The EFOY fuel cell is designed for offshore and inshore sailors, regatta racers and yachtsmen who simply don't want to worry about energy on board, or who want to supplement their existing photovoltaic, wind or hydro-generator systems...
Automatic operation
Once installed, the fuel cell works by itself. It will recharge any 12V or 24V battery, lead, acid, GEL, AGM or lithium. As soon as the service battery begins to discharge, the EFOY fuel cell takes over and automatically recharges the battery. Once recharged, the EFOY battery switches itself off.
This equipment operates automatically, without having to worry about the state of charge of its service battery pack. The only maintenance required is to replace the methanol cartridge when empty.
The EFOY battery can be controlled by a control panel installed in the cab, or even by a connected smartphone.
Electricity always available
Whatever the situation, the EFOY fuel cell ensures safe on-board power generation:
- if the solar panels do not charge, on grey or cloudy days, at night, or if the sail hides the sun
- in the absence of wind if equipped with a wind turbine (which is noisy and unsightly on the deck)
- in the absence of significant cruising speed or at anchor when you have a hydrogenerator
- without having to run the combustion engine, on-board propulsion
- at anchor or in the absence of an electrical terminal on the port pontoon
Simple installation
With its small size, just 7 kg and 27.5 cm high, the EFOY battery takes up very little space and is quick and easy to install on a sailboat. It is usually installed in a technical hold or in the cabin under a bench seat, berth, locker...
Which battery to choose?
Calculating average electricity consumption on board a boat :
- Autopilot: approx. 3 to 4 A/hour - i.e. 60 to 80 A/day
- Frigidaire approx. 2.5 A/day or approx. 40 A/day
- Recharges smartphone, LEDs, traffic lights, instrumentation, water pump... approx. 5 to 10 A/day
For 6 to 15-meter sailboats, we're talking about daily consumption of between 100 and 150 A/day.
The EFOY 150 fuel cell in figures
The EFOY 150 fuel cell produces 150 A/day, or 75 W/hour, and recharges continuously when operating at 6.5A. Assuming non-stop operation, the EFOY 150 fuel cell generates 1800W/day.
Methanol consumption :
1 liter of methanol = 1,100 W - methanol cartridges are available in 10 (M10) or 5 liter (M5) sizes, i.e. M10 liter cartridge = 11,000 W
A 10-liter methanol cartridge, with the battery operating 24 hours a day, gives a range of 6.1 days (11,000W / 1,800W = 6.1).
This calculation is valid if the fuel cell is the only means of recharging on board. Often, however, there is another electricity producer on board, such as the combustion engine, which recharges the service battery via an alternator when the yacht leaves or returns to port.
The more powerful EFOY PRO 2800 delivers 250 A/day, or 125 W/hour, i.e. 3,000 W in 24 hours.
For recharging and battery maintenance
With the battery, the user no longer needs to take the battery out of the boat for wintering, or charge it on the quayside. By leaving the battery in standby mode, it is the battery that maintains the charge. It will consume around 5 liters of methanol for one wintering period.
Distribution for the marine market is handled by INTERDIST - 02.99.19.54.54 - info@interdist.fr
