The hybrid propulsion system offered by Transfluid, manufactured in Europe in our own facilities, with certification issued by DNV to work in a marine environment, consists of a mechanical clutch installed between the diesel engine and the gearbox, this clutch is coupled with 1 or 2 electric motors (depending on the needs of the system), and allows navigation in the following modes:
1. Diesel mode: traditional sailing with the engines and gearboxes currently installed on the boat.
Regeneration mode, the electric motors that are coupled to the clutch work as alternators to charge the installed battery bank.
2. 100% electric mode: sailing with electric motors as propulsion.
The diesel engine is disengaged and completely switched off.
The electric motors switch from regeneration to 100% electric propulsion mode. In this case the batteries power the electric motors.
3. Booster mode: if necessary, during navigation in diesel mode, more power can be injected into the propulsion line through the electric motors (e.g. diesel at 300hp, the electric motors can add 50hp more).
4. Additional Power: some of the ship’s needs can be covered by our system through Ptos (e.g. fire pump, ship’s lights).
In the following table you can see the elements that make up our system.
1. Mechanical clutches HM560, HM2000, HM3350, HM6300. Which has the electric motor(s) attached as shown in the picture.
2. Air Power pack, consisting of a return home safety system whose function is to block the electric propulsion system in the event of any failure, thus ensuring that the vessel can sail in conventional propulsion mode.
3. Electrical and battery systems. Marine ready with Type Approval certificate issued by DNV.
4. Integrated control system. This means that both the controls and the switchboards are supplied with our system, so that the customer has a single point of control that manages the entire propulsion system (engines + gearboxes + hybrid system). Everything is very simple and the transition time from diesel to electric or vice versa is approximately 5sec.
Advantages of using the Transfluid Parallel Hybrid System
The hybrid solution is the perfect combination of a traditional propulsion system with combustion engines and the need for a quiet and environmentally friendly option.
Below are some of the main advantages of hybrid-electric technology:
- Fits any existing combustion engine.
- Zero emissions in electric mode, no smoke, noise or vibrations.
- Greater comfort and better working conditions on board.
- Fuel savings by reducing the number of operating hours of diesel engines.
- Reduced maintenance costs of diesel engines, extending their life cycle.
- Reduction of the duty rating of diesel engines.
- Can be retrofitted to pre-existing installations.
Going deeper into the advantages mentioned above, even though the system implies an increase in weight on the ship, the most relevant advantages are explained in more detail below:
First, according to the type of navigation, they would normally use the combustion engines at low rpm in port, both in and out of port, which is the worst condition of use in terms of fuel consumption and torque.
The permanent magnet electric motor has a rated torque at any speed range, with an efficiency of 97%, meaning that the energy required from the battery will be the minimum at any power requirement.
2. When using the regeneration mode (charging the batteries from the diesel engine, while the electric motor has the function of an alternator), the combustion engine works with the highest efficiency in terms of consumption:
3. Saving money in terms of maintenance, as the combustion engine is used less hours per year, this lengthens the periods between each maintenance. On the other hand, the electric motor and frequency drives are maintenance free, only some consumables are needed for the intermediate clutch, such as filters, cartridges and oil.
4. As the main advantage of the electric mode, which in this case would be used during manoeuvres in port, zero emissions, no vibrations, no smoke or noise, as well as better manoeuvring performance.
Needs or points to take into account for the installation of the system:
- Moving the diesel engine forward is the best option to avoid extra costs. In this case the mechanical installation work can be carried out when the ship is docked in port.
- If the engine could be moved to the bow, the shaft line would have to be moved to the bow, so the work would have to be done in dry dock.
- The battery system is modular and can be installed anywhere on the boat, as best suits the weight distribution.
- A new wiring installation for the system will have to be made, as well as the removal of the existing controls.
