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Design strategy of Battery Powered Boat and its evaluation

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Proceedings of the Twenty-fifth (2015) International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference
Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, USA, June 21-26, 2015
Copyright © 2015 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)
ISBN 978-1-880653-89-0; ISSN 1098-6189
Design Strategy of Battery Powered Boat and its Evaluation
Ayako Umeda*, Etsuro Shimizu**, and Tsuyoshi Oode**
*Dept. of Marine System Eng., Graduate School, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology,
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
**Dept. of Marine System Eng., Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology,
Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
ABSTRACT
A new category of All Electric Ship (AES) that combines traditional
shipbuilding practice together with power electronics technology is
expected to produce a green propulsion solution in the form of the
Battery Powered Boat (BPB). Key components of the propulsion
system are still under development, particularly the electric motor drive
and battery system, and have immature performance characteristics in
applications for boats. In this paper, a design strategy that describes the
key factors to select and determine the specifications of components for
the BPB is presented. Furthermore, the evaluation of several working
prototypes based on the strategy are demonstrated.
KEY WORDS: Battery Powered Boat; All Electric Ship; propeller;
motor drive; efficiency map; battery capacity.
INTRODUCTION
The Olympic/Paralympic games will be held in Tokyo in the year 2020.
Since Tokyo is one of the largest waterfront cities, a green-ship
installation is anticipated. Recently, the All Electric Ship (AES)
concept with most onboard systems being electrically connected has
been proposed. The advantages of AES create an opportunity to easily
integrate renewable energy sources. Thus, Green House Gas (GHG)
emissions can be reduced (Kanellos, 2014). If it is possible to operate a
ship only using power from an on board energy storage system which is
charged through the grid from green power sources, GHG s could
be reduced further. However, the capacity of energy storage systems
are limited today to compensate for power peaks and/or to level power
demand from the primary generators (Thongam, 2013). In the area of
inland water transport, small and mid-size boats are used in
applications for water-bus services, site viewing cruise, or logistics,
may require limited power to fulfill their operation time or distance
requirements. Thus, the Battery Powered Boat (BPB), with power
provided by a battery for propulsion has gradually been put into use.
However, with respect to performance, the technology continues to be
in development (Shimizu, 2011 and Nishimura, 2012).
In order to design an optimized BPB specification, it is necessary to
understand both propulsion performance characteristics and the
application of power electronics to them. In order to calculate the
required output power to achieve a specific boat speed, it is necessary
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to modify the well-known Taylor’s standard for fitting small high-
speed displacement vessels (Oossanen, 1980). A possible viable form
of BPB for transport use might be the displacement vessel type, taking
into account the weight of batteries and passengers. With regard to
power electronics, it is helpful to refer to established technology
developed for other electric vehicle applications, such as automotive,
trains and aviation. However, although propulsion performance
estimation techniques are mature in the shipbuilding industry, the
architecture and design of other electric vehicles may be difficult to
transfer due to differences in performance characteristics. Compared to
AES, the key components of a BPB propulsion system consisting of
motor, inverter, and battery system in an integrated system have
immature performance characteristics. That is to say, the BPB is a new
category of AES that combines traditional shipbuilding practice with
power electronics technology. Thus, the methods for optimal design
and evaluation are not yet established.
In this paper, a design strategy that describes the key factors to select
and determine the specifications of components for the BPB is defined
in the following four steps. Some easy to apply methods are presented
in each step.
(1) Cruise Performance Planning
In order to determine the appropriate speed-power performance in
cruise, a prediction method inherited from the Japanese shipbuilding
industry and representing a power-speed curve is presented.
(2) Estimation of Required Output Power for Propulsion
In this step, the traditional propeller curve concept is utilized to
estimate the power absorbed by the propeller.
(3) Motor and Propeller Matching
In order to find an efficient combination of motor and propeller, we
present a method that applies the propeller curve and motor’s efficiency
map.
(4) Battery System Design
At last we present, a method to determine battery capacity and
configuration is adopted to motor drive specification.
In summary, traditional methods can be applicable to propulsion
performance design, and simple theory developed for power electronics
is available to apply to BPB specification.
Furthermore, based on the above strategy, the evaluation of working
prototypes performed by Tokyo University of Marine Science and
Technology (TUMST), are presented.
BRIEF REVIEW OF BATTERY POWERED BOAT

An advantage of the BPB is a clean and human friendly solution from

the view point of gas and sound noise emissions. Power for propulsion
is provided by battery storage which may not pollute water and air, and
the drive system is driven by electric motor which may not create
substantial noise emissions.
Components to be determined for BPB are propeller as thruster, motor-
inverter as main drive, and battery system as power source. The object
of the design strategy is to indicate how to select components and
determine their specifications efficiently and in an integrated manner.
In addition to these factors, design performance has to be determined,
which indicates boat speed and motor output power in cruise mode. In
Fig.2. TUMST Location
most cases, batteries must be periodically charged from on-land
facilities, however facilities to provide sufficient power to BPB may be
limited. For this reason, design cruise performance is essential for BPB
design. Planned speed and power may be depend on its cruising plan DESIGN STRATEGY OF BATTERY POWERED BOAT
indicated by factors such as passenger, distance or time, and operational
area, while taking performance and safety requirements into The essence of our strategy is to make use of simple methods and to
consideration. utilize easily accessible and understandable information. At first,
cruising performance of BPB shall be designed in accordance with its
operating requirement. After the performance criteria is determined, the
required output power to produce adequate propeller thrust should be
estimated. The next important factor, is to match motor and propeller
performance. Finally, the battery system must be designed to satisfy the
cruising performance determined above. Most of BPBs will have high
propulsion performance according to their forms, but the priority for
BPB must be propulsion control well matched to battery capacity
management.

Planning Cruising Performance

Fig.1. Working BPB prototypes When planning the cruising performance of BPB, it is essential to
understand the relationship between boat speed and the required motor
The working BPB prototypes RAICHO-I and RAICHO-N shown in output power. The purpose in this step is to determine the feasible
Fig. 1 were developed by TUMST in accordance with the design combination of cruise speed and output power as a design performance.
strategy presented in this paper. As described in Table 1, Both of them What is important is to obtain practical applicable estimations, and not
employ motor drive systems including Interior Permanent Magnet to calculate accurate values.
Synchronized (IPMS) motor and sine wave Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM) inverter developed for electric vehicles together with In the Japanese shipbuilding industry, so called “Gunkan Curve”
rechargeable high capacity lithium-ion batteries developed for multi- created by the old Japanese Navy has been utilized for a long time.
purpose use. These prototypes support the CHAdeMO protocol as the During war time, hundreds of cruising tests had been performed to
quick charging scheme widely accepted for electric vehicles. As shown measure the relationship of output power and ship speed. Based on
in Fig.2, TUMST facilities are located in the Tokyo bay area and near these results, performance curves named B.H.P/W:V/√L Curve
to the Olympic/Paralympic venue. In our experience, adequate cruising were created. These represent five ship form types plotted in one chart
speed in this area may be from 8 to 10 knots. For this reason, the planed as shown in Fig.3. The classified five types include three grades for
performance of the prototypes have been determined as shown in Table normal displacement type and two categories of planning type ships.
1. The normal displacement type ships such as cargo ships, fishing ships,
and motor sailing ships are classified to FAIR, GOOD, and FINE of
Table 1. Specifications of RAICHO-I and RAICHO-N DISPT TYPEs corresponding to their performance record. The
RAICHO I RAICHO N planning type ships such as motor boats are categorized to V TYPE and
Laid Down May 2010 April 2014 STEPPR corresponding to their bottom shape. This chart had been
classified information but it was published after the war (Hashimoto,
Length, Width 10m, 2.3m 14m, 3.5m 1958).
Draft line, Displacement 9m, 3.5ton 12m, 12ton
Design Performance 8.5knot, 25kW 9.2knot, 50kW Here, looking at Fig.3, the horizontal axis indicates B.H.P/W and the
vertical axis indicates V/√L. B.H.P. is a brake horse power, W is
Drive System IPMS motor displacement, V is speed, and L is length of the draft line. Note, V/√L is
Rated Output Power 45kW 90 kW (45kw*2) equivalent to the well-known speed-length ratio.
Battery System Lithium-ion Secondary
Capacity 26.5kWh 145kWh

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Fig.3. B.H.P/W:V/√L Curve
As is well known, the required output power is proportional to the
product of the cube of cruise speed. Thus, power-speed curve is
represented by the following equation.
P= V3 (1)
P is the required output power and V is a boat speed. Here, the
coefficient can be obtained by reading several points from the curves
in Fig.3 by assigning certain values of displacement to W and draft
line to √L. It is noted that brake horse power can be converted to kW
units (1bhp = 0.746kW). If the BPB is planned as a displacement type
vessel, referring to all three types and making three prediction curves
may be practical to decide cruise performance. The curves in Fig. 4
illustrate schematically examples of predicted cubic power–speed
curves for each of the three vessel types. When considering the cruise
performance of BPB, it is recommended to put the design performance
point between the FAIR and FINE curves. In this example, the design
performance point where the planned power and speed intersects lies on
the FINE curve. This result is based on the assumption of similar type
of boat performance record.
Fig.4. Power-speed curves based on the B.H.P/W:V/√L Curve
Estimating Required Output Power for Propulsion
After planning cruise performance, it is necessary to estimate the
required output power in relation to propeller rotation speed. The
output power from the motor is absorbed by the load, in this case the
propeller represents the load to the motor, and boat speed corresponds
to the thrust created by propeller rotation. When the power is
transmitted by a rotating shaft, rotation speed and torque must be the
same at motor and end of the propeller shaft. Both of these components
have torque-rotational speed characteristics (Woodward, 1973). These
characteristics will be given by following the well-known equation.
P=Q N 2 /60 (2)
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Q = KQ · · N 2· d5 (3)
P is an output power, Q is a torque, N is a rotational speed, KQ is a
torque coefficient, is a density of the fluid, and d is a diameter of the
propeller. If torque is constant, the output power at the motor side is
proportional to the torque and rotational speed (see Eq.2). On the other
hand, torque at the propeller side shall increase relative to the density of
the fluid, rotational speed, and the diameter of the propeller (see Eq.3).
Hence, the power at propeller side is proportional to the cube of
rotational speed N. By combining coefficient terms into , we can
convert Eq.2 and Eq.3 to yield.
P= N3 (4)
Then, using coefficient , the cubic curve can be plotted on the same
plane with the motor power curve. This is the method known as the
Propeller Curve which describes the relationship between output power
from main drive and propeller rotation speed. The characteristics of the
Propeller Curve depend on the coefficient . The Propeller Curve might
be provided by the manufacturer. If not, it should be estimated using
actual data from a similar target propeller.
Figure 5 shows an example of a propeller curve and motor output
power curve at constant torque. The point where the two curves
intersect indicate the equilibrium between motor output power and
power absorbed by the propeller. This expression method is useful for
matching motor and propeller in the next step.
Fig.5. Propeller and power curve example
Matching Motor and Propeller
The electric motor and rechargeable battery are major components of
BPB propulsion system. Compared to conventional engines mounted in
boats, electric motors have different performance characteristics
described by torque-speed curves that produce the efficiency map of the
device. Fig6 illustrates a comparison of the efficiency maps of an IPMS
motor and a conventional engine. Due to the limited available space
and the high demand for power density and overall efficiency, IPMS
motors are typically used for electric vehicles. Characteristics of several
IPMS motor types are compared with their efficiency map (Finken,
2010). When applying them to BPB propulsion systems, it is desirable
to select the appropriate combination of motor and propeller.
 operational requirements. This implies the battery pack should be
configured with an appropriate assembly of modules. An example of a
battery system configuration is shown in Fig.8. The series connections
of modules provide the required voltage and the parallel connection of
packs satisfy battery load capacity requirements.

Fig.6. Comparison between IPMS motor and engine characteristics

In order to find the appropriate combination of motor and propeller, it

is useful to plot propeller curves with motor output power curves at
rated torque as illustrated in Fig.7. Normally, manufacturers specify the
rated and maximum power and torque of their motors and inverters. .
These specifications represent the constraints in motor and propeller
matching. Also, it is probable that planned power must be decided
under rated power taking sea margin into account.
If the intersection point of the motor power curve and propeller curve
occur below the rated power level, it implies that the continuous
operation of the system at rated power may cause an overload state (see
Propeller A in Fig.7). On the other hand, when the intersection point of
Propeller B is above the rated power level, it implies that stable
operation is possible at rated torque. However, it is desirable to obtain a
higher efficiency by matching motor and propeller at an optimal zone
in the efficiency map. The example in Fig.7 shows the case where the
high efficiency zone is lower than the rated power level. In this case, it
is better to select Propeller B and specify the planned power to fit in the
high efficiency zone.
Fig.8. Example of battery system configuration
PROTOTYPE EVALUATIONS
In order to evaluate the design strategy explained above, the reliability
of the battery capacity shall be confirmed first. Then, the adequacy of
motor and propeller matching, power estimation for propulsion, and
cruise performance shall be evaluated in that order. In other words, the
evaluation is performed by tracing back the steps of the design strategy.
In this evaluation, the high efficiency zone is defined as more than 95%.
The actual values were volatile and influenced by cruise conditions
such as weather, tide, and load. Therefore, the selection of data to
analyze represented average conditions. Since the detailed efficiency
map of the motor on board may not be disclosed, specific efficiency
values are illustrated only for essential explanation.

Case of RAICHO-I

The RAICHO-I was developed as a feasibility model for transportation

and commissioned in May 2010. After that, advanced components were
provided. Thus, the motor drive components and battery system of the
RAICHO-I was replaced on October 2012. Table 2 shows the
comparison of original and upgraded specifications of the RAICHO-I.

Table 2. Specification comparison of RAICHO-I

Original Upgraded
Drive System
Motor DC brushless motor IPMS motor
Fig7. Example of the propeller curve with motor power curve
Rot. Speed 1800 min-1 (Rated) 12000 min-1 (Max)
Battery System Design Rated Power 25kW 45 kW
Inverter
Total battery capacity of BPB must be estimated taking cruise time into Rated Voltage DC 280~370V DC 240~400 V
account and the required output power to be delivered. In addition to
Rated Torque 133Nm 88Nm
these factors, the specification of selected drive system must be
considered. The drive system is typically configured by a combination Battery System
of motor and inverter. Generally, the voltage to be supplied to the Total Capacity 52Ah 18 kWh 80Ah, 26.5kWh
inverter may be rated. On the basis of the range of rated input voltage Pack DC 259.2~388.8 V
DC 240~403.2 V
to the inverter, the number of series connection of cells or modules
(8 module serial) (12 module serial)
must be determined. Battery modules provided by manufacturers are
configured by series and/or parallel connection of a number of cells. Module 13Ah 561.6Wh 40Ah, 1,104Wh
The load capacity of the battery system must be determined in line with (12 cell serial) (12 cell serial* 2 parallel)
the rated voltage and also satisfy the total output power to meet

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As described in Table 2, the upgraded motor has a higher rated power
but lower rated torque relative to the original motor. The battery
capacity of the upgraded system is higher than that of original battery
system. In this paper, evaluation results comparing the original and
upgraded specification are shown relative to battery system and motor
and propeller matching. It is noted that the propulsion performance
evaluation presented is based on the upgraded specification.
Fig.9. Time variation of SOC in original battery system
Fig.10. Time variation of SOC in upgraded battery system
We remain concerned whether the battery capacity fulfills the cruise
time and distance requirements. In this respect, reliable information is
required regarding the amount of power that can be stored in the on
board battery system. However, specific the method to estimate SOC
may not be disclosed by the manufacturer. Thus, experimental tests
were performed on each battery system, and the results are illustrated in
Fig.9 and Fig.10. Theoretical curves presented in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are
estimated based on the following equation.
S (t) = S (0) – P · t / C (5)
S (t) is an estimate of SOC of t seconds elapsed, S (0) is SOC at the
time of cruise start, P is output power, t is elapsed time, and C is battery
capacity. As shown in these figures, the gaps of the theoretical curve
and the experimental curve of the upgraded battery are more closely
aligned than the equivalent curves for the original battery system. It is
possible to presume that the battery management technology is
improving. This result shows that the estimation of SOC is practical
provided that the specification reported by the manufacturer is reliable.
According to our experimental data, it is practical to achieve 50min of
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cruise time when planned power is equal to 25kW.
The evaluation for matching the motor and propeller installed on the
RAICHO-I presented here is based on the motor drive system after
upgrade. It is noted that an outdrive fit for rated 1800 RPM (min-1
rotation) of original motor and 500mm (19.7in) diameter and 405mm
(15.9in) pitch size propeller was not changed as part of the upgrade
modification. Therefore, the comparison was performed between a
direct connections to the outdrive with reduction gear based connection
to the outdrive, with both cases using one propeller curve.
When the propeller curve is plotted together with the motor output
curve at constant torque as shown in Fig.11, the intersection point at the
rated torque for the direct drive connection is under the planned power
level of 25kW. This implies continuous operation at 25kW output
power may cause an overload state. The corresponding torque at
constant operation at a planned power level of 25kW will be 385Nm
which is much higher than maximum torque specification of 200Nm of
the motor drive unit.
Fig.11. Propeller curve regarding to updated drive system
However, when a reduction gear is installed with a reduction ratio of
1:2.25 between the motor and the outdrive, as shown in Fig. 12, the
intersection point of the propeller curve and motor output power curve
is above the planned power level of 25kW and close to the rated 45kW
level. Therefore continuous operation at 25kW is possible at the rated
torque.
The efficiency map indicates the motor efficiency is 93% at 25kW. It
seems this design is sufficient, however the high efficiency zone lies at
a much higher power and rotational speed point. This result shows it
may be more efficient to select a propeller having a smaller coefficient
curve according to Eq. 4. For example, a smaller size propeller may
be better as by suggested by Eq.3, which shows coefficient is
proportional to the five cubes of diameter.
Fig.12. Reduction gear implementation

When evaluating the propulsion efficiency, the output power of the
batteries and motor should be calculated by using actual data in the
equations given below.
PB = VB · AB (6)
PM = Q · N · 2 / 60 (7)
= PM / P B (8)
PB is battery output power, VB is battery output voltage, AB is battery
output ampere, PM is motor output power, and is efficiency.
Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13, by plotting the power-speed curve
obtained from actual data using calculated FAIR, GOOD, and FINE
curves explained above, design cruise performance can be evaluated.
At the time of development, a specification of 8.5 knots for the design
speed was established and 25kW for the design power on the FINE
curve. However, as shown in Fig.14, the cruise performance of the
RAICHO-I is similar to the GOOD curve until 8.5 knots, after that, it
trends closer to the FINE curve. Accordingly, 7.9 knots constant speed
with a 25.7kW motor output power and 28.4kW battery output is actual
performance. The efficiency was 90.2% at the speed of 7.9knots. It is
possible that the difference in efficiency between actual measured data
and the calculated values derived from the efficiency map may be
caused by mechanical loss of the reduction gear.
Maintaining the battery output power at 28.4kW to produce a relatively
constant 7.9knot speed, it is possible to cruise 12.1km. This distance is
sufficient to cruise from the Tokyo International Airport to the Tokyo
Big Site area. This estimate assumes a 90% of nominal battery capacity
taking margin into account. It is noted this value is theoretical and does
not include sea margin or disturbance. Estimation for margin from
nominal battery capacity depends on the characteristics of cells and/or
configuration of modules and packs. The 90% value was determined by
our discharge experiments shown in Fig.10. If the reliability for SOC
estimation is uncertain, then it is recommended to apply more margin to
compensate.
Fig. 13. Propulsion performance of RAICHO-I
As described above, the design strategy would be also useful when
considering major components replacement provided data of key
factors are available such as the propeller curve and the motor
efficiency map.
Case of RAICHO-N
The RAICHO-N was developed as a practical study model and next
generation for RAICHO-I. It is implemented with dual motor and
batteries systems under central control. This design puts independent
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operation into practice and improves overall system redundancy. The
configuration of dual systems is illustrated in Fig. 14 schematically. In
the event that a system fails on one side and experiences loss of its
control, the RAICHO-N can cruise continuously by using the other
side. This configuration is also intended to test a concept to promote the
utilization of components for electric vehicles as modules. This idea
will enable a reduction in the development cost and time to
manufacture the BPB.
The cruise performance plan and power estimation had to be developed
in accordance with this configuration of dual systems. That is, cruise
speed must be estimated for the boat as a whole, but output power and
propeller rotation must be considered for each system and to be
summed up to achieve a unified cruise performance. Hereafter, boat
speed and output power will be mentioned for the boat as a whole
unless the left or right side of the system should be specified.
Fig.14. Dual system configuration
As mentioned above, the RAICHO-N uses the same components for
drive systems and battery packs as the RAICHO-I. The battery packs
are allocated to each system as five packs for the left side and six packs
for the right side. The extra one pack in the right side is for power
consumption of ship board accessories. Since assessment for the battery
pack had been performed at the RAICHO-I evaluation, it can be
omitted here.
In order to evaluate the matching motor and propeller adequacy, two
sets of propellers were prepared having different diameter and pitch
size for the RAICHO-N. Considering the evaluation result of the
RAICHI-I, small size propeller sets were selected to avoid the
requirement for reduction gearing. One set of diameter and pitch size
are 16in (406.4mm) and 13 in (330.2mm), hereafter denote as 16”11”,
and the other set are sized 15in (381mm) and 11in (279.4mm),
hereafter denote as 15”11”. Propeller curves of these sizes have not
been provided by the manufacturer. The curves illustrated in Fig.15 are
acquired from actual data measured from the RAICHO-N.
Fig.15. Propeller Curves of left side system
The propeller curves shown in Fig.15 indicate for each size propeller
sets mounted on the left side system. This result shows that the 16”13”
sets might cause an overload condition for rotation speeds over 1300
RPM (min-1 rotation), but the 15”11” sets are under the rated power
operation up to 2600 RPM (min-1 rotation). Mounting the 15”11” sets
enables constant operation in in design power range of 25kW without
causing an overload condition. We know this to be true because
corresponding torque is equivalent to rated torque 88Nm. However, the
high efficiency zone exists at much higher rotational speeds (not shown
in Fig.15). The reason of this result is that IPMS motors for electric
vehicles are usually designed to be operated in low torque and high
rotational speed in order to satisfy the needs to be compact, and are
typically implemented with shifting gears. It suggests that the addition
of reduction gearing or to replace the motor and inverter with a higher
torque rated model is appropriate for these propellers.
With regard to cruise performance, the RAICHO-N was specified to
achieve 9.2knots for design speed with a design output power of 50kW
as described by the FINE curve. However, Fig.16 indicates that the
performance is similar to GOOD curve at the design speed of 9.2knots,
although it is close to the FINE curve until 8.7 knots. Nevertheless, the
above recommendation planning to put cruise performance between
FAIR and FINE line will be a practical benchmark.
The performance obtained by actual data is 8.7knots constant speed
with 50.5kW motor output power and 56.1kW battery output power.
Therefore, the actual efficiency is 89.9%. The efficiency gaps
between motor output and battery output were observed as 1.2% in the
RAICHO-N and as 2.8% in the RAICHO-I. The difference between
the efficiency gaps could be accounted for by presence of reduction
gearing. Considering space limitations and/or mechanical loss,
implementation of reduction gearing should be given careful
consideration.
For a constant battery output power of 56.1kW to maintain 8.7knots
cruise speed allows theoretically 34.1km cruise distance assuming 90%
of nominal battery capacity. It is sufficient to cruise round trip from the
Tokyo International Airport to the Olympic village in Harumi.
Fig.16. Propulsion Performance of RAICHO-N
As described above, our design strategy is effective when utilizing the
components designed for electric vehicles as modules. The propulsion
system of BPB can be developed by assembling components
commercially available, provided the data of key performance
specifications are available as, demonstrated by the RAICHO-I.
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CONCLUSIONS
Efficient design of BPB takes into consideration practical operation of
the vessel, the key factors are cruise performance, propeller
characteristics, efficiency map of the motor, and battery capacity.
In order to plan cruise performance, two parameters are assigned to the
“B.H.P/W:V/√L Curve”, in particular, the draft line length L and
displacement W. Furthermore, it is efficient to use the propeller curve
represented by coefficient cubic curve proportional to the propeller
rotational speed to understand propeller absorption characteristics.
These traditional methods, in practice for many years, are practical for
BPB design even though the applied power electronics technologies are
still under development.
When matching the motor and propeller, it is important to understand
how to optimally integrate the propeller curve, motor efficiency and
battery capacity. When these components are designed for a specific
BPB application, their performance characteristics should be optimized
as described in this paper. However, if the BPB will be designed by
assembling components from commercially available modules,
sometimes efficiency trade-offs may arise. Mechanical loss of
reduction gearing as observed in the RAICHO-I case or low propeller
rotational speed operation as observed in the RAICHO-N case, are
typical trade-offs to consider.
This paper presents a simple method to determine the design
performance and evaluation of the results by matching key factors
available either from manufacturers or measured from actual data. In
addition, evaluation of the working prototypes suggest this strategy is
sufficiently practical for BPB design. Although we assumed the
application of the working prototypes for transportation, the scope of
this strategy may be applied more broadly. It is applicable to other
types of electric ships with battery systems, for applications other than
transportation, because of its simple concept.
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