Fountaine Pajot

Green light for hydrogen

The first Samana 59 equipped with EODev's hydrogen-electric technology will be in service early 2022.

Fountaine Pajot

Published 29/04/2021

By Emmanuel van Deth

Issue: 177

Published: may / june 2021

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The manufacturer will be able to test the entire hydrogen-fuel cell system in real conditions instead of resorting to a traditional diesel generator on board a catamaran designed to sail long distances. The objective is to improve the range without reducing the environmental performance or the available living space on board. At anchor, the power supply for the on-board appliances, lights, cooking and even the air conditioning will be of electro-hydrogen origin. The catamaran's propulsion will remain wind-powered or engine.

The gaseous hydrogen that feeds the system is stored in compressed form at 350 bar (approx. 5,000 psi), the standard used by hundreds of buses around the world. The Samana 59 will have, in this first configuration, a REXH2® that can provide up to 70kW and a 44kWh LiFePO (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery approved for maritime use. The hydrogen system consists of the battery and its cooling system, a distribution board, the hydrogen supply line and a 7.5 kg (16 lb) hydrogen tank. Additional tanks can be integrated into the multihull as an option to provide greater range. The whole system is managed by an automated Power Management System specifically developed to calculate the remaining range according to the usage profile, as in a car. The absence of moving parts in the fuel cell guarantees simplified and predictive maintenance for a minimum service life of 15,000 hours. The next step will be the integration of similar systems in other models from the manufacturer.

www.fountaine-pajot.com

www.eo-dev.com