Velettrica unveils its Sail-pod dedicated to sailing boats

Velettrica unveiled its Sail-pod, an innovative electric propulsion system aimed at sailing boats, as a world premiere at the Mets in Amsterdam.

The Velettrica Sail-pod allows you to transform the sailing boat into a vehicle that produces energy while sailing to charge the batteries and power the on-board systems without the use of fossil fuels.

The Velettrica Sail-pod 25 kW can be installed easily and quickly and integrates completely into the boat, it does not take up any space inside except the batteries and is suitable for all sailing boats between 40 and 60 feet.

Thanks to the energy produced by the wind and the movement of the boat, with the Velettrica device it is possible to recharge the batteries and always have efficient instruments, even while sailing at a few knots.

The system is always active and produces no noise, no vibrations, no emissions.

While we adjust the boat, the system manages the on-board energy according to the speed of the boat while propeller interacts with the sails through the control electronics.

The result is that it is easier to steer in all sea and wind conditions, experiencing a new way of sailing in harmony with nature and in maximum safety.

Velettrica’s innovative technology consists of a multifunction propeller with its electronic command and control system, a single propeller, not only for propulsion, but also to recover energy when the boat is moved by the force of the wind; When you want to sail under “pure” sail, the propeller closes like a flower and minimizes friction.

The propeller is designed with a biomimetic approach and is based on the study of alternatives to commercial propulsion systems and the search for maximum balance with the environment.

Velettrica is an Italian company that makes use of prestigious collaborations to ensure maximum energy efficiency.

The scientific validity of the project is guaranteed by accurate tests conducted at the naval tank of the INM (Institute of Marine Engineering, CNR) and at the Center for Power Electronics and Drives (C-PED) of the Department of Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies at ROMA TRE University, which have made it possible to maximize the efficiency of the propeller and power-train in all operating conditions, propulsion and regeneration, and the optimization of the resistance of the Sail-pod while the propeller is closed in pure sailing mode.

All the components of the Sail-pod are designed and manufactured to obtain the highest performance and maximum durability.

In particular the construction of the most critical components has been entrusted to Avio Spa: the propeller blades and the fin are made of pre-preg carbon and the gears that allow the opening and adjustment of the propeller are made of superalloy Inconel, all aerospace-grade materials, this has made it possible to obtain the lightest electrical system in its category, only 110 kg.

Source: Velettrica