Italian company Transfluid, a manufacturer of a wide range of power transmission equipment – has developed an efficient and environmentally friendly low-to-medium speed diesel-electric power solution for marine use.
Supported by three other Italian manufacturers of electric motors, batteries and frequency converters, the units within the marine diesel electric propulsion package are known as the HM-560 module, the HM 2000 and the HT-700 transmission.
Derived from the company's considerable experience developing thousands of units for marine and industrial applications, Transfluid designed the HM-560 to be coupled to any internal combustion engine featuring SAE housing and flywheel, as well as SAE-standard transmission units.
Requiring just 300mm of space between the engine and transmission for installation, the 'electric machine' is rated for up to 20kW and works as either a motor or a generator.
Once the clutch is disengaged, the engine is disconnected from the rest of the driveline and the electric motor begins operation in its place. During engaged engine operation, meanwhile, the motor becomes a generator, recharging on-board batteries.
Based in the HM-560, the HM-2000 features two electric engines rated up to 50kW each. Lastly, the HT-700 is a full hybrid transmission with a power capacity of 95kW (the electric motor is the same build as the HM-560).
Stefano Fermi
