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How DIY Electric Catamaran Works (Solar & LiFePO4 Battery Bank) [Fully Explained]

25 August 2024 · 31 min · 402K views

What this video covers

The 44-foot Voyager catamaran Indigo Lady utilizes a 7.2-kilowatt solar array and a 32-kilowatt-hour LiFePO4 battery bank to power its electric propulsion system.1:54 The vessel features a dual-redundant architecture, with identical power generation and propulsion systems installed in each hull.1:47 Twenty 360-watt solar panels mounted on the roof feed into Victron MPPT charge controllers, which step down the 140-volt DC input to a 48-volt system.1:54 Two Volvo diesel generators provide backup power, driving 250-volt AC alternators that convert to 48-volt DC via diode banks to charge the batteries.10:18 Oceanvolt SD15 electric motors provide propulsion, drawing from a central bus bar that integrates solar, generator, and battery inputs.10:59 The boat includes a lightning protection system consisting of sharpened spikes connected to the aluminum roof frame and grounded via dynoplates to create a Faraday cage.5:35 The owner notes that modern component reliability would now allow for a simplified, non-redundant design to reduce weight and cost.19:44

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