CANDELA
HYDROFOIL
eastern coastline. Assembly is currently done
in the company’s own factory on the island of
Lidingö, where the carbon fiber hull and deck
are also made. A new factory is in the works.
Candela’s first test drive center in the
United States recently opened in Sausalito,
Calif. The location joined centers in
Stockholm, Switzerland, The Netherlands and
Italy. The company has said most of its
customers for the C-8 have been from the U.S.
The Candela C-8 leisure boat has room for
eight passengers, a range of 50 nautical miles
at 22 knots and a top speed of 30 knots.
By flying above the water’s surface, the
company said its boats use up to 80% less
energy than conventional vessels of the
same size, thanks to the reduction of water
friction. The computer-actuated hydrofoils are
regulated more than 100 times per second,
aided by sensors and computers to ensure a
smooth ride in different weather conditions.
The company said the process also gives the
boats better seakeeping, zero wake and a
silent ride. The hydrofoils can be retracted
in shallow water or when trailering. When
moored, the hydrofoils retract into a hull
recess to prevent marine growth.
“Once you go hydrofoiling, it’s pretty hard
to go back,” said Mahlberg. “The feedback
we’ve received from our leisure customers
has been great. The foils get rid of the noise,
get rid of the boat slamming against the
water – it gets rid of everything that’s a hassle
with a conventional power boat. Ultimately,
however, pulling the boat out of the water
was our key to getting such a long range
at high-speed when using batteries. Our
range is twice that of a conventional power
boat even though they have three times the
battery size we have.”
The batteries send energy to the boat’s
C-Pod, submerged, direct-drive electric
motors which the company said were
designed to provide a silent ride while
eliminating transmission losses. It has a
service interval of 3000 hours.
“It’s the first electric marine pod drive
with counter rotating propellers,” said
Mahlberg, “and placing the motors under
the water eliminated the need for a cooling
system because the flow of water would cool
the motors. There’s no need to have an oil
lubrication system, either, because there are
no transmissions. The motors we’re using are
10.5 cm in diameter, but they have an output
of 80 kW, so it’s very, very efficient for its size.”
The C-Pod and the overall design of
Candela’s flying boats are scalable, which
bodes well as the company is already looking
to apply its technology to products for the
commercial marine sector.
This past summer, Candela released the
first pictures of the P-12 Shuttle. The 40 ft.
long, 30-passenger electric vessel is expected
to have a speed of 30 knots. Similar in design
to the C-8 leisure boat, three carbon fiber
wings extend from under the carbon fiber
hull to lift the ship out of the water and
reduce drag. The company said that using
the equivalent of 0.1 kWh of electricity per
passenger kilometer, the ship is more energy
efficient than a hybrid electric bus. Also,
with up to 200 kW dc charging, it can charge
its battery in under one hour. The vessel is
expected to be equipped with
180 kWh of Polestar lithium-ion batteries.
The company said the Candela P-12
Shuttle will be used to shorten the commute
between the rapidly growing suburb of
Ekerö and the Stockholm city center in 2023.
Currently a 55-minute trip by bus, subway,
or conventional ferry, the new shuttle is
expected to cover the 15 km route in 25
minutes.
In addition to reducing the time spent
commuting, the company said the ferry’s
design could elevate the passenger
experience to an entirely new level, thanks to
the advanced computer system: Those prone
to seasickness will appreciate the smooth ride
in adverse weather while the vessel’s Flight
Controller ensures a steady ride over waves
that would make many feel a bit queasy.
Candela expects to be laying the carbon
fiber keel for the first P-12 Shuttle at its
new factory in Rotebro, a suburb north of
Stockholm, toward the end of this year. After
initial tests, the first commuters are expected
to embark on the vessel in 2023. The Region
of Stockholm will operate the first P-12
Shuttle ship for a nine-month trial period.
HYDROFOILING ON THE CANALS
The boat builder also announced the C-8-
based P-8 Voyager, designed to carry six
passengers and two crew members. The
company said it is designed to replace fleets
of smaller combustion-engined passenger
craft – such as yacht tenders, taxis and rigid
inflatable boats. With an exterior designed
in Italy, the P-8 Voyager electric taxi was first
announced at Salone Nautico – a boat show
held in Venice, Italy, in May.
In the historic city, wakes from water taxis
and leisure craft have caused destruction
to the wooden pillars that its structures
and houses are built on, a phenomenon
called “moto ondoso” (wave action). Candela
said that its vessels, flying at 30 knots, create
waves no higher than those created by the
traditional Venetian gondola.
“We’re not just aiming at making the
best electric boat. We’re making a vastly
better boat than today’s conventional
powerboats, hands down – combustion
engine or electric,” said Tanguy de Lamotte,
CEO of Candela US.
NOVEMBER 2022 NEW POWER PROGRESS 19
POWER GENERATION
Smart Hybrid Hub gen-set with FPT gas
engine put to test, By Roberta Prandi
he Smart Hybrid
T Andrea Ercolino,
PHOTO: FPT INDUSTRIAL
Hub powered by FPT
Industrial is a new project
for environmentally friendly
power generation: the unit is
comprised of FPT’s F28 gas
engine and a 37-kWh battery
pack. FPT Industrial took
charge of development of the
Smart Hybrid Hub and the
project was led by the Innovation Team
located in the company’s R&D center in
Arbon, Switzerland.
What’s unique about this gen-
set? Andrea Ercolino, head of Power
Generation Product Marketing at FPT
Industrial, provided a look: “First of all,
the gen-set features the new FPT F28
variable-speed gas engine. This variable-
speed engine allows us to calibrate the
engine according to the actual load and
have it operate within its best efficiency
point. Furthermore, the load profile in
power generation is never flat. Instead
of over-dimensioning the internal
combustion engine to cover peak loads
and have it run at very low efficiency with
low loads, we can increase the engine
20 | DIESEL PROGRESS | NOVEMBER 2022
head of Power
Generation Product
Marketing at FPT
speed and add the batteries to
help cover these peaks, or use
the batteries with no engine
running when loads are low.
“Second, the unit is
powered by the F28 engine in its gas-
fueled version utilizing biomethane that
can be produced from the anaerobic
digestion of ag waste and cattle slurry or
from capturing its fugitive methane. So, derived from on-road applications has
the net CO2 emissions balance is zero.” the advantage of reducing currents inside
the system and allowing for an easier
SYSTEM COMPONENTS integration in a power generation unit
Ercolino explained that the 37 kWh that has to be housed under a canopy or
battery pack is a high-voltage system within a container,” said Ercolino. He
(capable of working from 350 V to added that FPT Industrial’s roadmap on
700 V) produced in collaboration with batteries involves the development of
Potenza and Microvast. “This is the same other battery pack sizes in the future.
battery pack that will be integrated in the Hardware for the system control unit,
new eDaily van by Iveco.” The batteries is supplied by Woodward, including
are to be produced in a new factory in the gas engine control unit. However,
Turin, Italy. the algorithm that is the basis of the
“The use of a high-voltage battery pack Hybrid Control Management system was
developed by FPT Industrial’s Innovation
The Smart Team based on a study of the engine’s
Hybrid Hub load curves for the best integration with
project was the energy storage system, especially in
led by FPT’s terms of charge and discharge strategy.
PHOTO: FPT INDUSTRIAL
Innovation
Team MODE OF OPERATION
located The power output of the hybrid unit is up
in the to 55 kWe, obtained by the combination
company’s of variable-speed engine and battery pack.
R&D center The unit offers three operating modes:
in Arbon, ■ Touring mode, where engine and
Switzerland. battery pack alternate operation to