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IT IS INHERENTLY DIFFICULT TO DESIGN ELECTRIC BOATS
A 7.5 m long pleasure boat consumes 12 to 18 times more fuel than a family car.
At the same time, one kg of gasoline contains about 15 times more usable energy than one kg of the most compact batteries.
For this reason, electric boats are not considered a viable alternative to combustion-powered boats.
Existing models obtain either speed or autonomy. - Not both-
The current market for electric boats is therefore small, estimated at less than 1%.
The energy equation must be solved.
Boat builders generally employ boat builders.
However to meet the challenge - designing the world's first electric boat delivering speed and range - we had to think differently. Therefore some of the world's brightest minds in their repected fields were brought together to develop state of the art: hydrofoil technology, carbon composites, transmission design, power electronics, dynamic modeling, self-learning, control theory and a lot of software development. Today, we have, without doubt, the most advanced boat in the world. The challenge proved to be purely intellectual.
Target met!
By the end of 2016, a full-scale prototype was launched and, following a few adjustments, the objective of surpassing 100 kilometers distance at a cruising speed of 45 km/h was achieved! This was the first time an electric pleasure boat managed to achieve such a feat. The range achieved by Candela is ~4 times greater than that of the best electric boats currently on the market and is close or equal to that of combustion boats of the same size
The reduction of energy consumption is achieved by adopting:
1. The Flying Boat concept which reduces friction by half compared to a conventional boat.
2. An advanced control system which makes a naturally unstable boat incredibly stable
3. A very lightweight design using carbon composites and construction techniques particular to
the aviation industry
In addition to solving the range problem, the boat has the following features:
1. Flying over the waves, avoiding the discomfort of slapping waves
2. Completely silent navigation
3. Virtually no wake protecting the coastline
4. A per kilometer cost 95% lower than a comparable fuel-powered boat.
5. Very low maintenance costs thanks to a less complex electric power-train and the
manufacturer's remote intervention via a dedicated site monitored by PC or
Mobile Phone
6. Like a fighter plane: The the foils angle are adjusted 100 times per second.
A boat that is much more than a boat.
Well beyond what we could have imagined.
It is the first electric pleasure boat in the world with electronically managed foils.
Several patent applications have been filed.
The concept is based on the following inventions and technologies:
- Hydrofoils reduce energy consumption by 50%.
- The reduction in energy consumption allows an electric propulsion with an excellent range.
- Fully submerged foils also provide smooth cruising without wave slapping and with a minimum
wake
- A patented foil control system for height, roll and pitch, which is exceptionally reliable and
robust.
- A unique retraction mechanism solves problems encountered in shallow water or when
transporting on a trailer or especially for the storage in the garage of a large yacht respecting security and regulatory constraints
The front foils are retracted vertically and protected by a step in the hull.
The rear foil is retracted by a double rotational movement and protected by the bathing platform.
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The performance and reliability of the flight is based on the control of the boat's
movements from 7 separate sensors: laser, inertial and gyroscopic determining the state matrix
“3x6" (position, speed and acceleration with respect to the position in x, y and x and rotation
around the same axis) using advanced sensor fusion algorithms. This is crucial because
the boat is by nature inherently unstable in roll and height.
The position of the actuators controlling the front and rear foils is updated at a frequency of 100 Hz (100 million operations per second), which allows very smooth and steady driving even in difficult wind and sea conditions.
Ultra-light shell materials are used to compensate for the weight of the battery and to further reduce the power requirements. A carbon fiber hull, deck and structure reduce the total weight of the boat, including 230kg of batteries, to under 1300kg.
The combination of all these innovations in a brand-new boat design allows us to optimize the benefits of each concept, something not attainable by just trying to modernize an existing hull.
- Take-off, cruising and landing are fully automated.
- Height, roll and pitch are controlled by a specially in-house developed computer and software which constantly fine-tune the hydraulic controllers operating at an update frequency of 100 Hz.
We build our own PC Motherboards and write the code from inception. The result is a fully integrated experience. All information & interaction is managed on a 12-inch multi-touch screen. Forget the highly-complicated chart plotters. Pan and zoom the way you are used to. When away from the boat, the dedicated App keeps you informed, in real time, regarding the charging status, position and every data point of your last ride.
DESCRIPTION
Material 100% Carbon Fiber
Range Approximately 4 hours at cruising speed, 20-25 kts
Top speed 30 kts
Length 7,70 m
Width 2,40 m
Weight 1300 kg
Draft 0,4 m (shallow water mode & foiling) 1,3m (foils extend at low speeds)
Motor 55 kW
Battery 40 kWh Lithium ion NMC
Deck: Teak
Foils Similar to an airplane: a large inverted π-foil close to center of gravity and a small T-foil at the aft. Both are fully retractable for trailing and storage purposes. Including special mode for shallow waters operation.
Control Take off, cruise and landing are all fully automated. Height, roll and pitch are controlled by sensor fusion, controllers, software and hydraulic actuators operating at 100 Hz update frequency.
Charging The complete charging time on a 230V or 110V household outlet in about 12 hours, reduced from 2 to 4 times on 32 or 64 amp shore sockets, which are standard in most ports.
Connection Via the cloud to an app for position, state of charge, geofence-settings, flight and navigation parameters. This information is transmitted on the GSM network to Candela's technical service for technical intervention or remote update.
They are also available on any smartphone.
Stereo System 2 x Bowers & Wilkins Marine 6 waterproof speakers, and integrated Bluetooth streaming
Colours: Available in 9 different colours
Contact:
Pierre Rochat - Andrew Pocock
