Electric sailboat motor: new conversion project (update: project shelved)

[lightflite]

The drive shaft is effectively vertical - so power it with either a windmill (how green would that be? ) or a squirrel harnessed to a radial arm.

Viola, a REAL squirrel cage motor!

More seriously, glad you are still afloat.
A question - in you original pic of the motor there is a large "trunking" rising above the motor with an angled end. Is this the air intake?
Sucking air from low down in a boat hull is pretty hazardous, because of the possible presence of gas in the bilges. A good recipe for a runaway if the engine inhales fuel in the intake.

Following this thought along - a DC motor is an excellent ignition source with its commutation sparks - might be a wise idea to incorporate a bilge vent fan which would also cool the motor, esp. if you plan on 144V.
andrew

[MetroMPG]

andrew - I think you're referring to the exhaust manifold. Items 1 / 22 in the diagram:



Agreed about the danger of sparks from motor brushes. Fortunately, I don't use gas for cooking inside the boat. I use electric when at the dock hooked to shore power, or the propane barbeque outside on the stern rail.

(I do need to move my propane tank outside the cockpit storage locker though - it could potentially leak and sink into the bilge.)

And I do have a good bilge vent blower available for motor cooling should I need it.

[MetroMPG]

After a hiatus for other projects since launch, I'm back at this little conversion exercise.

Started working on a "test" coupler (wood). That's my style.

I brought the motor down to the boat this evening, expect I'll make up a quick bracket/platform (wood also) and try it out before the end of the day tomorrow.

6v test first, jumper cable "contactors". Progressing in 6v increments to 24v or wooden coupler failure, whichever comes first.

[Philscar]

Hi Darin
Tractor Supply Co. has a selection of steel and rubber couplings that might get your motor connected to the drive shaft.
Good luck with the installation!Let me know if you need a hand.

Phil

[MetroMPG]

Hi Phil - I should check that out. I need a specific size of 14 spline coupler... wondered if I could salvage/adapt the crank end from a dead outboard from Gilbert's marine...

---

Anyway: success!

Then: failure!

The good news is: I slapped together a wooden motor mount, coupled & aligned everything as best as possible, connected the jumper cables and it whirred happily away with a minimum of vibration.

On 12v in gear there wasn't enough thrust to move the boat against a 8-10 knot breeze (guessing). No surprise there - really wasn't expecting it to. (I just slacked the dock lines and played around without leaving the slip. The wind was on the nose, pushing me back in.)

So I stepped it up to 24v and the thrust seemed more promising... briefly ... until the coupler split! Then it spun uselessly. I may attempt a repair/reinforcement and try 24v again tomorrow.

It looks like at 12v it will only be useful in calm flat conditions, much like the electric trolling motor. I'll need 36 or 48v to get any serious push from it.

Will post a bunch of pics tomorrow showing what I've done so far.

[dcb]

what motor specs did you wind up with?

[MetroMPG]

Motor specs!

OHIO MOTOR

Model: D-481514X7455A
F.F.: 1.0
HP .65 / .85
INS. CL.: B
RPM: 1700 / 2300
AMB.: 40C
VOLT: 36/48
DUTY: CONT
AMP.: 17
TYPE: PM
FR.: D48
SER. NO.9500000

OHIO ELECTRIC MOTORS
Paint Fork Road, P.O. Box 168
Barnardsville, NC 28709

4 magnets
4 brushes

dia.: 5.75 in.
length: 11.25

[iwyze]

I am watching with anticipation I too have a 30 year old sailboat where the motor is on its last legs. Keep up the good work, if it goes as well as we hope I will consider following suit.

[MetroMPG]

Thanks.

Well, I'll "keep up the work". There's bound to be some debate about whether it's "good work" or not.

But I'm having fun!

----

OK, some photos... Prepare to be amused!!



Above: the component parts of the test coupler v.1.0:
- wood to go over the input shaft
- the slotted disc is the hub from inside the power steering pump (the slots used to hold the pump vanes)
- the removable pump shaft to the motor (note pesky keyway style interface to the motor)




Yes, the pump hub is nailed to the wood. So far that part has been the LEAST trouble!



Above: change of plans... instead of trying to clamp it on, four screws are set into the slots between the input shaft splines. More positive connection.



Above: shaft & coupler installed in transmission & base plate for the (wood.. of course) motor mount.



Ready to go!



Gone!

The mechanical connection to the input shaft was so good that the failure point became the wood. It worked fine on 12 volts. But when I started up at 24 volts (from rest), the wood split in 3 places.

---

Since taking these pics, "work" has continued. I modified and tested coupler v.1.1 last night. It worked great ... until it failed. (Lasted many seconds longer than the first version though.)

Version 1.2 will be tried tomorrow.

I'm almost ready to invest in a metallic coupler - I hear they're all the rage these days.

[Daox]

lol awesome and ghetto at the same time. Gotta love Darin's projects.