New modular electric boat batteries like Lego® blocks
Modular electric boat batteries that can be configured in different shapes and power ratings were shown off by XING Mobility at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show today.
XING has focused on developing the system for easy electrification of commercial trucks and other vehicles, but CTO and co-founder Azizi Tucker said at the show: “We quickly identified the marine and boating industries as prime potential benefactors of our modular battery technology. We know there is a huge unmet demand for electrification in this market.”
In addition to the battery system, the company makes plug and play drivetrain systems, with everything designed to make it easier to either convert vehicles and boats from fossil fuels to electric drive or develop from the ground (or water) up.
The system is called the Immersio™ Modular Battery System because the batteries are immersed in a non-conductive cooling fluid – and can be assembled to power anything from high performance electric sportboats to huge passenger ferries.
The batteries essentially plug together like Lego® blocks. Each unit is made up of 42 lithium ion cells that are surrounded by the coolant: 3M™ Novec™ Engineered Fluid, resulting in a ‘building block’ weighing 2.8 kg with 4.1V and a 9kW discharge.
It’s an ingenious system, and it’s easy to say how it can benefit boat designers – and owners – that need to address the often irregular available space on a boat as well as weight distribution concerns. In some ways, it’s similar in concept to the SeaDrive modular electric boat motor we wrote about last week.
Modular electric boat batteries also perform
Xing is a market leader in immersion cooling technology which provides exceptional cooling because the immersion provides 100% cell-to-coolant contact. The company’s roster of talent is pretty impressive, boasting people with experience at places including NASA,Tesla Motors, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin and GM.
The company says “the improved heat control and cell temperature uniformity enhances the lifecycle of the battery to 3000 charge cycles or more and allows each cell to reach its optimum performance levels while remaining compact and lightweight.
Taking a high-performance personal speedboat as an example, XING Mobility predicts that by maximizing the vehicle’s performance and increasing the battery life with immersion cooling technology, electrification can reduce the cost of lifetime fuel consumption to less than 20% of that of an average internal combustion engine vehicle.”
Coolant contains fire suppressants
The 3M cooling immersant also contains fire suppressants and the batteries are IP68-rated, meaning they can “withstand dust, dirt and sand, and are resistant to submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes”.
If you are at the Fort Lauderdale Show, the XING display can be found at Booth 1053 in the Engine Tent in Bahia Mar from now until Sunday, November 3.
