Sail-Gen – Dedicated Water Generator – Micro Wind Turbines manufactured by Eclectic Energy Ltd

About Sail-Gen Lite

The Sail-Gen Lite is a dedicated water generator developed for the long distance sailing. It shares the same operating principal as the DuoGen’s water mode, which is well proven over hundreds of thousands of sea miles.

The Sail-Gen Lite comprises a rigid welded aluminium frame with carbon fibre drive shaft and cast alloy impeller. It is compact in size and both reliable and efficient in operation. At typical passage speeds (5 – 6 knots) the Sail-Gen Lite is capable of matching the power consumption on many cruising yachts meaning that the batteries remain well charged.

The Sail-Gen Lite is also extremely easy to deploy and recover and is quiet in operation.

The main features:

● The Sail-Gen Lite is direct-drive, i.e. 1:1 ratio impeller to alternator. There is no gearbox to wear and add friction.

● The Sail-Gen Lite alternator is not submerged, and is therefore less liable to failure through water ingress.

● The Sail-Gen Lite running depth is controlled by a ‘hydro foil’ or ‘dive plane’. This means that the water impeller flies through the wave action at a constant depth and is not directly affected by the pitching movement of the yacht, as occurs with the ‘outboard leg’ type generator.

● The impeller running depth can be optimised by a simple adjustment of the dive plane angle.

● The dive plane prevents the water impeller from surfacing in all but the most extreme situations.

● The Sail-Gen Lite dive plane is active, and moves to a positive angle as tension is applied to the recovery lanyard. This makes recovery simple and easy, regardless of boat speed.

Sail-Gen Lite Power Output Curve

*All performance figures are indicative. Actual outputs may vary. E&OE.

Specifications

Performance and Power outputs	At 6 knots boat speed	125 W
	At 8 knots boat speed	280 W
	Daily yield at 7 knots	350 amp hours @12 V
	Maximum Rotational speed	approximately 1100 RPM
	Cut-in Boat Speed	Standard impeller 1.7 knots
	Cut-in Boat Speed	High speed impeller 3.1 knots
Water impeller	Standard for 0 – 9 knots	290 mm diameter
	High speed for 0– 15 knots	240 mm diameter
	Material	LM6 alloy casting, hard anodised & powder-coated
Dive plane	Adjustable trim	Minus 10° to plus 20°
	Active Recovery	Actuated by recovery lanyard
	Material	Aluminium, anodised and powder-coated
	Drag	<15 kg @ 6 knots
Drive shaft	Telescopic	GRP and carbon fibre
Vectored drive	Eclectic pin drive	Robust and reliable – user serviceable
Dimensions	Overall length	1690 mm
	Maximum width	335 mm
	Weight	13.7 kg
	Weight including mounting	16.3 kg
Mounting	Type	Yoke gimbal
	Movement	Vertical / horizontal
	Materials	LM6 alloy, powder-coated
		Aluminium, hard anodised
		Stainless steel
	Alternator pivot point	500 mm above static water line
	Installation position	Recommended within 500 mm of the yacht’s centre line
	Bracket height on yacht	400 mm or 540 mm
	Bracket height on yacht	Reversible alternator yoke
Alternator features	Alternator type	Direct drive, axial field
	Alternator type	12 pole permanent magnet generator
	Design	3-phase AC with rectification
		Outputs direct current (DC)
		Rare earth annular magnet rotors
		Encapsulated stator windings
	Voltages available	12 V, 24 V
	Materials	Aluminium alloy housing, fully sealed
		Alocrom 1200 corrosion protection and polyester powder-coated
		316 stainless steel shafts, A4 stainless fasteners
	Electromagnetic emissions	C.E. compliant
	Finish	Colour, white

Installation

Sail-Gen Lite is designed to be retro fitted and mount options exist to suit most yachts and multihulls. Refer to Sail-Gen Lite manual or contact Eclectic for more information. To read more click here to access installation options in our Sail-Gen Lite Manual

If possible, install the Sail-Gen Lite when the yacht is ashore. If this not practicable, installing in a marina with the yacht secured stern to a pontoon is a good alternative. The pontoon provides a safe and convenient working platform.

A dinghy can be lashed across the transom in order to provide additional security, if work has to be done at anchor.

Additional information

Downloads

Sail-Gen Lite Manual

Sail-Gen Lite Routine Maintenance

The Sail-Gen Lite is built from high quality and corrosion-resistant materials. The unit is designed to require minimal maintenance, but a little attention will pay dividends in terms of appearance and performance. The alternator requires no routine maintenance and is hermetically sealed.

The alternator is fitted with rubber-shielded, stainless steel bearings which are protected by a twin lip, radial shaft seal. A dry-running spherical, self-aligning bearing is fitted at the top of the tower. Elsewhere, dry-running bearing bushes are used. The water impeller unit utilises a specially designed transmission which presents the impeller perpendicular to the water flow. The transmission element is robust and maintenance free.

It is lubricated by a combination of synthetic oil held within the bearing material itself and water. When dry following immersion in seawater, the unit may feel stiff. This stiffness is usually due to dried salt deposits and the drive should free up when the unit is returned to the water.

The Sail-Gen Lite water impeller rotates about 5 million times for every thousand miles sailed, and like all mechanical devices, the water transmission is prone to wear.

Eclectic Energy recommends that the transmission elements are replaced every 8 – 10,000 nautical miles, after approximately 40 – 50 million revolutions, in order to maintain optimum performance. This is a straightforward procedure that can be undertaken by the owner.

A full range of spare parts are available for the Sail-Gen Lite in our Shop section under Sail-Gen Lite Parts. All spare parts are supplied with fitting instructions.

Sail-Gen Lite Routine Maintenance

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