Boat International - June 2018

technology will continue to steadily
improve, and there is a possibility that
a real transformational battery may be
developed and brought to market.”
Simon Brealey, senior mechanical
engineer with BMT Nigel Gee, adds: “It
is not practical to solely rely on batteries
for a large yacht that requires a flexible
operational profile. Batteries, when
combined with current electrical
generating technology, can, however,
yield large advantages of both eiciency
and operational flexibility.”
The newest battery technology
research takes several forms. Magnesium-
ion, lithium-oxide, lithium–sulphur,
sodium-ion, hydrogen-bromide and
sodium-oxygen are some of the
combinations that have been tried. Many
offer far greater power densities but
material prices and other problems are
limiting these technologies to the
laboratories for now. In these same labs,
supercomputers are analysing thousands
of anode materials and electrolytes to see
if any ofer increased power densities at
a reasonable price.
At Harvard, researchers are working
on an organic-flow battery that promises
a huge advance. The design is proven, but
its organic chemical lifespan is proving
more diicult. This battery uses quinones,
a water-soluble organic compound
derived from aromatic compounds such
as benzene and naphthalene from cheap
and abundant sources – oil waste and
rhubarb, for example.
The “rhubarb” flow battery is reputed
to have reaction times 1,000 times faster
than lithium-ion batteries and uses far
less expensive materials. A prototype is
being built in Italy. Vanadium as an
electrolyte also shows great promise.
There is a vanadium redox-flow battery
being tested in South Africa that displays

HYDROGEN 2.0

Joi Scientific tackles making hydrogen on demand

While traditional

hydrogen production

processes can emit

as much as 5kg of

greenhouse gases

for every 1kg of

hydrogen produced,

Joi Scientific, which

is based at the

Kennedy Space

Centre in Florida,

has announced that

it has a simple and

affordable process

for extracting

hydrogen from

seawater called

Hydrogen 2.0.

The process promises

to generate hydrogen

without the use

of chemicals or

electrolysis, returning

only water back into

the environment.

The hydrogen

can be stored

without pressure

in a liquid state at

room temperature,

according to Traver

Kennedy, Joi’s

chairman and CEO.

Engineering VP Jim

Kirchoff says: “There

is a widespread

consensus that

hydrogen is the clean

energy of the future,

provided you can

produce it in a cost-

effective, sustainable

way. We believe we

have done that.”

While this start-up

has a bold vision to

transform life in the

developing world by

bringing electricity

to places without

it, and stop carbon

emissions in their

tracks in industrial

areas, the application

for yachts is obvious

in that the process

allows hydrogen to

be converted from

saltwater on site

and on demand.

Hydrogen also makes

existing hydrocarbon

fuels burn cleaner

when it is injected

into the internal

combustion process.

emission.” And all existing canal cruise

boats must be zero emissions by 2025.

BMT’s Brealey and Roy say that when

looking forward to 2025, it’s perhaps best

to think more evolution than revolution

when it comes to powering superyachts.

“The owners’ requirements have the

biggest efect on which technology gets

developed and implemented. Looking at

the owner requirements we see today, and

the available technology, we would see

a continued evolution of smart diesel-

electric hybrids with large battery

installations capable of flexible, quiet and

eicient operation.”B

Above left, from top:

Tesla has built the

Gigafactory in Nevada

to produce lithium-ion

batteries; the solar-

powered Vripack V20;

the hydrogen-powered

Energy Observer.

Above right: the Azipod

DO propulsion system.

Below right: the engine

room on the 115m,

diesel-electric

explorerLuna

450kWh of power packed into a case the

size of a six metre storage container. Too

big for a car or truck, of course, but

certainly manageable on a superyacht.

WHAT ABOUT SOLAR?

J

eroen Droogsma, head of design

studies at Vripack, has been

working with solar-powered

boats for 10 years. What started as a team-

building exercise to compete in a solar-

powered boat race became a real passion

and led to the development of a

one-design class of solar boats for racing.

While racing is one thing, Vripack is

working on improved eiciency as well.

The current record for its solar-powered

boat is 240 kilometres in four days

without recharging from shore.

“In 10 years, there will be a great

improvement in solar-generated

electricity,” says Droogsma. “Regulations

will drive it. In Holland, in two years all

the new canal boats being constructed for

Amsterdam will have to be zero-

http://www.boatinternational.com | June 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY: GUILLAUME PLISSON

198