Leoch Battery UK, a subsidiary of Leoch International, has supplied its LC2 series of lead-carbon batteries to power an electric serial hybrid narrowboat.
The bank of 48v 800Ah batteries will be installed in the engine room of the ‘Old Nick’ narrowboat as a test reference design in this particular application.
Solar, generator and battery statistics will be published to demonstrate how an electric serial hybrid is a practical and cost-effective alternative to diesel.
Paul Sumpner, owner of Old Nick and chief technology officer at Digital Yacht said: “Lead carbon batteries have been overshadowed by lithium batteries in recent years, probably because they do not excel in any one particular area.
“However, whilst investigating the batteries for Old Nick, it became clear that the combination of cycle life, depth of discharge, safe and flexible installation, cost and most importantly ability to accept regular partial state of charge, make them a really good choice for electric propulsion on a narrowboat.”
