View Single Post
Old 12-01-2007, 10:05 PM   #2 (permalink)
MetroMPG
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 12,537

Blackfly - '98 Metro
Team Metro
90 day: 67.07 mpg (US)

ForkenSwift - '92 Metro EV
90 day: 125.37 mpg (US)

U.F.O. - '00 Insight
Team Honda
90 day: 85.75 mpg (US)
Thanks: 302
Thanked 1,020 Times in 568 Posts
Made a "tri-brid" with it (wind/gas/electric): lashed the Minnkota to the swim ladder of a sailboat

It's kind of funny seeing 17 lbs of thrust drive a 5000 lb boat. Mind you, it wasn't fast - a slow walking pace at max power. And that was in flat water with almost no breeze. Change either of those, and fuhgeddaboutit.

With only 17 lbs of thrust, it quickly becomes apparent how much force even the lightest breeze exerts on just the hull & rigging.

I was also thinking: I might be able to cannibalize this to make an e-assist bike kit. Motor cooling issues aside, it's is supposed to supply max power for 3.25 hrs from a 105 amp hour 12v source. That works out to about 32 amps or 384 watts, which is the rating of a med-low powered e-bike.

EDIT: I wonder if the electronics of the Minnkota can handle a stall (or low RPM, high current) situation though... boat motors don't see that, so it may not be designed in....
__________________
Latest project: removable Geo Metro boat tail
Latest test: Massive cardboard air dam on a Geo Metro


www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote