Instead of looking for a one hit, silver bullet solution to fuel economy, the Trybrid
Project seeks to use and combine several, innovative, off the shelf technologies to demonstrate fuel efficient innovation. The sources of hybrid power to be used on the Trybrid include photovoltaic, both instant and stored, plus diesel or bio-diesel generators, all driving propeller shafts via electric motors. There is also some sail ancillary, but only for deployment for, ‘with the wind’ applications, and limited in mast height to create any sizeable overturning motion.
The boat, like a locomotive, will basically be diesel electric, boosted with photovoltaics.
To minimize fuel use over a range of operating conditions and speeds,
Trybrid will use multiple diesel generators, such that each motor when deployed will most always be working ‘in the zone’ or the sweet spot, of maximum fuel efficiency.
Direct coupled props and motors generally operate below maximum output, meaning that the conventional direct drive diesel motors are rarely operating at their optimum fuel efficiency.
Decouple the prop from the diesel motor, and use more than one generator, and with it, advantageous fuel opportunities arise.
Accordingly, the Trybrid will have two generators, and maybe, budget allowing, three.
Feeding of this electrical power will be one central, slow turning electric motor, and small electric motors in the outer hulls, for slow speeds, and maneuvering.
The electric motors can draw power from the photovoltaic cells, the battery, the generators, or a combination of all 3. In consequence, these combined systems have a lot of fail safe capacity. The range of drives and motors makes the vessel adaptable to a range of speeds and uses where optimum fuel minimization is our objective.
Of course, if the sea was always flat, and the wind never blew, and the passenger/water/fuel/cargo loads where always the same, and the skipper always drove the boat at a set speed, then arguably pursuing the advantages of maximum efficiency to suit a range of varying sea conditions would be a waste of time, but anyone who has lived or worked on the oceans will know, the ocean has many moods, and a boat is always tasked with many different loads and deadlines, so in the same way that a Toyota Prius is most fuel efficient in variable traffic conditions, as opposed to long trips in the country, so too will Trybrid be most fuel efficient, across a range of variable sea conditions.