power palnt

[pugtug613]

I had a great idea over the weekend. I was having a Corona and running the genny to charge up my batteries. Then I thought, why do you need a 180 HP diesel? The subways in NYC have small diesel generators that charge up battery banks that run electric motors. And when they are on electric tracks, they don't need the diesel generators at all. What if Ranger put a decent size genny, maybe 40 HP that you would start up and keep running. The genny would charge up a battery bank and keep it topped off. Then a Large electric motor could turn the shaft and with gearing have forward neutral and reverse. Now, instead of burning 5 or 8 GPH, you would burn 1 GPH to run a 40 HP diesel engine. The power train would come from the electric motor. A subway car weighs a lot more then a Ranger Tug and they move pretty darn fast. Just an idea?
Chester

 

[walldog]

I had a great idea over the weekend. I was having a Corona and running the genny to charge up my batteries. Then I thought, why do you need a 180 HP diesel? The subways in NYC have small diesel generators that charge up battery banks that run electric motors. And when they are on electric tracks, they don't need the diesel generators at all. What if Ranger put a decent size genny, maybe 40 HP that you would start up and keep running. The genny would charge up a battery bank and keep it topped off. Then a Large electric motor could turn the shaft and with gearing have forward neutral and reverse. Now, instead of burning 5 or 8 GPH, you would burn 1 GPH to run a 40 HP diesel engine. The power train would come from the electric motor. A subway car weighs a lot more then a Ranger Tug and they move pretty darn fast. Just an idea?
Chester

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2014/Gr ... 8LhAvldVic

This comes in a 33 or so also.

 

[pugtug613]

WOW! I knew it was a good idea, but somebody already thought of it.

 

[coreychamness]

Great idea. But others have come before you. My first ship in the US Coast Guard also operated as you envisioned - USCGC Sagebrush. A 180 ft buoy tender. They had diesel engines (locomotive ones) that produced electricity that powered a single electric motor. Many ice breakers are also diesel electric. If an electric motor is stopped by debris it stops and doesn't like it but it survives. A diesel engine and reduction gears don't like being stopped by ice or the ocean floor - metal chunks...

 

[Brian B]

Great idea. But others have come before you. My first ship in the US Coast Guard also operated as you envisioned - USCGC Sagebrush. A 180 ft buoy tender. They had diesel engines (locomotive ones) that produced electricity that powered a single electric motor. Many ice breakers are also diesel electric. If an electric motor is stopped by debris it stops and doesn't like it but it survives. A diesel engine and reduction gears don't like being stopped by ice or the ocean floor - metal chunks...

I was thinking the same thing when I started to read this topic.
USCGC Hornbeam, 180' buoy tender. I served aboard her in 1972, Woods Hole, Ma

 

[Levitation]

Passagemaker magazine has printed a number of articles over the years on this topic.
Steve DeAntonio has written on the subject. And I am sure there are other publications and authors.
Be wary of the author singing the praises of diesel-electric for boats of our size. It takes a many pounds of lead to replace a single gallon of diesel. The economics is that there is a breaking point in ship size above which diesel-electric becomes a solution and below which it becomes a problem.

Another issue is the average boater owners unwillingness to learn the finer points of managing battery systems. Some seem incapable of cleaning the the battery terminals and keeping the water above the plates on a couple automotive style batteries. Heaven forbid they be in charge of a couple tons of 8D's.