DNV approved Eco Power Power System for electric vessel
It is the first time for Eco Power to supply the complete traction systems of electric boat to a Finnish electric boat manufacturer. In summer, many Finns are keen on camping and other outdoor activities. The beautiful scenery of coast and island in Helsinki attracts large numbers of tourists. Emission-free electric boats as a new option for water transportation will bring more convenience to the public and tourism industry. The local electric boat manufacturer has invited Eco Power to participate in this project because Eco Power has extensive experience in the traction system electrification. Through the whole project process, a good cooperative relationship has been built between both parties.
After the electrification reset , the boat has fully reconfigured the engine room and removed the diesel-powered hydraulic motor and the old control system. Eco Power supplies two DC/AC inverters for motor control, one DC/DC converter for 24VDC power power and battery control, the other AC/DC rectifier for AC grid connection and a zero-emission electric drive power assembly system. With this mature technology, the customer owns the first fully electric passenger boat.
The electric power of an electric boat comes from a lithium-ion power battery. This new power system not only improves the redundancy but also can be used for one or two motors. The maintenance of the motor can be carried out in turn without suspending the operation of the ship since more power is needed in the ice and snow environment. The DC/DC converter can increase the battery voltage and make it the same as motor inverter to minimize the energy loss and maximium the performance and reliability simultaneously.
The whole boat is equipped with two motors placed on each side of the boat respectively, so the power system is also divided into two sets placed on the left and right. The single-side system is configured with 1 PDU and 3 battery packs and each battery pack is configured with 176Ah battery cells and 1 parallel 60 strings (576V176Ah / 101KWh). The total two power systems are also configured in parallel which will be 576V352Ah / 202KWh. The energy consumption is less than 3kWh per hour while the previous diesel ferry consumes approximately 2 liters of fuel during the same time period.It will mean the significant cost savings as the whole year energy cost on a ferry equals to the two months diesel cost.
The electric boat is expected to put into use in October 2020, the cost will be reduced greatly since the diesel will no longer be used any more. The energy consumption will be decreased due to the lighter weight at the same. The carbon emissions of electric boats and the maintenance requirements will also be reduced accordingly due to the less power parts. Motor bearings are the only two wearing parts which are specially designed to match the service life of motor.
Drivers and tourists can enjoy fresher air since there is no more smog emitted from the diesel engines on board due to the utilization of new energy. The electric ferry remains same feeling as the chain drive but become quieter and the weight is reduced by 4 tons which improves the efficiency and makes the maintence easier. The traction system supplied by Eco Power has passed the functional test, environmental test and heat propagation test which required by DNV certification and obtained the relative DNV cerfication already.
