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Why Efficiency is Key With Solar and Alternator Back up with Scotty

Current forms of utility grade power generation, such as gas turbines are only 20-35% efficient. It is also important to note that 60% of energy used for electricity generation is lost in the process. In short, the current way of delivering electrical power to your home is grossly inefficient.

Solar is 20-25% efficient and MPPT power conversion is 98% efficient. If these two are at your home, its an improvement in overall efficiency.

·      Keeping power at the DC level is the most efficient.

·      Converting DC power to 240V AC is around 95% efficient.

·      Charging AC to DC is very inefficient with 20% losses.

In mobile applications, low efficiency losses manifest as heat. Many things don’t like heat and at the top of the list is power electronics. For example a typical 240V AC battery charger is around 80% efficient. As it heats up it becomes even less efficient and derates in performance. Most of the industry DC DC converters operate in the 80-85% range. Some switch to half power after 30 minutes or so when they get incredibly hot.

One reason Lithium batteries are so popular is because of efficiency. They are 99% efficient. Whereas any of the lead/acid technologies including AGM and Gel batteries are 75-80% efficient. You have to put 125W of solar into an AGM battery to get 100W out.

Scotty is 96% efficient in either direction. So combined with Solar MPPT controllers at 98% efficient and Lithium at 99% efficient, the round-trip efficiency is high.

Safiery will be producing battery operated Bluetooth switching systems in 2023. To operate the switches on battery power for over a year requires high efficiency at 99.5%+. The benefit is reduced wiring costs and increased functionality with up to 6 switches activating the same device. There is no negative impact on reliability. Without super high efficiency, this is not achievable.

Scotty and Alternator on Engine Efficiency is Higher than you think

Scotty Alternator Engine Efficiency

A way of improving efficiency with diesel engines, is where engine excess torque can be used to generate electrical energy and charge the battery. Minimizing the brake specific fuel consumption is by shifting the engine load into a more efficient area while maintaining the same engine speed.

In the example above, the vehicle is moving at a constant speed. The vehicle speed translates in a point of engine torque (100 Nm) and speed (2500 rpm). The engine efficiency in this operating point, 455 g/kWh, is far from optimal. By increasing the engine torque to 250 Nm we decrease the brake specific fuel consumption to 320 g/kWh. The excess torque (150 Nm) will be compensated by the electric machine (-150 Nm) which will run in generator mode and produce electrical energy.

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1800W Built-in Induction Cooktop with 2000W Smart Inverter

1800W Built-in Induction Cooktop with 2000W Smart Inverter

SAFIERY UNIVERSITY
SINGLE INDUCTION COOKTOP
VICTRON 2000W SMART INVERTER
AND A 200Ah LITHIUM BATTERY

This article is designed to give assurance to the reader that the Safiery Single Hob Induction Cooktop can operate automatically from the Victron Smart 2,000W Inverter and a single 200Ah Lithium Battery.

This is a built-in single induction hob is suitable for OEM’s, Body builders and DIY customers. It is NOT a retail product.

Induction Cooking

How an induction cooker is 94% efficient?

Conventional stove top cooking methods heat the pan through convection and conduction. The heated pan then heats the food.  The food may not be evenly heated and it is common to stir or move around the food to cook evenly. Gas cooktops are 40% efficient typically. In the wind, it is far less.directly. 

An induction cooker uses electricity and magnetism to make your pan the source of heat.

Pans that are cast iron are naturally excellent. Special ferrous metals are added to alloy pans to perform well with induction.

As soon as you turn on your induction cooktop on and it detects a pot or pan, the electric coils beneath the ceran glass surface generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field transfers energy very efficiently at 94% to the pot or pan directly. It uses no heat to transfer this. As the magnetic field changes direction at high speed, the metal particles oscillate and set up eddy currents. This causes the particles in your pots and pans to an extent that they become hot.

A simple demonstation of the high efficiency is the “cool to touch” induction glass top after you remove the cooking pot. The pot is hot but the glass top is cool!. Little energy wasted!

Induction cooking is:

  • Fastest way to cook – 2min for 0.5L Water at 1800W
  • 94% Efficient; compared to 40% for LPG and 70% Electric
  • Safe and cool to touch after use
  • Ceramic glass top – easy to clean
  • Cool to touch immediately after use
  • Induction pots and pans now commonplace and inexpensive 
  • Can be set at “slow cook” – walk away and enjoy the day without worry of open flame.

However…..

  • Induction cooktops require large inverters.
  • Most large inverters constantly consume power even in “standby” mode.
  • Some systems have complex low voltage cut outs and extra battery management systems.

But not with this package….. just 3 components….

  • 1800W Single Induction Cooktop that is “built in”
  • Victron Smart 2000W Inverter with Bluetooth connection to Smartphoone App
  • Safiery 200Ah Lithium Battery with Bluetooth connection to Smartphone app

With these Smarts that save power and protect your battery:

  • On your Smartphone, you see and can set:
  • Exact power being used
  • ExactBattery Voltage
  • Exact AC Voltage
  • On your Smartphone, you can also:
  • Turn the Inverter off or into eco-mode
  • Set the low voltage cutout point to protect your battery

 

So with the Smart 2000W Inverter you have all the power and control for 1800W Induction cooktop:

Introducing the Safiery Single Hob Induction Cooktop

  • Built-in
  • Smart IGBT control
  • High grade black crystal plate
  • Touch Sensor controls
  • Size: 288 mm diameter top
  • 260mm diameter cut out
  • 85mm deep

Power

  • Power Watts: 1800W
  • Has three settings of low, medium and maximum on touch control.
  • Individual Controls
  • Automation
  • Timer
  • Child Lock 
  • Booster  function
  • Auto Safe Switch off
  • Over heat & empty pan safe off
  • Cookware detection of

In the Video below, We have this equipment set up:

  • Safiery Single Hob Induction Cooktop

1800W 

  • Victron Smart 2,000W Inverter

12V Bluetooth Controlled

  • Safiery Lithium Battery

Delivers up to 200A continuously.

The time it takes a solar panel array to replenish the energy used in a typical full evening meal is:

  • For a typical evening meal

About and hour for a 500W solar array to replenish

The amout of battery capacity that is used in a typical full evening meal is:

  • Direct from the Lithium Batteries

About 12% of the available capacity for a 200Ah bank

  • Of course none from a powered site.

Lets watch the video proof here

 

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OPERATING DC POWERED GYRO IN OPEN BOAT

OPERATING DC POWERED GYRO IN OPEN BOAT

SAFIERY UNIVERSITY
REPLENISHING ENERGY
TO LITHIUM BATTERIES
FOR DC POWERED GYROS

 

 

This article explains how to have 24/7 operation of a DC powered GYRO in an open boat.   

Increase utilization of your boating investment. You can travel and/or anchor in otherwise marginal weather. Bring your partners or companions who are sensitive to sea sickness tfor a ride. You will smile and they will enjoy the ride.

Welcome to the comfort of an on board Gyro.

A stabilised vessel can be achieved by installing a gyro. Gyros offer reduced drag and higher hull efficiency compared to fins. Gyros operate across the entire speed range, providing stabilized comfort for your whole journey.

However, they take power and energy. This is the marriage with Scotty.

Having a great battery capacity is great but the challenge is replenishing it. Solar is an option but the contribution is small unless you have an upper deck the size of a house roof.

Safiery’s Scotty can take the alternator power from two Mercury Verado 200hp+ outboards and transfer this into a 24V Lithium bank at a rate of 3,000W per hour. In just 2-3 hours of open throttle a day, 6,000-9,000Wh of Lithium stored energy is replenished. If these numbers are daunting then lets state it simply. You can run a Gyro on a 35ft boat 24/7 with such a system with just 2-3 hours’s run time a day.

What is Scotty?

Scotty is a 3,000W Bi-directional Planar Transformer at 96% efficiency that is CANbus Controlled. This will both charge Lithium batteries from wide ranging 12V power sources AND reverse this power when the engines are not running to have 12V energy available on tap. In fact, Scotty gives up to 250A at 12V on tap, any time. So huge power transfer in either direction. Scotty is IP67 and suitable for an open boat. It can have high power transfer Amphenol connectors that are IP67.

Scotty will directly communicate with CANbus lithium batteries. No active shunt is needed.

Welcome to Comfort. Welcome to a light weight energy package. 5,600Wh of Lithium plus 3,000W power transfer weights less than 45kgs. Better still it is small in size and installs in less than 4 hours.

 

Lithium Battery Sizing

Model

Max Size

Min Outboard Alternator Capacity Amps

Hours/ 24hr Engine time

% Lithium Battery Capacity after 24 hours

Lithium Capacity
Ahrs

12V

115

2

95%

400

Seakeeper 1

30ft

70

2

46%

400

70

3

84%

400

54

2

28%

400

115

3

64%

600

Seakeeper 2

35ft

70

3

14%

600

70

2

17%

800

54

2

8%

800

115

3

50%

800

Seakeeper 3

39ft

70

3

13%

800

70

2

-6%

800

54

2

-15%

800

Typical Operation

Startup the gyro up to an hour before departure.

During this time, it is taking energy from the on-board lithium batteries. Starting up takes more energy than normal operation.

Power on the outboards and depart. The outboard alternators are now charging the lithium batteries through Scotty. With twin 250hp Verado’s up to 230A at 14V can be extracted. At the same time the boats instrumentation, fridge and entertainment system is powered from the same Scotty 12V Pin. There is no need for a 12V house battery.

Scotty stores the energy at the more efficient 24 or 48V level. Being bi-directional, it can move power either way from 12V to 24V or 48V or vice versa.

Battery and Power Transfer Visibility

The user has all the important information on their MFD or Glass bridge. Our system just plugs straight in and shows battery state of charge , alternator power and even time to go on the Navico or Simrad MFD. It is a plug n play device.

Simple and easy to install by a boating dealer.

 

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