to have discovered the Zero-Max OHLA and having it integrate so effectively in the Gen-Tech system."

Source: Zero-Max
http://www.zero-max.com/overhung-loa...c-11-l-en.html

http://www.designfax.net/enews/20110412/feature4.php

[Laurence]

Nordhaven appears to have taken the motorsailer to the next level.
http://www.nordhavn.com/models/56/