MARINE
Marine power solutions can be a priceless asset. Whether your vessel is used for short day trips, weekends and holidays or around the world trips, it is docked for long duration or out on the open water, power solutions are a priceless asset to the comfort and necessities of your boating experience.
FOR SMALL BOATS
Getting the boat off the trailer and heading out there on the water is just magic. Whether you’re going fishing, wakeboarding or sailing for the day, sailing means freedom.
You want that same feeling when it comes to power. The freedom to charge your phone and play your favourite music wherever you are. Our energy solution deliver that freedom for any small vessel.
FOR SAILING YACHTS
Harnessing the power of the wind makes sailing an unforgettable experience. All you want to hear is the sound of the wind blowing and the waves breaking.
But what is the best way to power the on-board electronics while the engine and generator are switched off? We combine energy storage and solar generation to provide the power you need.
FOR THE MOTOR CRUISER
Motor cruisers are masterpieces of engineering. They pack the comfort of a home into the compact space of a yacht.
Wherever you go, you want to enjoy this hard-earned luxury to the fullest. We can provide an intelligent power grid that adapts to any challenges you may sail into.
FOR THE LARGE YACHT
Large yachts provide luxury and comfort beyond most homes. You’ll find yourself walking around the fully outfitted kitchen, enjoying a top-notch entertainment suite or taking care of business in a sophisticated office.
We strive to match the level of luxury with state of the art energy equipment that gives you full autonomy for months.
HOW IT WORKS
The use of batteries in Marine application is a given, the charging thereof and the sufficiency depends on the loads connected to it.
Most boats have a cranking battery, general batteries, or batteries for navigation equipment.
Depending on the requirements and power consumption of the loads connected to the auxiliary battery it might be necessary to use alternative energy sources.
Depending on the duration of trips, the autonomy required and the loads run, the following could be added:
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DC-DC charging from the alternator/s,
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PV power,
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AC charger for mains or generator charging,
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Inverter or Inverter charger where 220V appliances are run,
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wind turbines and hydro generators.
AC & DC
SYSTEMS
AC SYSTEMS
An AC system is the addition of an inverter on Inverter charger to the DC system basically and this is done to be able to power standard appliances that require 220VAC.
DC SYSTEMS
A DC system can be as simple as an ac charger and battery or batteries, whilst on the water the batteries are charged by alternators, and in cases with sail yachts, hydro generators may be used, when docking it is simply plugged in, and kept charged. Now the addition of power sources would come down to what requires power on the vessel.
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS
CHALLENGE
Inadequate charging
An alternator through a regulator is a constant voltage supply that switches on and off, a very basic way of charging a battery, however not technically correct, a Lead-Acid battery requires at least three stages of charging, bulk, absorption and float.
SOLUTION
A DC-DC charger, this regulates the maximum permissible current to the battery and the voltage according to the state of charge of the battery in order to fully charge it.
CHALLENGE
Insufficient energy
An alternator can only deliver power whilst the engines are running, also it may not replenish the energy taken from the battery quick enough.
SOLUTION
Adding more power sources, AC battery charger, solar power by means of a solar charger and solar panel/s, add more batteries to increase your autonomy.
CHALLENGE
Limited shore power at marinas
Shore power you have access to at a marina is limited and you can easily exceed the maximum current for a short peak and the power is overloaded.
SOLUTION
The Victron inverter chargers all have input current limiting with power assist functionality, it will keep the maximum draw to a set minimum and use the battery bank as a buffer.
CHALLENGE
Limited generator supply
On larger vessels, generators are added to contribute to the autonomy of the power solution, these generators might be limited and cannot reach you maximum demands or peaks.
SOLUTION
The power assist function once again combats this challenge. The result is that you can purposely size the generator smaller and save initial and running cost.
CHALLENGE
Electrolytic corrosion
Vessels that are docked and plugged into shore power they face a chance that low voltage DC current on the earth conductor may pass through the metallic components of the vessel to the water, the result is corrosion on all of these metallic parts.
SOLUTION
Galvanic isolation combats this challenge. Victron energy has the galvanic isolator range as well as isolation transformer range that both cover the requirement.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
CHALLENGE
MFD intergration
Multi functional displays are very useful on a vessel as you have eyes on everything from one place, now we just need to see the power solution here as well.
SOLUTION
All Victron GX devices allow for the integration of the Victron power solutions to leading Multi-functional Displays such as Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad, B&G and Lowrance.
CHALLENGE
Monitoring & control
With a power solution that takes care of critical needs it is almost imperative that one has a full view and control over this.
SOLUTION
Most of Victron’s devices have Bluetooth connectivity for easy monitoring and control from your smartphone. The GX devices allows interconnection of all components in the power solution, with many options available for different sized systems and combinations.
Connecting to the internet allows for remote monitoring from anywhere in the world.
CHALLENGE
Multiple DC voltages
12v and 24v loads
SOLUTION
Simply use DC-DC converters to step up or step down the voltage to the required.
CHALLENGE
Accurate battery monitoring
The norm is a voltmeter normally in the form of various color stacked LED’s; however, voltage cannot give an accurate state of charge of a battery. The only means is by measuring the current in and out of the battery.
SOLUTION
Battery monitor that works with a shunt, this measures the volt drop over a set resistance shunt to calculate DC current in and out of a system.
TECHNICAL DESIGN CRITERIA
& INFORMATION
With all power solutions with storage incorporated, the consumption and maximum demand needs to be considered, the autonomy of such a solution also plays a role in the sizing. The most common restrictions are on large amounts of solar power and batteries.
The efficiency of the appliances used is key in reducing the consumption that indirectly affects the solutions capacity or adds to the autonomy. After selecting the key components and power sources one needs to add devices that complete the desired features and functionality of the system.
We design, supply and install these based on the customer’s needs.