Echandia electric pods
After supplying prototype electric pod drives for an all-electric tourist boat operating in Hamburg, Sweden’s Echandia Marine has now developed a range of these electric pod drives that will meet the power requirements of many workboats.
These drive units have the electric motor contained within the hub of the drive unit and they are fully azimuthing to give exceptional control and manoeuvrability.
The electric pods come in four sizes ranging from a power output of 110 hp up to 500 hp. Because the electric motor is contained within the hub of the unit and surrounded by water this surrounding water provides the cooling for the electric motor and no dedicated cooling system is required. The steering is achieved with a hydraulic motor attached to a geared ring at the top of the inboard section of the drive.
When two units are fitted then their control can be combined with a joystick to give very precise manoeuvring in any direction. This can be more precise that with diesel power as the electric motors can operate at close to zero speed.
Three of the Echandia units, the E80, the E260 and the E370 are designed for fitting to displacement hulls with the propellers turning at slower speeds. The E 125 unit can operate at up to 2000 rpm and this is designed for planing craft and it can be fitted with a surface piercing propeller. It can also be attached to the transom of a boat with a stern mounting bracket that allows the drive unit to be trimmed and tilted for greater efficiency and for shallow water operations.
The electric power for these drive units can be supplied by either diesel powered generators on board or from battery banks, the latter being the power choice for the Movitz, the prototype tourist vessel fitted with the original electric drives. The electric motor in the drive unit is a permanent magnet type fitted into the watertight housing. The normal controls used are of the azimuthing lever type allowing full manual control of the direction and power of the thrust.
These Echandia electric pods are thought to be the first such electric drive units developed for smaller vessels apart from low power pods for leisure craft. This Swedish company was established in 2008 with the aim of revolutionising the electric boat market. Their products have been developed after years of experience with electric submarine propulsion and in addition to these pod drives they also offer charging station for quick charging where a boat is operated purely with power supplied by batteries.
By Dag Pike
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