Hi Distant Shores! I’ve been a huge fan of your show now and love your quality of videos! I have my own sailboat, a Beneteau 323, and these videos make me want to go sailing even though it is quite cold out now! While I can’t exactly go ocean sailing in my boat, your videos still inspire me to one day be able to do it! I wish you smooth sailing and happy adventures to distant shores!
After a few years of using it, what are your thoughts on the Integral system and how it compares to a separate genset? A followup video would be great, especially since you now have your lithium battery bank.
I have been thinking of adding a ceramic/carbon seal in the packing gland, a bearing and a sprag clutch to the prop shaft so that the prop shaft can rotate without the transmission/engine rotating. Then add a sprocket to the prop shaft that will rotate a 48V AC motor/generator. The generator side would charge a battery bank thru a MPPT controller when either the engine or water movement was rotating the prop while sailing. The motor side could rotate the prop for reverse or to power the vessel forward without starting the engine. Just a simple thought. I will wait for the rest of your report on your new generating system with bated breath....
Thanks for sharing another great video Paul & Sheryl. Power on board is always a challenge, especially if you want to run all those luxuries (WOW - totally jealous). Hope you recovered that light. Loved your B-roll - what a beautiful video.
2:18 "Wasn't *exactly* intentional, because I dropped a light..." Happens to the best of us, Paul. I look forward to further reports the real-world results of this setup. Very interesting to systems nerds such as myself!
Awesome video with great information. We are purchasing a 65" Cat so we have room for solar and the Wind & Sea Hydro. By adding the Integral Marine to engines we "should" have all the power we need and not even use the engine system that much. Truly appreciate your videos and take care in the big blue.
Hi Guys - awesome video. I was really excited to see your video and that by the developer especially because I thought it would be a great way to save on weight seeing we have a generator in place. The bubble burst a bit for me to see the need for an additional 48v battery bank but perhaps I am missing something here. Could I ask you guys what the total weight of the system is and what other battery banks you have in the boat? I believe further to this and before ones regular battery house banks, a dedicated 12v (in 12 systems) battery is needed too? I can see how this would be a great install on new boats but wondering for boats with generators already fitted. I also wonder how fuel consumption works in this set up because although there is lost efficiency in engines and they are capitalizing on that lost efficiency, it would surely mean added fuel to get to that optimal efficiency. At the moment we have a generator using 1.6 ltrs per hour, is started from inside the salon and does not put more hours on the main ships engines, so the big draw card fro people with existing generators considering a replacement would be 'weight saving' and fuel saving. If you could provide some statistics we would be most grateful. Thanks for sharing and caring A Merry Christmas season and Happy new year to you both Brent
Can you run your air con overnight for instance while in Florida in the summer months for example while at anchor with this system without running the engine? Just curious. I think this system is a long overdue idea.
Clearly without running the engine you will be relying on battery power and nothing else, so has no relevance at all to a generator alternator if you are not prepared to turn it! So in answer to your question is YES, if your battery bank is big enough.
Hopefully the description will be updated with an active link to this company. For this system to be practical it will have to be lithium batteries purely to take the charge rate and get up to say 95% charge in a few hours otherwise the main engine will be running 12 hours a day.
Wow this sounds brilliant ! I'm just about to look into a generator , Ive just googled INTERGREL and the video really explains this system , which looks great , thanks .
Paul although well shot, this video is such a cruel tease! You show us a fancy monitoring panel, and mention (in passing) the Great and Venerable Nigel Calder, but there's no other details! Google searches show no relevant results for Integral Marine. What makes this system different than a high-power auxiliary alternator and regulator? Please don't leave us hanging...
Thanks Matt - I didn't mean to be cruel :-( Main differences - much higher output at 7kW which would be equivalent to 600 amps at 12V - automatic loading of the engine to take into account the safety of the engine. So when you are maneuvering or running hard this automatically reduces the load on the engine completely. Then when you're just running along steadily in gear it will gently put load on.
Thanks for replying! I've looked through the Triskel Marine website. Do you have the controllable-pitch prop as well? I am surprised that the alternator is rather small, and with smaller power cables. Also for 7KW output for the system (not alternator, obviously) I expect two inverters (not shown) drawing from the large battery bank. But as you say, Triskel's main product is the integration, monitoring, and control of all these pieces - so I'm really interested in learning more. I suspect you're under a non-disclosure agreement as a condition of your test, and there's only so much you're allowed to tell us! Looking forward to more details on this system! :-)
It looks like Triskel has just posted a webpage with some details: www.integrelmarine.com/ It's basically a 48VDC 170A alternator externally rectified and regulated in their controller box (the black box in the upper right of the test board), with lots of sensors and software to determine how much charge. Otherwise works with a battery bank (lead or lithium) and inverter as normal.
Beautiful video footage as always, but this video commercial falls short in providing any useful technical details on the integral system regarding the storage of the energy (says says 10kw battery bank, but what type batteries used (lithium phosphate or carbon foam AGM), what voltage of battery bank etc) and the method of conversion of stored energy back into AC current for 110 / 220 volt appliances etc. such as what inverters are used and what the AC capacity is to run high loads (eg. start up currents of AC ventilation systems) as well as the efficient of the energy conversion process; size and weight of energy storage systems in comparison to generators, etc. Any link to a website for more info?
A boat is a floating compromise. ;-) I am pretty sure he (Paul) has though about it Wind : www.sailmagazine.com/diy/know-how-wind-generators Hydrogenerator: www.sailmagazine.com/diy/know-how-hydro-generators
Wind generators are not very efficient. They need 20+ knots of wind to generate 300Wh, which is not much. And they are noisy and can be dangerous, too.
They need 20+ knots of ( *apparent* ) wind to generate 300Wh, Secondly, the output provided by the manufacturers is in wind tunnels, constant speed, flow, undisturbed flow, etc. . Add the heeling, air flow turbulences, etc, and the output drops significantly. nevertheless, they are still a valid option.
Paul It's been little over a year and a half. How are you liking the Integrel generator replacment? Does it still live up to your expectations. Is it for sale yet to the general public?
Thanks for the video. Interesting concept. Can you still get power to all important systems if the batteries fail, even if at a lower output?? It would suck having these fail a couple days out to sea with a refrigerator full of food if there wasn't a backup plan. It always sucks for something to break, but if it's a manageable suck, at least it's tolerable :-) I like backup systems ... two systems to charge batteries (motor, genset, wind or solar). Two systems to provide power such as a house and an engine bank that can be swapped if needed, even if manually.
I agree with Matt Cross - even with your reply, it's still a bit of a tease. Let's have some techie detail. What batteries for instance? and there is loads more you could reveal - could you and/or Triskel Marine produce a technical paper/video showing the detail? Surely there is new business for Triskel here?
That's pretty cool however I have a different question so you just took this new boat a few months ago but I noticed that you have a lot of growth with the underwater shots...doors it grow thst fast...and do you go down and clean it yourselves?
Good to see Nigel and Ken’s work. Do you know the efficiency range of the generator? Say at 9kW and 6kW? If say 90% that’s still 900 and 600 Watts of heat to deal with. Much depending on the efficiency curve of course. Begs the question what’s the cooling arrangement?
I do not have the efficiency numbers but you could try emailing them at the contact number here www.integrelmarine.com... They're keen to help and explain their system. We do not have any special cooling set up on ours although there is an automatic fan running in the control box.
Thinking you need to try again with this video and add some details. Can you run ac? Can you run the engine with out moving to charge? Lots more info would be nice.
Thanks for the tech update. Wouldn't this setup technically be a "Hybrid" system albeit a marine version & more automated than running the engine to charge the batteries?
If you can stand the noise without going insane . I have done it all wind, solar , fuel cell give me a diesel generator all day every day . More environmentally friendly than all that green crap when you figure out carbon foot print , life span , etc .
Paul, I am considering an Integrel install on our new Leopard 45L when she arrives in Jan 2021. Can you give me your most recent opinion on the system. I can send details seperately if needed as I am US based and local experience is limited. Also, have you had any issues requiring service or parts replacement and how was the support? Any issues with your Yanmar? Thanks. Rich
Hi Richard. We have had no problems with the system. As far as I know the main drive belt is the only regular maintenance part but ours is not even remotely worn after 2 years and 16000 miles. Tech support has been good. My only comment would be that you should definitely have a Lithium battery bank to go with it :-)
Paul, pretty cool stuff. Do you also run the AC on this new power system, I guess I'd be interested to learn what you can and cant run on it and for how long before you have to crank on the engine again. Thanks for the video and safe travels. Hi to Sheryl.
Thanks for the kind words Anthony. We do not have AC on the new boat although we plan to add at least one unit. The Integral produces 7kW so it could put in enough to run a small unit for that hot still night where the mosquitos are circling and we want to close up :-) the thing is we have one 10kW bank so AC would use quite a bit of it. I imagine the next upgrade will have Lithium batteries as the storage so we would move to 20kW and then it would all work. We're planning a more tech video shortly and will address your questions :-)
Hello Paul, Very interesting technology alternative. I have since contacted Triskel: Thank you for this link Trevor. I have watched about 10 minutes of the video and already I am concerned about the excessive heat generation of the Triskel Alternator that requires high temperature wiring, particularly in the engine compartment. Also the Controller Box equally has two very substantial heat reducing fans fitted that is also informing my judgement on the confined environment of a boat that your test rig does not reflect. Thus performance may be impaired? On the upside, I understand the latent performance capacity of a given engines maximum power and given RPM within which Triskel's Controller Unit harvests 8-9Kw of useable surplus power. However, the heat generation and potential meltdown fire risk in the confined environment of a closed and potentially combustible engine compartment is of practical concern and what impact this may have on marine insurance. I wonder what empirical data may be achieved by Triskel if their 'test rig' actually reflected the environment within which it is meant to operate, as opposed to a voluminous white room? Heat dissipation and fire risk are my principle concerns. However, I am aware that Paul Shard - Distant Shores III has your kit installed on his boat, so he will be my next port of call. Kind regards ROB
I haven’t noticed any excessive temperatures when I open up the engine compartment. The unit carefully monitors its own temperature and although I have seen it report up to 115 or (internal temp in the generator) it wasn’t near its limit. That was during a very hot period when Spain was having a heat wave and we were seeing it over 30 on board.
All alternators produce heat, and that is a serious issue when fitting a high-output auxiliary alternator to a boat, often additional blowers are fitted to cool the alternator in the hot engine compartment. This system I think improves the situation by moving the bridge rectifier diodes off the alternator and into the controller/regulator box, which has two large fans as you noted. I presume this allows better heatsinks and cooling airflow than would be possible on the alternator, and allows a more compact alternator than would otherwise be possible.
Question number two, I see that you have added a mainsheet bridge/bimini frame, Paul. Does that work well with the mainsheet? I’m contemplating whether that would be successful on a S135.
Yes this works fine and keeps the cockpit free of the mainsheet. We do not find we miss the traveller. For the 135 I think it would mean you could have canvas/shade over the cockpit while sailing? It is fairly heavy since it needs to take heavy loads.
Distant Shores TV Thanks Paul and Sheryl. So there is no traveller? The main just feeds out from the centre of the frame? I’d love to see a close up of that if you get time. bill@weldbrush.com DS3 is a gorgeous machine, you are justifiably proud.
Paul, If I understand correctly, you used to have a genset on DS II, as well as solar, and of course the alternator from the main engine. I have also read on your website that you were running the genset 1 to 3 hrs per day. You have now a single power source: main engine. If that were to fail, you'd be out of a source of electricity. As Murphy's law increase with the cube of distance to the nearest point of repair, I am wondering why you solely rely on a single power source? Thank you
We will also have solar - 5 X 100 watts on the new arch we're adding in Gibraltar. So we'll have the alternator, plus the new Triskel (both on the main engine) plus the solar array giving 2.5kW per day. But without the solar you're correct... we would have the single point as you say.
Cool, but please break out a detailed tech video on this and each of the components . Lithium batteries? Can this be done with a 35hp engine on a 35 ft island packet? Weight? Costs? Service life and many more questions.
So it's basically a high power alternator supplying a large modern tech battery bank? Modern batteries are definitely the way forward but lithum batteries do worry me due to their volatile nature. I've been flying r/c electric aircraft for some years now and we charge the lipo batteries in fire proof bags or on metal trays. I've seen one go up and it's not good, they catch fire so easily.
Yes safety is definitely the big question with lithium batteries. Speaking with Nigel Calder today he was describing the efforts to get a certification standard in place to insure marine batteries get a way to measure/test they will be safe for our boats.
It's only specific Lithium batteries that are volatile, Anyone sensible would be using LiFeP04 in this sort of scenario. These do not explode or catch fire like Li-ion / LiPo can
Doesn't look like Triscol(sp?) have an internet presence. Nigal Calder does as he is author of a number of sailing related books. Search for him. If you search for "Alternatives for marine generator" you get a number of hits for variations of what is presented here. If you are really concerned with the environment you would not use diesel at all. The above search results in one alternative to the combustion engine.
Umm.. did I hear that correctly? The guy you worked with is Nigel Calder, the author of the "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual"? Mind boggles... :-)
I am sorry, I don't see the advantage of running the engine to generate power instead of a generator. I guess if you move every day and always by engine (not sail) it would make sense. Seems like a system designed for a trawler, not a sailboat. If you find a sweet anchorage that you want to stay at for a few weeks, you have to run the engine everyday to keep the batteries charged? I thought the whole idea of having a genset (specifically design to create electricity) was to eliminate the need of running your main at low speeds and loads (bad for a diesel) for the sole purpose of charging your batteries. What am I missing? Thanks for sharing and fair winds.
You are missing the point that the engine will not be running at low loads but high loads low rpm when in generation mode. The system uses a double algorithm, one for combined propulsion and charging and one for just charging (the case that you described at anchorage). Watch this video where Nigel Calder explains the concept: ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
How is it better to have a separate battery bank controlled by yet another device rather than just increasing the size/capacity of the house bank and putting an improved charge controller directly from the additional alternator to the house bank? Seems like more complicated stuff to fail...
Having this technology/ equipment available will be of tremendous interest to sailors who are buying a new boat and can spec in this ADVANCED GENERATOR REPLACEMENT TECHNOLOGY , from the manufacturer you referred too is it TRISKEL MARINE in the UK ?? You really need to provide links and specific details on the manufacturer for us to contact ??????
I’ve been a fan of Distant Shores for years, starting with their videos on my local PBS station. Paul and Sheryl have decided to limit the publication of their experiences to only sponsorships. We can’t know what has motivated this decision. It’s unfortunate for me, perhaps this is better for the Shards. I’ll look elsewhere for my vicarious entertainment. Enjoy your sails Paul and Sheryl.
Sorry you feel this way Gary. We do still make most of our episodes about sailing and destinations. Did you see our recent ones about the trip up to London and down to Gibraltar?
We plan a more detailed review of how the system works in a week or so. The system is being introduced tomorrow at Southampton Boat Show so this is a bit if a teaser...
I like your videos a lot. And I respect your great experience of sailing. But... This "new technology" is snake oil pure. It might sound you would be saving energy, but that simply is not true. Converting diesel oil to dc electricity and storing it in the batteries means (depending on the degree of the energy efficiency of the engine) you will actually loose at least 50% by mainly creating heat. That is according to the law of conservation of energy at least. The described main engine to battery energy conversion/transformation will only save space, but will in long run be by far more costly. Try this: You will notice the engine reving higher when disconnecting the alternator. The higher speed of the engine equals to your lost energy (and money). The difference will of course be better notable, when the batteries are empty. In addition you would now need to run your main engine daily for power production and get unnecessary operationg hours. And running the main engine by diesel oil during anchoring is not sustainable. And will cost you even more... What I although agree: Warm showers, ice cube in my gin tonic, electric light in the evening, hot meals and my wife using the hair dryer... Have a safe journey. Keep sending the videos.
Here is a link the MUCH more technical video by Nigel Calder - technical boat guru who was involved in the development of this system. He explains it better than I could.
Am I missing out on something? Since when did a small multi-v belt drive have the capacity to transmit 80 horse power? Plus, it's a diesel engine, there is no free lunch. It's not "spare" power, it's bought with extra fuel. If you're running the engine just to drive the "generator" there is no way it's as efficient as a direct drive dedicated generator.
Sorry if I haven't been clearer in my video. I will make a more in depth one in a week or so when we are back aboard. The generator produces up to 7.5kW so about 10hp. You are correct that it will use more fuel when working. This number is expressed I believe in gram/1kW of power produced. It is automatically loading up the engine to the amount it ought to be loaded anyway - except that most sailboat motors are underloaded until they are flat out. Regarding the use as a pure genset - I regularly get 330g/kw produced which is quite compatible to a dedicated generator, at least of the regular fixed RPM variety.
Does your battery monitor datalog energy usage? With all those amenities it'd be interesting to see a kWh power audit to see what your power usage is typically, and whether you could get away with lots of solar, a larger battery bank, and a good hydrogenerator when under sail. I watched Nigel's technical talk here: ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html Seems like a decent Stage 1 retrofit system. But there was no mention of hydrogeneration with the generator, or electric propulsion. With 8 kW you could be cruising under pure electric, starting the engine only when needed for more range and/or to charge the batteries. The electric system could also serve as redundancy for propulsion should the main engine fail.
It appears that while technologically "advanced" with the dedicated alternator for battery bank charging, your hunger for power greatly exceeds that which could be produced by any combination of solar, wind or water turbine generation. Distant Shores III appears to be more a sailing advertisement rather than a "test bed" for quasi advanced energy generation. The price factor of the battery bank & associated electrical components would be prohibitive compared to a more normal 3 way generation of solar, wind & water resources. It is synonamous to using a 6000+ Ah LiFePO4 battery bank compared to a 1200 Ah LiFePO4 battery bank that is charged from multiple sources. It's somewhat odd to essentially "put all your eggs in one basket" i.e. if the engine conks out that special alternator if a "paper weight".
So would using solar to use a 240v inverter so you could use superconductors instead of lithium battery that can only take 1200 charges then need replaced every 2-3 years down the line, When superconductors can take over 1 million + charges and only take 3 seconds to charge fully up compared to trickle charging lithium for 4-5 hrs, And it would save you space and a lot of weight and a lot of money over time and it is green technology not like lithium which is expensive to dig out and scars the land. If you did a lot of sailing why not a hydro generator would be more suitable for long sailing passages and you don't need to worry about fuel or the sun as long as you are not stuck in the doldrums it will give power as long as your sailing along.
You mention some interesting ideas such as lifetimes of the lithium batteries. And I assume you mean supercapacitors ( not superconductors) and it will be interesting to see more development in this in the future. I haven’t seen anything you can buy yet.
Why do you need a generator? We have two 300w panels a 600w wind generator and a 1087ah lead acid bank and have never needed a generator and we run two fridges 24/7 one at -18 and a washing machine I think the key is a good moot controller and all this can be had for about the same as a generator I wouldn't waste your money
Wow thats a whole lot of energy you have there. We have somewhat less solar and no wind (didn't like it :-( ) With your system though I agree you don't need a genset.
@@DistantShoresTV yeah I can understand that the three blade ones make an awful sound the one we have is six blade and is mostly silent although it does vibrate the pole in heavy winds which would annoy most people (I like it as it's a good warning of wind strength) but I think the solar really does most of the work and the batteries are fantastic ( 6x2v forklift traction batteries) all up cost me about $4000aud for everything minus wiring as there was an existing setup
Here is a link a VERY technical video by Nigel Calder who is THE technical sailing guru and worked on this Integrel system ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
At first this is a commercial ! second : just taking 7 KW from your main engine means the engine is under loaded . Generator is MUCH better ! ( low rpm diesel ) Big house battery bank is perfect but go for a 24 V system . And trow some solar panels on top and a wind generator on a arch ! I bet you will use your generator only for heavy cooking on you induction stove .
I have enjoyed your videos until this point. Although Nigel in his video said there are NO disadvantages. I can straight away think of some as i live on a boat: eg, Noise from the engine and complaints from other cruisers, not to mention extra hours on the valuable engine, Cost of this system (Batteries alone) that i feel is destined to fail long term. Permanent magnet generators have been around for a long time on motor car's and have logarithms to control them so this generator is not unique in any way. As an engineer my self i have learned that nothing is for free when it comes to generating energy. For example fitting an extra generator to your engine causes more load on the engine and in turn causing more wear and tear resulting in more servicing (Maintenance, Cost,Risk of failure ) etc. To be brutally honest. My guess is that you have invested in this project and you have not come from an engineering background. Just a couple of points to note that i picked up from Nigel's video. Permanent Magnet Generator: Readily available and not expensive. Another point here is that wind turbines use this technology so go take a look at there logarithms if this is such a clever system. Batteries: Nigel purchased the batteries from lots of suppliers to test the system out. Point being technology already readily available for your system. NOTE ON: Engine efficiency/power curve: As far as we know Nigel has demonstrated a margin of available power from the engine that is not used in normal conditions meaning 1 generator as normal. (IN SHORT HERE AS THIS POST IS GETTING LONG). He added an extra generator resulting on more load to the engine in the first place so the engine needs to (COMPENSATE) resulting in more fuel consumption etc. So the extra load makes the margins smaller and HOW LONG CAN YOU LIVE WITH 10KW OF POWER?????. Without extra free power. Believe me not long on my boat let alone that boat. So to summarize the above: Generator cheap but readily available to anyone, Batteries expensive but already available to anyone. So as quoted in Nigel's video it has cost 10 Million to develop some software and make some changes to some mechanical parts to make it his own. Then he said it is his retirement gift to us lol. WOW my IQ is not great but you backed the wrong horse here mate. My absolute conclusion here as someone that lives off grid as much as is possible. THIS PROJECT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. and my question is why did Nigel not spend the 10 Million on free sustainable technology. There are many more products out there ready to be discovered in that area. MOVE WITH THE TIMES NIGEL.... This system is not backwards compatible lol. On the other hand it would be very exciting to be proven wrong.
You talk A lot about A new system for power onboard, and new Technology , but you dit not shows anything of it, and no link to that Company . This is A bad video.
That's where an electric engine with regen and solar panels come in. This is a new boat it should be illegal to put diesel engines on new boats. You could have installed a small electric engine that you can also use while sailing to recharge the batteries and maybe 40Kw of lithium batteries.A very nice boat with very old and inefficient electric system. I guess you guys need to watch more you tube. maybe watch some other channels and learn.
OK sorry. but thats just not magically working. ON a boat, when the motor is running the power is shaft driven to the prop, IF you take off power to charge batteries, you ARE using more diesel to produce the same amount of prop power. and being able to get all your charging from the motor, simply means you run the diesel a lot. and don't mind the extra fuel bill thats probably quite small. but its not zip. honestly, I would have been a lot more impressed had you tied a couple panels and a mill in, maybe even a dragging generator.. that would have made sense.. but straight off shaft power.. one engineer to another.. sorry. there are no free power anywhere, sure there are better utilization, so maybe the unit mounted to the motor is uncommonly effective.? yet still sorry. Still love Distant shores and love the southernly boat. but need a lot more data on the "generator replacement" which is not replaced, just moved from the motor in the genny box to the Yanmar. trust me, your diesel consumption _will_ take a hit at one or another level. EDIT. there is ONE clear efficiency to your system, just running the engine, cost X fuel, because of overcoming friction etc. so if you are piggy-bagging the generator, you are not overcoming the build in engine friction twice, as in if you run motor and generator separately, if they were running separately like in most boats, you would pay for the friction both in the motor and when running the generator. Soooo there are some savings.. but.. is that enough?
Hi Distant Shores! I’ve been a huge fan of your show now and love your quality of videos! I have my own sailboat, a Beneteau 323, and these videos make me want to go sailing even though it is quite cold out now! While I can’t exactly go ocean sailing in my boat, your videos still inspire me to one day be able to do it! I wish you smooth sailing and happy adventures to distant shores!
Thanks Parker! We also wish you fair winds and smooth seas on your boat :-)
After a few years of using it, what are your thoughts on the Integral system and how it compares to a separate genset? A followup video would be great, especially since you now have your lithium battery bank.
Thanks for sharing info on the new system! Looking forward to hearing more details.
looks very interesting, look forward to seeing some more videos on the system
I have been thinking of adding a ceramic/carbon seal in the packing gland, a bearing and a sprag clutch to the prop shaft so that the prop shaft can rotate without the transmission/engine rotating. Then add a sprocket to the prop shaft that will rotate a 48V AC motor/generator. The generator side would charge a battery bank thru a MPPT controller when either the engine or water movement was rotating the prop while sailing. The motor side could rotate the prop for reverse or to power the vessel forward without starting the engine. Just a simple thought. I will wait for the rest of your report on your new generating system with bated breath....
Thanks for sharing another great video Paul & Sheryl. Power on board is always a challenge, especially if you want to run all those luxuries (WOW - totally jealous). Hope you recovered that light. Loved your B-roll - what a beautiful video.
Yes I did get it back and used it in the next shot (15 minutes later 😂
2:18 "Wasn't *exactly* intentional, because I dropped a light..." Happens to the best of us, Paul. I look forward to further reports the real-world results of this setup. Very interesting to systems nerds such as myself!
instablaster
Great video as always. Especially loved the sequence with the blender in it :)
Thanks glad you enjoyed it 👍
Hi Paul and Sheryl, really looking forward to a new season of Distant Shores TV.
Looking into the system now.
Awesome video with great information. We are purchasing a 65" Cat so we have room for solar and the Wind & Sea Hydro. By adding the Integral Marine to engines we "should" have all the power we need and not even use the engine system that much. Truly appreciate your videos and take care in the big blue.
Hi Guys - awesome video.
I was really excited to see your video and that by the developer especially because I thought it would be a great way to save on weight seeing we have a generator in place. The bubble burst a bit for me to see the need for an additional 48v battery bank but perhaps I am missing something here.
Could I ask you guys what the total weight of the system is and what other battery banks you have in the boat?
I believe further to this and before ones regular battery house banks, a dedicated 12v (in 12 systems) battery is needed too?
I can see how this would be a great install on new boats but wondering for boats with generators already fitted.
I also wonder how fuel consumption works in this set up because although there is lost efficiency in engines and they are capitalizing on that lost efficiency, it would surely mean added fuel to get to that optimal efficiency.
At the moment we have a generator using 1.6 ltrs per hour, is started from inside the salon and does not put more hours on the main ships engines, so the big draw card fro people with existing generators considering a replacement would be 'weight saving' and fuel saving.
If you could provide some statistics we would be most grateful.
Thanks for sharing and caring
A Merry Christmas season and Happy new year to you both
Brent
Can you run your air con overnight for instance while in Florida in the summer months for example while at anchor with this system without running the engine? Just curious. I think this system is a long overdue idea.
Clearly without running the engine you will be relying on battery power and nothing else, so has no relevance at all to a generator alternator if you are not prepared to turn it!
So in answer to your question is YES, if your battery bank is big enough.
👍👍👍 Another great video. Was nice meeting you at the Southampton boat show. 👌
Thanks Bowwave Paul :-) It is a fun show for sure and a great time to get too meet people!
Paul, which toilets were fitted to DS3, and are they working as desired?
Hopefully the description will be updated with an active link to this company. For this system to be practical it will have to be lithium batteries purely to take the charge rate and get up to say 95% charge in a few hours otherwise the main engine will be running 12 hours a day.
ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
Wow this sounds brilliant ! I'm just about to look into a generator , Ive just googled INTERGREL and the video really explains this system , which looks great , thanks .
Paul although well shot, this video is such a cruel tease! You show us a fancy monitoring panel, and mention (in passing) the Great and Venerable Nigel Calder, but there's no other details! Google searches show no relevant results for Integral Marine. What makes this system different than a high-power auxiliary alternator and regulator? Please don't leave us hanging...
Thanks Matt - I didn't mean to be cruel :-(
Main differences - much higher output at 7kW which would be equivalent to 600 amps at 12V - automatic loading of the engine to take into account the safety of the engine. So when you are maneuvering or running hard this automatically reduces the load on the engine completely. Then when you're just running along steadily in gear it will gently put load on.
is it what you are looking for? triskelmarine.co.uk/battery-monitors/
Thanks for replying! I've looked through the Triskel Marine website. Do you have the controllable-pitch prop as well? I am surprised that the alternator is rather small, and with smaller power cables. Also for 7KW output for the system (not alternator, obviously) I expect two inverters (not shown) drawing from the large battery bank. But as you say, Triskel's main product is the integration, monitoring, and control of all these pieces - so I'm really interested in learning more. I suspect you're under a non-disclosure agreement as a condition of your test, and there's only so much you're allowed to tell us! Looking forward to more details on this system! :-)
That load is amazing.
It looks like Triskel has just posted a webpage with some details: www.integrelmarine.com/ It's basically a 48VDC 170A alternator externally rectified and regulated in their controller box (the black box in the upper right of the test board), with lots of sensors and software to determine how much charge. Otherwise works with a battery bank (lead or lithium) and inverter as normal.
Beautiful video footage as always, but this video commercial falls short in providing any useful technical details on the integral system regarding the storage of the energy (says says 10kw battery bank, but what type batteries used (lithium phosphate or carbon foam AGM), what voltage of battery bank etc) and the method of conversion of stored energy back into AC current for 110 / 220 volt appliances etc. such as what inverters are used and what the AC capacity is to run high loads (eg. start up currents of AC ventilation systems) as well as the efficient of the energy conversion process; size and weight of energy storage systems in comparison to generators, etc. Any link to a website for more info?
Tech details... drive.google.com/file/d/10c6SAe03dDkSvRQfwvG3ycUmLZ-rbZHP/view
What about WIND energy?
A boat is a floating compromise. ;-)
I am pretty sure he (Paul) has though about it
Wind : www.sailmagazine.com/diy/know-how-wind-generators
Hydrogenerator: www.sailmagazine.com/diy/know-how-hydro-generators
Yes I thought that too. Not just for electricity, don't all sail boats use WIND for motion too. I would say its the most used energy source.
Wind generators are not very efficient. They need 20+ knots of wind to generate 300Wh, which is not much. And they are noisy and can be dangerous, too.
They need 20+ knots of ( *apparent* ) wind to generate 300Wh,
Secondly, the output provided by the manufacturers is in wind tunnels, constant speed, flow, undisturbed flow, etc. . Add the heeling, air flow turbulences, etc, and the output drops significantly.
nevertheless, they are still a valid option.
They are so noisy though. Same with those air diesel heaters. The both sound like jet turbines firing up.
Paul
It's been little over a year and a half. How are you liking the Integrel generator replacment? Does it still live up to your expectations. Is it for sale yet to the general public?
is there a link for the company that provided that system? any further info would be great, thanks.
is it what you are looking for? triskelmarine.co.uk/battery-monitors/
Thanks for the video. Interesting concept.
Can you still get power to all important systems if the batteries fail, even if at a lower output?? It would suck having these fail a couple days out to sea with a refrigerator full of food if there wasn't a backup plan.
It always sucks for something to break, but if it's a manageable suck, at least it's tolerable :-)
I like backup systems ... two systems to charge batteries (motor, genset, wind or solar). Two systems to provide power such as a house and an engine bank that can be swapped if needed, even if manually.
I agree with Matt Cross - even with your reply, it's still a bit of a tease. Let's have some techie detail. What batteries for instance? and there is loads more you could reveal - could you and/or Triskel Marine produce a technical paper/video showing the detail? Surely there is new business for Triskel here?
That's pretty cool however I have a different question so you just took this new boat a few months ago but I noticed that you have a lot of growth with the underwater shots...doors it grow thst fast...and do you go down and clean it yourselves?
Good to see Nigel and Ken’s work. Do you know the efficiency range of the generator? Say at 9kW and 6kW? If say 90% that’s still 900 and 600 Watts of heat to deal with. Much depending on the efficiency curve of course. Begs the question what’s the cooling arrangement?
I do not have the efficiency numbers but you could try emailing them at the contact number here www.integrelmarine.com...
They're keen to help and explain their system.
We do not have any special cooling set up on ours although there is an automatic fan running in the control box.
Thinking you need to try again with this video and add some details. Can you run ac? Can you run the engine with out moving to charge? Lots more info would be nice.
ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
Thanks for the tech update. Wouldn't this setup technically be a "Hybrid" system albeit a marine version & more automated than running the engine to charge the batteries?
Are you using Lithium Batteries or the more common AGM Lead acid battery?
We had Odyssey Thin Plate AGM batteries but it would work quite well with Lithium since it can produce so much power.
What about wind power as a source of energy? Plenty of it for free
Not if it ain't blowing!
If you can stand the noise without going insane . I have done it all wind, solar , fuel cell give me a diesel generator all day every day . More environmentally friendly than all that green crap when you figure out carbon foot print , life span , etc .
OMG I am guessing you have miniature people to do maintenance and repair on that engine installation.
Paul, I am considering an Integrel install on our new Leopard 45L when she arrives in Jan 2021. Can you give me your most recent opinion on the system. I can send details seperately if needed as I am US based and local experience is limited. Also, have you had any issues requiring service or parts replacement and how was the support? Any issues with your Yanmar? Thanks. Rich
Hi Richard. We have had no problems with the system. As far as I know the main drive belt is the only regular maintenance part but ours is not even remotely worn after 2 years and 16000 miles. Tech support has been good. My only comment would be that you should definitely have a Lithium battery bank to go with it :-)
@@DistantShoresTV Paul. Thank you very much for all you do for the cruising community. I appreciate the advice. Hope to see you out there next year.
Paul, pretty cool stuff. Do you also run the AC on this new power system, I guess I'd be interested to learn what you can and cant run on it and for how long before you have to crank on the engine again. Thanks for the video and safe travels. Hi to Sheryl.
Thanks for the kind words Anthony.
We do not have AC on the new boat although we plan to add at least one unit. The Integral produces 7kW so it could put in enough to run a small unit for that hot still night where the mosquitos are circling and we want to close up :-) the thing is we have one 10kW bank so AC would use quite a bit of it. I imagine the next upgrade will have Lithium batteries as the storage so we would move to 20kW and then it would all work.
We're planning a more tech video shortly and will address your questions :-)
Are they lithium batteries? I'm assuming so given the power transfer loads.
Hello Paul, Very interesting technology alternative. I have since contacted Triskel: Thank you for this link Trevor.
I have watched about 10 minutes of the video and already I am concerned about the excessive heat generation of the Triskel Alternator that requires high temperature wiring, particularly in the engine compartment. Also the Controller Box equally has two very substantial heat reducing fans fitted that is also informing my judgement on the confined environment of a boat that your test rig does not reflect. Thus performance may be impaired?
On the upside, I understand the latent performance capacity of a given engines maximum power and given RPM within which Triskel's Controller Unit harvests 8-9Kw of useable surplus power. However, the heat generation and potential meltdown fire risk in the confined environment of a closed and potentially combustible engine compartment is of practical concern and what impact this may have on marine insurance.
I wonder what empirical data may be achieved by Triskel if their 'test rig' actually reflected the environment within which it is meant to operate, as opposed to a voluminous white room? Heat dissipation and fire risk are my principle concerns. However, I am aware that Paul Shard - Distant Shores III has your kit installed on his boat, so he will be my next port of call.
Kind regards
ROB
I haven’t noticed any excessive temperatures when I open up the engine compartment. The unit carefully monitors its own temperature and although I have seen it report up to 115 or (internal temp in the generator) it wasn’t near its limit. That was during a very hot period when Spain was having a heat wave and we were seeing it over 30 on board.
All alternators produce heat, and that is a serious issue when fitting a high-output auxiliary alternator to a boat, often additional blowers are fitted to cool the alternator in the hot engine compartment. This system I think improves the situation by moving the bridge rectifier diodes off the alternator and into the controller/regulator box, which has two large fans as you noted. I presume this allows better heatsinks and cooling airflow than would be possible on the alternator, and allows a more compact alternator than would otherwise be possible.
Question number two, I see that you have added a mainsheet bridge/bimini frame, Paul. Does that work well with the mainsheet? I’m contemplating whether that would be successful on a S135.
Yes this works fine and keeps the cockpit free of the mainsheet. We do not find we miss the traveller. For the 135 I think it would mean you could have canvas/shade over the cockpit while sailing? It is fairly heavy since it needs to take heavy loads.
Distant Shores TV Thanks Paul and Sheryl. So there is no traveller? The main just feeds out from the centre of the frame? I’d love to see a close up of that if you get time. bill@weldbrush.com DS3 is a gorgeous machine, you are justifiably proud.
Correct - there is no traveller and the mainsheet runs forward to the mast and down that way.
So an alternator?
Paul,
If I understand correctly, you used to have a genset on DS II, as well as solar, and of course the alternator from the main engine.
I have also read on your website that you were running the genset 1 to 3 hrs per day.
You have now a single power source: main engine. If that were to fail, you'd be out of a source of electricity.
As Murphy's law increase with the cube of distance to the nearest point of repair, I am wondering why you solely rely on a single power source?
Thank you
We will also have solar - 5 X 100 watts on the new arch we're adding in Gibraltar. So we'll have the alternator, plus the new Triskel (both on the main engine) plus the solar array giving 2.5kW per day. But without the solar you're correct... we would have the single point as you say.
What about hydro generators?
How can I get info about this to put on my Boreal 47 that I am building in France?
I would contact Triskel directly through their new integrel website David :-) www.integrelmarine.com
Do you have a link for the company?
Isn't it actually better for longevity of the diesel engine to operate under a heavy load most of the time?
Yes it is one of the big pluses of the system as it will be better for the engine.
*New Sub* .... much respect for your sailing experience and great videos!
Cool, but please break out a detailed tech video on this and each of the components . Lithium batteries? Can this be done with a 35hp engine on a 35 ft island packet? Weight? Costs? Service life and many more questions.
Do you have a website for Intergrel?
Hi Nelson - they've put it up now :-) www.integrelmarine.com
You can't run air conditioning of the batteries for long. So to run AC you need a genset
So it's basically a high power alternator supplying a large modern tech battery bank? Modern batteries are definitely the way forward but lithum batteries do worry me due to their volatile nature. I've been flying r/c electric aircraft for some years now and we charge the lipo batteries in fire proof bags or on metal trays. I've seen one go up and it's not good, they catch fire so easily.
Yes safety is definitely the big question with lithium batteries. Speaking with Nigel Calder today he was describing the efforts to get a certification standard in place to insure marine batteries get a way to measure/test they will be safe for our boats.
It's only specific Lithium batteries that are volatile, Anyone sensible would be using LiFeP04 in this sort of scenario. These do not explode or catch fire like Li-ion / LiPo can
Its OK, on replay I see TECMA masserator type.
Doesn't look like Triscol(sp?) have an internet presence. Nigal Calder does as he is author of a number of sailing related books. Search for him. If you search for "Alternatives for marine generator" you get a number of hits for variations of what is presented here. If you are really concerned with the environment you would not use diesel at all. The above search results in one alternative to the combustion engine.
its up now www.integrelmarine.com
Thanks for the information about the new system. However, I would install it in addition to a diesel generator.
Imagine an engine failure !!!!
Umm.. did I hear that correctly? The guy you worked with is Nigel Calder, the author of the "Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual"? Mind boggles... :-)
Yes thats Nigel... he will be at the introduction tomorrow in Southampton :-)
This is pretty common tech on narrowboats, a friend does laundry all day when traveling using his engine driven gen set.......
I am sorry, I don't see the advantage of running the engine to generate power instead of a generator. I guess if you move every day and always by engine (not sail) it would make sense. Seems like a system designed for a trawler, not a sailboat.
If you find a sweet anchorage that you want to stay at for a few weeks, you have to run the engine everyday to keep the batteries charged? I thought the whole idea of having a genset (specifically design to create electricity) was to eliminate the need of running your main at low speeds and loads (bad for a diesel) for the sole purpose of charging your batteries.
What am I missing?
Thanks for sharing and fair winds.
You are missing the point that the engine will not be running at low loads but high loads low rpm when in generation mode. The system uses a double algorithm, one for combined propulsion and charging and one for just charging (the case that you described at anchorage). Watch this video where Nigel Calder explains the concept: ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
I know your a canuck like i am. why does your transom say" Distant shores III Jersey"
How is it better to have a separate battery bank controlled by yet another device rather than just increasing the size/capacity of the house bank and putting an improved charge controller directly from the additional alternator to the house bank? Seems like more complicated stuff to fail...
Having this technology/ equipment available will be of tremendous interest to sailors who are buying a new boat and can spec in this ADVANCED GENERATOR REPLACEMENT TECHNOLOGY , from the manufacturer you referred too is it TRISKEL MARINE in the UK ?? You really need to provide links and specific details on the manufacturer for us to contact ??????
I will add in links this afternoon :-)
More detail needed on batteries and monitoring systems would be nice
Let me know if changing a belt on your engine takes all day, because from the footage looks like you will ..
I thought the same....
I’ve been a fan of Distant Shores for years, starting with their videos on my local PBS station. Paul and Sheryl have decided to limit the publication of their experiences to only sponsorships. We can’t know what has motivated this decision. It’s unfortunate for me, perhaps this is better for the Shards. I’ll look elsewhere for my vicarious entertainment. Enjoy your sails Paul and Sheryl.
Sorry you feel this way Gary. We do still make most of our episodes about sailing and destinations. Did you see our recent ones about the trip up to London and down to Gibraltar?
Nicely filmed but so lacking in technical detail very disappointing.
We plan a more detailed review of how the system works in a week or so. The system is being introduced tomorrow at Southampton Boat Show so this is a bit if a teaser...
here is a technical video by Nigel Calder who worked on the system. (but I'm still going to do a technical video in a week or two
drive.google.com/file/d/10c6SAe03dDkSvRQfwvG3ycUmLZ-rbZHP/view
Distant Shores TV Thanks for this Paul, very interesting and look forward to seeing how it performs for you.
I like your videos a lot. And I respect your great experience of sailing. But...
This "new technology" is snake oil pure. It might sound you would be saving energy, but that simply is not true. Converting diesel oil to dc electricity and storing it in the batteries means (depending on the degree of the energy efficiency of the engine) you will actually loose at least 50% by mainly creating heat. That is according to the law of conservation of energy at least.
The described main engine to battery energy conversion/transformation will only save space, but will in long run be by far more costly.
Try this:
You will notice the engine reving higher when disconnecting the alternator. The higher speed of the engine equals to your lost energy (and money). The difference will of course be better notable, when the batteries are empty.
In addition you would now need to run your main engine daily for power production and get unnecessary operationg hours. And running the main engine by diesel oil during anchoring is not sustainable. And will cost you even more... What I although agree: Warm showers, ice cube in my gin tonic, electric light in the evening, hot meals and my wife using the hair dryer...
Have a safe journey. Keep sending the videos.
Here is a link the MUCH more technical video by Nigel Calder - technical boat guru who was involved in the development of this system. He explains it better than I could.
Here's the actual link to understand the concept: ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
There are no free lunches in life especially when it comes to electric power.
Am I missing out on something? Since when did a small multi-v belt drive have the capacity to transmit 80 horse power? Plus, it's a diesel engine, there is no free lunch. It's not "spare" power, it's bought with extra fuel. If you're running the engine just to drive the "generator" there is no way it's as efficient as a direct drive dedicated generator.
Sorry if I haven't been clearer in my video. I will make a more in depth one in a week or so when we are back aboard.
The generator produces up to 7.5kW so about 10hp. You are correct that it will use more fuel when working. This number is expressed I believe in gram/1kW of power produced. It is automatically loading up the engine to the amount it ought to be loaded anyway - except that most sailboat motors are underloaded until they are flat out.
Regarding the use as a pure genset - I regularly get 330g/kw produced which is quite compatible to a dedicated generator, at least of the regular fixed RPM variety.
Yes, manufactures' figures for a Cummins Onan QD 11kW generator running at 75% (8.25kW) is 303 g/kWh.
Does your battery monitor datalog energy usage? With all those amenities it'd be interesting to see a kWh power audit to see what your power usage is typically, and whether you could get away with lots of solar, a larger battery bank, and a good hydrogenerator when under sail. I watched Nigel's technical talk here: ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
Seems like a decent Stage 1 retrofit system. But there was no mention of hydrogeneration with the generator, or electric propulsion. With 8 kW you could be cruising under pure electric, starting the engine only when needed for more range and/or to charge the batteries. The electric system could also serve as redundancy for propulsion should the main engine fail.
It appears that while technologically "advanced" with the dedicated alternator for battery bank charging, your hunger for power greatly exceeds that which could be produced by any combination of solar, wind or water turbine generation. Distant Shores III appears to be more a sailing advertisement rather than a "test bed" for quasi advanced energy generation. The price factor of the battery bank & associated electrical components would be prohibitive compared to a more normal 3 way generation of solar, wind & water resources. It is synonamous to using a 6000+ Ah LiFePO4 battery bank compared to a 1200 Ah LiFePO4 battery bank that is charged from multiple sources. It's somewhat odd to essentially "put all your eggs in one basket" i.e. if the engine conks out that special alternator if a "paper weight".
So would using solar to use a 240v inverter so you could use superconductors instead of lithium battery that can only take 1200 charges then need replaced every 2-3 years down the line, When superconductors can take over 1 million + charges and only take 3 seconds to charge fully up compared to trickle charging lithium for 4-5 hrs, And it would save you space and a lot of weight and a lot of money over time and it is green technology not like lithium which is expensive to dig out and scars the land. If you did a lot of sailing why not a hydro generator would be more suitable for long sailing passages and you don't need to worry about fuel or the sun as long as you are not stuck in the doldrums it will give power as long as your sailing along.
You mention some interesting ideas such as lifetimes of the lithium batteries. And I assume you mean supercapacitors ( not superconductors) and it will be interesting to see more development in this in the future. I haven’t seen anything you can buy yet.
Hm... You haven't been taxing that fancy new generator with much video editing lately...
I'm assuming it is Triskel Marine that has developed this? triskelmarine.co.uk/
I've added in the link - thanks for pointing out I missed it.
Why not solar? Why not wind or water turbine?
Using your diesel engine for this dual purpose is good but by far not environmentally up to date.
Checked it out. It's a horribly expensive alternator.
Why do you need a generator? We have two 300w panels a 600w wind generator and a 1087ah lead acid bank and have never needed a generator and we run two fridges 24/7 one at -18 and a washing machine I think the key is a good moot controller and all this can be had for about the same as a generator I wouldn't waste your money
Wow thats a whole lot of energy you have there. We have somewhat less solar and no wind (didn't like it :-( ) With your system though I agree you don't need a genset.
@@DistantShoresTV yeah I can understand that the three blade ones make an awful sound the one we have is six blade and is mostly silent although it does vibrate the pole in heavy winds which would annoy most people (I like it as it's a good warning of wind strength) but I think the solar really does most of the work and the batteries are fantastic ( 6x2v forklift traction batteries) all up cost me about $4000aud for everything minus wiring as there was an existing setup
Sure looks a lot like a alternator to me
High on shill and light on details.
We'll do a VERY technical video coming up in a week or so to provide engineering/electrical details :-)
Here is a link a VERY technical video by Nigel Calder who is THE technical sailing guru and worked on this Integrel system
ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
At first this is a commercial !
second : just taking 7 KW from your main engine means the engine is under loaded .
Generator is MUCH better ! ( low rpm diesel )
Big house battery bank is perfect but go for a 24 V system .
And trow some solar panels on top and a wind generator on a arch !
I bet you will use your generator only for heavy cooking on you induction stove .
I have enjoyed your videos until this point. Although Nigel in his video said there are NO disadvantages. I can straight away think of some as i live on a boat: eg, Noise from the engine and complaints from other cruisers, not to mention extra hours on the valuable engine, Cost of this system (Batteries alone) that i feel is destined to fail long term.
Permanent magnet generators have been around for a long time on motor car's and have logarithms to control them so this generator is not unique in any way.
As an engineer my self i have learned that nothing is for free when it comes to generating energy. For example fitting an extra generator to your engine causes more load on the engine and in turn causing more wear and tear resulting in more servicing (Maintenance, Cost,Risk of failure ) etc.
To be brutally honest. My guess is that you have invested in this project and you have not come from an engineering background.
Just a couple of points to note that i picked up from Nigel's video.
Permanent Magnet Generator: Readily available and not expensive. Another point here is that wind turbines use this technology so go take a look at there logarithms if this is such a clever system.
Batteries: Nigel purchased the batteries from lots of suppliers to test the system out. Point being technology already readily available for your system.
NOTE ON: Engine efficiency/power curve: As far as we know Nigel has demonstrated a margin of available power from the engine that is not used in normal conditions meaning 1 generator as normal. (IN SHORT HERE AS THIS POST IS GETTING LONG). He added an extra generator resulting on more load to the engine in the first place so the engine needs to (COMPENSATE) resulting in more fuel consumption etc.
So the extra load makes the margins smaller and HOW LONG CAN YOU LIVE WITH 10KW OF POWER?????. Without extra free power. Believe me not long on my boat let alone that boat.
So to summarize the above:
Generator cheap but readily available to anyone, Batteries expensive but already available to anyone. So as quoted in Nigel's video it has cost 10 Million to develop some software and make some
changes to some mechanical parts to make it his own. Then he said it is his retirement gift to us lol. WOW my IQ is not great but you backed the wrong horse here mate.
My absolute conclusion here as someone that lives off grid as much as is possible. THIS PROJECT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. and my question is why did Nigel not spend the 10 Million on free sustainable technology. There are many more products out there ready to be discovered in that area. MOVE WITH THE TIMES NIGEL.... This system is not backwards compatible lol.
On the other hand it would be very exciting to be proven wrong.
Unless the engine burns less fuel than a generator you still end up using more fuel . Unless you motor more than sail .
Man, I never knew how bad the super wealthy had it until I heard your list of essentials and your complaints about the lack of space on this 50' boat.
Let's also say: A single point of failure... so many alternatives... don't make a decision that can leave you dead in the water.
You talk A lot about A new system for power onboard, and new Technology , but you dit not shows anything of it, and no link to that Company . This is A bad video.
I have added in the link to Triskel. I will make a more technical video in a week or so when we get back aboard.
ruclips.net/video/wfX96IWA6m8/видео.html
That's where an electric engine with regen and solar panels come in. This is a new boat it should be illegal to put diesel engines on new boats.
You could have installed a small electric engine that you can also use while sailing to recharge the batteries and maybe 40Kw of lithium batteries.A very nice boat with very old and inefficient electric system. I guess you guys need to watch more you tube. maybe watch some other channels and learn.
Laugh. Also why is your Canadian flag always wrapped around the stays?
OK sorry. but thats just not magically working.
ON a boat, when the motor is running the power is shaft driven to the prop, IF you take off power to charge batteries, you ARE using more diesel to produce the same amount of prop power. and being able to get all your charging from the motor, simply means you run the diesel a lot. and don't mind the extra fuel bill thats probably quite small. but its not zip.
honestly, I would have been a lot more impressed had you tied a couple panels and a mill in, maybe even a dragging generator.. that would have made sense.. but straight off shaft power.. one engineer to another.. sorry. there are no free power anywhere, sure there are better utilization, so maybe the unit mounted to the motor is uncommonly effective.? yet still sorry.
Still love Distant shores and love the southernly boat. but need a lot more data on the "generator replacement" which is not replaced, just moved from the motor in the genny box to the Yanmar. trust me, your diesel consumption _will_ take a hit at one or another level.
EDIT. there is ONE clear efficiency to your system, just running the engine, cost X fuel, because of overcoming friction etc. so if you are piggy-bagging the generator, you are not overcoming the build in engine friction twice, as in if you run motor and generator separately, if they were running separately like in most boats, you would pay for the friction both in the motor and when running the generator. Soooo there are some savings.. but.. is that enough?