AQAFORCE Electric Boat Powertrains

Electric boat motors as inboards for sterndrives, shaft systems, jet drives and outboards.

High-voltage drive technology

AQAFORCE - your specialist for smart electric powertrains and hybrid drive systems.

We exclusively design highly efficient drive systems using proven industrial components and employing our own developments that have been tested in practice.

When designing drive systems, AQAFORCE consistently pursues an integral approach. Everything comes from a single source and is matched to the system (motor, battery, charger and control system).

Of course, we take into account the geometry of the vessel, the specific application requirements and the expectations of our customers when designing the system. The result is the perfectly matched AQAFORCE propulsion system.

The current power class ranges from 20 kW to 400 kW engine power.

Drive combinations with shaft units, sterndrives, jet turbines and in outboards are possible.

System overview Single-Drive

Aqaforce system overview electric inboard motor

AQAFORCE high voltage electric synchronous motor

in-house development by AQAFORCE
10 times better heat dissipation due to the special star design
4 times higher coolant flow (min. 40 liters per minute) due to larger cooling channels than usual on the market
latest generation of synchronous motors
efficiency 96%
electronically commutated permanent magnet motors
seawater cooling via primary circuit
seawater resistant aluminum
integrated AQAFORCE thrust bearing to absorb the thrust of the propeller - no additional thrust bearing required
multi-purpose mounting device
protective anodes
IP67 protection class

-> more about the motors

AQAFORCE Motor Controller

protection class IP 67
remote monitoring via telemetry

AQAFORCE High Voltage Automotive Batteries

AQAFORCE has set its own battery standards.

Modular battery bank concept (seriell up to 4 / parallel unlimited):

automotive standard NMC cells highest quality and safety standards
energy density: 169 Wh/kg, 2.3 C
lifetime: up to 9 years, at 80% DOD, 25° ambient temperature more than 3500 cycles
robust & safe aluminum housing from own production
IP67 protection class
integrated sensor controlled NOVEC gas fire extinguishing system (no powder)
rated voltage: 175 V
capacity: 20,25 kWh
weight: 120 kg
dimensions (LxWxH): 830 x 469 x 337 mm
internal cooling via secondary circuit
redundant data logging / monitoring: overvoltage / undervoltage, smoke / heat, humidity / gas
compliance with relevant norms and standards (CE I UN38.3 I DNV GL coming soon)

AQAFORCE Distribution Unit HV

Node of the overall system: bundles electrical and digital lines and cables, waterproof according to protection class IP67.

insulation monitoring
charging monitoring

AQAFORCE Controll Unit

Steering control unit, networked display, throttle, remote control, antennas as well as Smart Boat Access Point. Waterproof according to IP67 protection class.

integration remote control
wireless connectivity, LTE router via cellular / WLAN
CAN-Bus
NMEA 2000

AQAFORCE Display

7" color touch display
4 illuminated stainless steel push buttons
start button, key-free
manually dimmable night mode

-> more about the display

Electronic Throttle

integrated CAN-Bus
output for trim & tilt by AQAFORCE control unit
top mount
side mount

Smart Boat Access Point

Integration of electronic on-board remote monitoring and operating systems, such as camera, navigation, lighting.

GPS antenna for telemetry

GPS antenna

Fuel cell / generator

Interface for

fuel cell methanol
fuel cell H2
generator Diesel DC
photovoltaic modules

Remote Controll Handheld

Allows remote control of the system on board.

Battery Chargers

On-board shore power chargers for charging the system in port.

-> more about charging technology

Shore power connection

-> more about the charging technology

Cooling

Seawater heat exchanger made of composite material

corrosion-free titanium spiral
low internal resistance up to 120 liters per minute
noiseless active pump for primary and secondary circuit
maintenance-free

12 V-Battery

AGM battery for system startup

DC / DC Converter (HV to LV)

DC/DC converter: connects the boat's 12 V DC electrical system to the battery system and charges the 12 V battery.

Motor System Combinations

FAQ

Can any boat be equipped with an AQAFORCE propulsion system?

In principle, yes - but it should make sustainable sense. Our goal is to deliver a very reliable, affordable and fully integrated system, so we listen to our customers and always determine the specific requirements first, such as charging time, range, speed and investment volume.

After that, the modular design of the AQAFORCE drive system (20 - 400 kW) can show its strengths and from a variety of motors, batteries and chargers, a drive system perfectly adapted to the project is then configured.

A system that comes from one source from A to Z is user-friendly and also clear in service matters - there is only one contact person here and that is us, the developers.

Is my electric drive as safe as a combustion engine?

According to our understanding, a boat with an AQAFORCE-Ssystem is not only as safe as a combustion engine, but even much safer:

optimal theft protection by electronic lock
highest redundant safety standard on battery and system level
the monitoring system continuously evaluates data: optimal voltage / smoke / temperature / humidity and gas
each battery box is additionally monitored by a sensor-controlled Novac fire extinguisher
handling is easier - power can be dosed more precisely
remote controls allow maneuvering the boat for example from the bow or stern of the boat
no fire risk due to refueling
no interference from diesel fumes or gases

The drive does not work - who can help me?

We do not leave you alone.

AQAFORCE has a particularly high standard here - we not only supply all components from a single source, but also service directly and without detours.

We can be reached by telephone 24/7 if necessary - here you are not talking to a hotline, here you are talking to the developer of AQAFORCE.

All error messages that appear on the display are not cryptic, but formulated as plain text information, so that the error pattern is always clearly described.

More importantly, however, the smart design of the AQAFORCE system allows us to provide active assistance anywhere in the world.

Remote monitoring allows us - with your permission - to dial into your system worldwide via Sim Card and correct any errors or install new software updates. For mechanical assistance, we currently have two service centers in Germany and Austria.

What is the service life of the AQAFORCE battery bank?

Lithium-ion batteries are subject to an aging process that is unavoidable for many technological products. Safety and longevity are particularly important to us, which is why we only use battery cells for our AQAFORCE batteries that come from the automotive industry and are equipped with an intelligent battery management system (BMS). As a result, up to 3,500 charging cycles (SOC 80%) are achieved. In addition, extremely high or low outside temperatures can contribute to a slight decrease in capacity.

However, when applied to the service life of a private user, concerns are misplaced; here, the battery bank will still have at least 80% of its original capacity after 9 years of proper use.

How long does it take to recharge the batteries?

The charging time is significantly influenced by four factors:

size of the battery bank in kWh
power of the chargers in kW
how fully the batteries should be charged
capacity of the charging infrastructure

The standard battery at AQAFORCE has a capacity of 20.25 kWh.

Standard charger configuration at AQAFORCE is 3 x 3 kW.

Preset capacity e.g.: 80% (to reach an optimal lifetime).

AQAFORCE's smart charging control system monitors the charging process, our mains voltage detection avoids load peaks and ensures a continuous charging process.

Example calculation:
A boat with a battery bank of 81 kWh (4 x 20.25 kWh) is charged with 9 kW.
80% (64.8 kWh) is reached after only 7.2 hours and 100% (81 kWh) is reached after 9 hours.

From spring 2022 there will also be a 22 kW charger which will drastically reduce the charging time.

Example calculation:
A boat with a battery bank of 81 kWh (4 x 20.25 kWh) is charged with 22 kW.
80% (64.8 kWh) is reached after only 2.95 hours and 100% (81 kWh) is reached after 3.68 hours.

However, the future is the DC charging. Provided the right infrastructure is in place, it will then be possible to charge up to 120 kW directly into the battery bank using the CCS plug. This corresponds to charging times of less than one hour.

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