Research Project!

[Ben_Sorkin]

Hey Guys,

Planning another long-term project and I'm hoping to get funding through my school's engineering department so I'll need a pretty comprehensive research proposal.

The main idea of this project is to capture wasted heat energy via thermoelectric generators (TEGs). TEGs require a heat source and heat sink. As heat flux travels from source to sink, a current is driven within the generator and can be used as electricity. In this case, the heat source would be the motor.

So now for the fun part.

I'd like to use an outdrive (HPI 7.5?) so that the surface of the motor is fully accessible, as I will design and manufacture a special motor casing that will maximize contact and heat dissipation through the TEGs.

For the hull, I was thinking about something in the 30-40 inch range so I will have plenty of space for date logging instruments and such. I would love to do this project on a cat for stability, speed, and efficiency (compared to a mono). Perhaps the Fightercat 37" Shocker hull (carbon fiber for aesthetic appeal) or the 36" delta force explorer? I haven't seen very many cats with single outdrives.

For power, I'm looking at a 4092 leopard for max surface area. Some decent battery power as well, in the 6s-10s range.

The overarching picture would be to calculate how much energy is actually lost overall and how much can be recaptured. This can then be extrapolated to a larger scale (given many conversion factors and additional analysis), as full size boat manufacturers are starting to experiment with electric power and efficiency is key.

I turn to all of you experienced FE guys for advice on this project, from component choices to overall design!!

Thanks in advance,

Ben

[larryrose11]

Ben,
While I applaud your creativity in getting the school to pay for an FE research, I feel that you efforrts could be better placed.
Speaking from a research engineer perspective, you should focus your efforts on:
1. A industry or sector who's current process has LOT ow waste heat, at a decent temperature for TEG's.
No FE boater wants their motor to get warm, let alone hot enough to run a TEG.
2. This same industry or sector has a reason to harvest this energy, like reduced cycle operational cost, new revenue stream, or other substation reasons, like fuel economy in cars.
3. This same industry or sector is willing to pay you a decent salary.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade or anything. Many industry need to invent their way out of their current problems, and creativity is the only way out. Rather, you could use this project directed at employment.

[Fella1340]

boring, back to the boat thing...

[Ben_Sorkin]

Larry,

Ben,
While I applaud your creativity in getting the school to pay for an FE research, I feel that you efforrts could be better placed.
...
I'm not trying to rain on your parade or anything. Many industry need to invent their way out of their current problems, and creativity is the only way out. Rather, you could use this project directed at employment.

While many of your points are valid, there is of course the underlying motive that it would be a fun project that would turn out a really cool research FE boat :) , and that building such a boat without research purposes would take a lot of time to fund personally. I have done some prior research projects with TEG's where similar temperature differences were actually able to produce usable power. It would even be cool to have something like an LED light setup solely powered from the TEGs, which is totally possible.
-Ben