The console, crew seating and passenger seating unit has been fabricated using a combination of marine Ply wood, fibreglass and finished with a epoxy gel coat. We have chosen these particular materials to prolong the life of the console and seating whilst considerable reducing yearly maintenance i.e. no painting.
The mahogany timber on the left will provide a base for the passenger seating whilst also covering the main Lithium battery pack and charger.
As you can see we have designed the console so all the technology is clearly visible, whilst being completely weather tight.
The console its self has also been designed to offer easy axes to all the technology and battery’s.
The next job will be to fabricate the controle panel, see you soon
Now the bearer plate, risers have been shaped, polished, lacquered and we have checked that the angle and tension between the two toothed pullers is correct the motor can be bolted down.
The next job is to fabricate the console which will house all the supporting equipment and protect the drivetrain from the elements.
As you can see we have fabricated and fitted the decks on Uma. We have used a 18mm ply wood base that has been sheathed with fibre glass matting and finished with a black gel coat. This will provide Uma with a rugged non slip deck that should last years with out maintenance.
We are now in the process of fitting the toothed belt drive pulleys which will transfer the power from the motor to the prop shaft.
Once we have aligned and tested the drive configuration and checked that the belt tension, positioning is correct, we will mark out the holes for drilling so that the components can be securely fitted in place.
Before the aluminium components are actually fitted however, we will remove them to be polished and finished with a coat of clear lacquer.
We are currently positioning the components that support the new GMS electric drive train. The GMS motor is liquid cooled, low voltage and equivalent to 35hp continuous 50hp peak running.
The prop shaft is supported by an additional bearing so it can’t be moved forwards or backwards. To achieve this we have used a green composite pillow block bearing holder mounted to a stainless steel brace. The motor will be connected to the prop shaft using a toothed belt with a 2:1 ratio. This means if the motor is spinning at 1000 rpm, the prop shaft will spin at 500 rpm.
Next we will be positioning the motor with the toothed belt pullers fitted and bolting it all down.
We have finally finished fibre glassing, the engine bearers designed to accommodate the old diesel engine have been replaced with the bearers to support the new liquid cooled electric motor and lithium battery packs. More to come soon...
Richard has been working with The November Project as an adviser on our campaigning and environmental strategies
A veteran campaigner with a passion for the polar oceans and the Patagonian toothfish, we lured Richard to the inland waters of The Thames where we have benefited greatly from his knowledge, expertise and encouragement
You can follow him @OceansRichard
We want to thank Derek Albiston for the amazing work he has done editing our business plan. Derek has worked in publishing for years – we will spare his blushes and not say how many, but working on a renewable energy project was a first for him. It is testament to his skills as an editor that he got up to speed with us and our work really quickly and in a few weeks produced a fully proof read plan ready to go. The finished article is highly professional and like every good iceberg – all the work lies under the surface of the carefully chosen words and phrases that lie on the top
He hasn’t got a website but if you want to follow him on twitter he is @delmail
Welcoming Andre Pageot as our latest member of the November team…
Head of software development and Support @ Swisscanto Funds Centre Ltd.
I attained my BEng hons in 2001, since then my career has kept me focused on software engineering. Outside the office I enjoy getting involved with interesting RnD projects that keep my engineering skills alive, it gives me great pleasure to be a part of the November project.
I first heard about the November project through a close friend who asked if I could help with a few energy calculations on a project he was involved with, shortly after which, I met Jay.
Directly opposite the Houses of Parliament hovering on the very river with the gift that keeps on giving, will be a completely self sustaining renewable energy exhibition centre. There is no better place for a practical demonstration for harnessing the tidal power from river flow. Using the energy from rivers has been happening for centuries in various ways, That being said, this past century or two focus has been very much fossil fuel driven, which sadly is not sustainable nor is it good for the environment in which we all live.
I believe this project will bring scalable, accessible, green technology to a wider market, by enabling others to follow the same formula, which incidentally once this proof of concept has become the prototype it is planned to be, the designs will be open sourced.
The very location will attract a wide audience bringing people into contact with the practicality of how using local renewable energy sources is now a reality and just so happens to be self sustaining. Making it the perfect show case accessible to anyone.
The November Project 