Propeller-integrated motor drive for electric medium size boats

Research Project, 2018 – 2019

Shipping is a major cause of harmful air pollution in Europe and by 2020 shipping emissions of SO2 and NOx could exceed the emissions of these pollutants from all other sources in the EU. This pollution must be reduced dramatically to protect health and the environment and to make shipping a more sustainable form of transport. Technical measures exist that could cut the level of pollution from ships by at least 80–90 per cent and doing so would be much cheaper than cutting the same amount of pollution from land-based sources.

Aside of the air pollution of SO2 and NOx, the emission of CO2 from boats and ships is significant. A medium-size motor boat like Caraveile 17EBO with a 60 HP (horse power) outboard Suzuki gasoline engine emits about 25 kg CO2 per hour with its best cruising speed 20 MPH. If the boat is used for 200 hours per year, the annual CO2 emission is 5 tons. In Sweden, the number of motor boats with power higher than 10 HP is about 300 000.

The main objective of this project is to develop an electric motor driven boat with a propeller-integrated motor drive concept in order to reduce CO2 emission and improve harbour and marine environments. The drive systems we will study is in the range of 40 - 100 kW of peak power.