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The future of marine propulsion


UWSkier

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So the V8, coupled to a shaft, strut, rudder assembly has been around since the beginning of time. It hasn't really changed because it just plain works. There's not a setup out there that gets power to the water more efficiently than this. However, with the ever rising costs of fuel and the notoriously bad fuel economy inherent in a boat, I wonder what the future may hold for our boats. Diesel/electic is possibly feasible for wake boats but would suck for ski boats (heavy pigs). Straight clean diesel would be cool. You could run off-highway diesel and save money by avoiding the tax man. Blown 4 stroke 4 or 6 cyl would work pretty well and in a marine application, you have unlimited cooling potential to run an intercooler, but probably wouldn't be a lot more efficient than a V8 and would require good gas.

Then there's driveline efficiency. How about a CVT transmission for a ski boat? Keep the engine down in the torque/powerband and use an auto-shifting CVT to maintain momentum as load changes. How about a trimmable propshaft angle for more efficient cruising? This stuff wouldn't be too complicated to implement.

Just wondering what others think/know about what's coming?

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we're way behind in north america!!!

they've been using LPG for years in the UK and other parts of europe with great sucess. bolt on addition to most V8s...

can't see CVT for slalom skiing, with the need for power on demand and high torque to maintain pull and speed characteristics.

honestly LPG is the immediate answer we're looking for, or at least a bandaid until a hybrid/electric type motor can be shoehorned into a clamshell and provide the power skiing requires...

lastly: cable parks...

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How about adding foils (like an air chair) to add lift and reduce friction and wake size? Not sure it would be good for the course, but for barefooting or free skiing...

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we're way behind in north america!!!

they've been using LPG for years in the UK and other parts of europe with great sucess. bolt on addition to most V8s...

can't see CVT for slalom skiing, with the need for power on demand and high torque to maintain pull and speed characteristics.

honestly LPG is the immediate answer we're looking for, or at least a bandaid until a hybrid/electric type motor can be shoehorned into a clamshell and provide the power skiing requires...

lastly: cable parks...

Made a trip to Orlando FL. last weekend and went to OWC for a little fun between driving. I was only there for an hour or so and felt like i had been run over by a train. If you are not use to riding on a cable and hitting the rails, and ramps, you really get beat up. Although i still enjoyed myself i would never give up the bu for it!!

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I don't want to get into a political discussion, but gasoline is by far the best form of fuel for our boats today. We have tons of it. We just need to allow more drilling so we can get at it. Then the price of fuel will drop dramatically and we won't need to worry. It's simple supply and demand economics.

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A high torque, light weight diesel engine should be the absolute minimal move forward regarding marine advancements for a ski or wake boat. That way it can at least burn biodiesel, but much more appealing, WVO (waste vegetable oil). Now before many come marching in on the argument about the farming issue and denying the consumer or adding food cost. Biodiesel should (actually, should have already) been used to only transition us to the truly logical hydrogen burning combustion engine which has little or no emissions.

Before someone jumps on the “reasons why we can’t” band wagon, our country has run out of the excuses that many are labeling as reasons, there is overwhelming proof that hydrogen(in this case HHO) is the answer to our energy needs and has been available for many, many years.

Power extracted from water just makes too much sense for some to wrap their heads around I guess.

In case the “mobile bomb” label is on the minds of some, the very compact, ultra high pressure cylinders made today (which are capable of holding MUCH higher pressures than needed for the application) along with failsafe regulators, make storage of the small amount of supplemental HHO on board a car or boat, VERY safe.

HHO can easily and efficiently be produced by solar/wind/hydro turbine generated electricity.

This fact, coupled with a high efficiency on board HHO electrolysis extractor, makes for the only logical future for our land, sea and possibly air energy requirements.

Electrically extracted hydrogen (specifically HHO) is by far the answer for our future, the ability to efficiently extract HHO from pure water has been around for a long time.

Denial and illogical reasoning has been the viewpoint of many naysayers for quite some time regarding this. No matter how you look at it, it is real, it is nothing new, it burns VERY clean, and big money along with our countries leadership has not only kept this from being implemented, but has convinced many that it can not be done.

Dealing with this subject has deserved much more than just a “head in the sand” stance on it for a very long time.

check it out

Continuing to burn more oil is not acceptable and drilling for more of it would be a disastrous, illogical decision when we have (and have had for a long time) technological advances that will solve our problems. Getting them implemented is the hurtle.

Knowledge and intelligence are sometimes worthless in the absence of wisdom.

J.H.D.

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I think the earliest thing we will see is cylinders cutouts. Much like the new V8's have.

I doubt that would work because the engine in a boat is under much heavier load at high speed than a car or truck. You can take advantage of momentum in a car, but a boats got too much drag. If it were feasible they would have used a 3 speed trans years ago.

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The new Chevy Duramax 4.5 L would be awesome in a tow boat. 310 HP and 520 ft-lbs of torque (@ low RPM too) Rockon.gif What could be a more ideal motor for a wakeboard boat loaded up with ballast? GM specifically designed it to fit in the same space as their small block gas V8. Thumbup.gif

4.5 L Duramax

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I think the earliest thing we will see is cylinders cutouts. Much like the new V8's have.

I doubt that would work because the engine in a boat is under much heavier load at high speed than a car or truck. You can take advantage of momentum in a car, but a boats got too much drag. If it were feasible they would have used a 3 speed trans years ago.

True, but even it you had cylinders cutout while idling or just in gear, it would help a little.

Diesel engines on the other hand are the only way to go, true workhorses. You could burn about anything you want through them High priced Diesel, JP fuel, Bio diesel, used motor oil, SVO, and WVO. Heck the first diesel engine ran on Peanut oil.

A couple of cons is a short RPM range 0 to about 3600, could be a problem for holding speeds, but shouldn't matter with the right prop. Noisy injector, and the sweet turbo whistle. The new common rail diesel engine require super clean fuel and maybe scentive to Bio fuels.

But if you really want a diesel engine you could repower your Bu with an old Humvee 6.5l diesel engine.

www.marinediesel.nu/

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Don't see conventional hybrid engines working in a marine application- where would the power come from to recharge the batteries? No such thing as regenrative braking in a boat. Bigger alternator = burn more gas to charge the batteries. No free lunch there.

Most alternative powerplant technologies have serious drawbacks in terms of fuel storage, weight, saftey- or simply the fact that they are still 10 or 20 years away. Consider the attempts to introduce more 'modern' overhead cam engines- i.e., Northstar & Toyota V8's to ski boats- dismal failures in terms of performance and reliabilty. Any new technologies will have to be proven over time in automotive applications before we see them introduced in boats (Indmar's ETX cat arrived 25+ years after they were common in cars).

Gasoline might be the best/only source for power for our sport(s) for a long time to come- better efficiency requries more costly & complex technology at the expense of safety, reliabilty & overall operating economy.

Same reason that most light aircraft are still powered by engines orginally designed 60 years ago...

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