Posted by Mark Jones on October 21, 2003 at 09:33:06:
In Reply to: Electric Motors Vs Fosil Fuel for Bo Jest posted by Rob on October 20, 2003 at 16:42:18:
Hello Rob,
I happen to be completing a BoJest and think the alternative of using a DC motor is entirely possible. First I'd like to address a couple of factors in motor consideration.
By design, the BoJest hull is driven to its maximum speed (displacement) by no more than 10hp... not 15. There are certainly DC motors in this category available at a variety of voltages.
Instead of using typical automotive batteries, there are a number of extremely high cold-crank rated batteries available in the agricultural industry for diesel tractors. These could be wired in parallel to maintain a specific voltage or wired in series to incrementally (cumulatively) achieve higher voltages. DC motors have been used in Navy ship machine shops for years, and such a motor might well have the continuous duty rating you'd need.
I'd also like to weigh in on the fossil vs. electric aspect of this conversation thread. Both fossil fuel and battery manufacturing processes generate pollutants. The only way, in my opinion, that electric drives can become less polluting is in their charging means... that is to say, unless gravity (dams) generation, solar, wind, etc. methods are maintained and advanced, you may as well be running a gas generator onboard to maintain batteries. That would be a shame, of course, so I'm hoping other means of generation (as well as clean battery manufacture) continue to be encouraged.
I certainly wish you well in your building of BoJest; there are several such builders who are on this site that like to communicate via email.
- Mark
: Hey gang,
: I am currently underway in my venture to build the Bo Jest... I was thinking of installing Electric Motor(s) instead of a fosil fuel engine. Does anyone know what, if any, the comparison would be between these two. i.e. is a 15 h.p. electric equivalent to a 15 h.p diesel.