As we checked out final 12 months, French startup BlueNav has developed a reasonably explicit form of hubless marine e-drive with a propeller inspired by whale flippers. However whereas the corporate focuses on electric-powered {hardware}, it is finally occupied with supporting the event of hybrid boats. Towards that finish, it is utilized its whale fin drives to the all-new Good Hybrid Boating Answer, an add-on marine propulsion system that makes use of electrical rim drive energy at gradual speeds earlier than retracting it out of the water at greater gas-engine speeds.
The unique Whale Design rim drive was one of many highlights of a 2024 heavy with biomimetic marine innovation. Impressed by the tubercles on the humpback whale’s flippers, BlueNav’s Whale Design propeller makes use of a collection of bumps alongside the sting meant to channel water in such a manner that will increase thrust and improves effectivity.
After creating the Whale Design propeller, BlueNav built-in the blades into its present BlueSpin rim drives. The hubless electrical drives use a magnetically pushed ring to rotate the blades, a structure BlueNav claims requires fewer parts and fewer upkeep than a standard prop drive whereas additionally minimizing friction and working extra quietly.
BlueNav
Whereas the Whale Design-propped BlueSpin itself is sort of a formidable and placing piece of design work, it was by no means meant to be the end-all of the powertrain story. As an alternative, BlueNav has designed the BlueSpin collection as an augmentative plug-and-play resolution for seamlessly reworking ICE-driven boats into hybrids.
At this 12 months’s Boot Düsseldorf worldwide boat present, BlueNav put a highlight on its subsequent step towards bringing biomimetic hybrid energy to boats throughout ocean and sea. The brand new Good Hybrid system ties collectively a set of BlueSpin rim drives with accompanying software program in order that boat homeowners and builders can simply create a seamless hybrid boating expertise.
Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann
The Good Hybrid Boating Answer works with both outboard or in-hull BlueSpin rim drives, counting on their retractable generators for seamless transition between electrical and ICE propulsion. At low speeds and when docking, the BlueSpin drive handles propulsion, shortly retracting out of the way in which on the push of a button to chop drag and permit the ICE to take over. The switchover in both route takes an estimated 20 seconds.
BlueNav
The software program comes within the type of an software that runs on the boat’s multifunction show. It consists of superior navigation, a digital anchor that maintains the vessel’s GPS place and not using a bodily anchor, a heading maintain for sustaining a gentle course, waypoint monitoring, cruise management and 360-degree docking.
“At BlueNav, we imagine that the way forward for boating lies in simplicity, effectivity and sustainability,” stated CEO Xavier Lacherade. “Our Good Hybrid Boating Answer embodies these ideas, combining {hardware} and software program to create an unparalleled consumer expertise. By making sustainable boating extra accessible, we’re inspiring a motion towards a cleaner, greener future on the water.”
BlueNav presents a number of totally different motor choices that may be matched to vessels of various sizes and styles. With deliberate 8- and 15-kW (10.7- and 20-hp) items in each outboard and in-hull configurations, the motor household is designed to be used with quite a lot of boat varieties ranging between 23 and 50 toes (7 to fifteen m) and weighing as much as 15 tons. The 8-kW outboard, which weighs 121 lb (55 kg), grew to become the most recent member of the household when it debuted alongside the Good Hybrid Boating Answer on the Düsseldorf present.
Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann
BlueNav stresses that it isn’t a battery firm and doesn’t supply a particular battery system with the Good Hybrid resolution. It encourages potential patrons to work with their sellers on figuring out the appropriate battery chemistry and capability for his or her particular utilization wants.
With that in thoughts, the Good Hybrid system may be very a lot a custom-tailored resolution with costs that fluctuate accordingly. BlueNav doesn’t publish system pricing estimates and suggests contacting it for a quote.
Supply: BlueNav
