[Nottingham] Off-topic: Electric propulsion

[Paul Sladen]

On Thu, 6 Oct 2011, Jason Irwin wrote:
> Relevance to GNU/Linux?  Well, there could be: http://tinyurl.com/yhw6lw7

Lovely phat (but small) Agni/Lynch electric motor on that—the
circular round box on the side.  About the highest-efficiency DC
motors you can get and an amazing British design by a classic
eccentric inventor: 20-kilowatt in something that weighs 11 kilograms.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjuBlg-s0E#t=2m41s

Enough with the motorcycles, but I do currently have one of the same
Lynch motors in sitting in a crate and lined up for a little project;

I acquired the Lynch motor for fitting to the narrowboat—once I 
figure out how to parallel it with the diesel engine in a sane
way.  If anyone knows anything about magnetic or centrifugal clutches,
I'd love advice.

Hopefully I can then use Lynch motor/electric propulsion for
manoveuring the boat in locks/tunnels and keep the diesel engine
for the main long-distance/high-power motive power.  Or offset the
price of diesel with any spare solar in the summer-time.

The motor might only be 11kg, but the traction batteries will be about
half-a-tonne when I get them, and are primarily for driving the
inverter/hotel services.  The custom battery boxes arrived earlier in
the week, but getting the batteries themselves delivered will be about
the last thing done, as I don't want them standing around unmaintained.

	-Paul