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The diesel-water engine keeps its promises
Water and diesel engines will save tens of thousands of liters of diesel this summer, says Pierre Tremblay. The environmental performance is even more convincing. The production of nitrogen oxides, which is the cause of acid rain, has decreased by 80%.
The three diesel and water powered engines of the Grand Charlevoix whale-watching excursion boat keep their promise, or almost. Since the start of the cruise season on the St. Lawrence, three weeks ago now, the boat's fuel consumption has decreased between 22 and 26%. We expected gains of around 30%.
“The higher the distance and the higher the speed, the better the fuel economy. It varies from day to day, but so far we are very satisfied. We will save tens and tens of thousands of liters of diesel this summer, ”said Croisières Charlevoix vice-president Pierre Tremblay on Tuesday.
The environmental performance is even more convincing. The production of nitrogen oxides, which is the cause of acid rain, has decreased by 80%. “With diesel and water engines, there is no longer any black noise on the back of the boat. The system added to the diesel engines to use the water acts as a catalytic converter, ”he said.
Mr. Tremblay does not hesitate to say that fueling diesel and water engines makes the Grand Charlevoix the most ecological boat in the region.
However, the diesel-water supply system for the engine is not new. “It has existed since Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine in 1902. We do not have the authorship of this system. We just adapted it. I even wonder why it is not used more today, "said Sylvio Thibault, president of the firm Research and Marine Works Construction (RTMC).
It is this firm, whose offices are located in Quebec and the manufacturing workshop in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, who developed the water supply system on the Grand Charlevoix and who also built the boat. The heat developed by the diesel engine causes a chemical reaction on the water, which is then separated into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then burned to produce energy. This combustion also eliminates a large amount of nitrogen oxides produced by the diesel. Ultimately, the engine is cleaner, which extends its service life.
What about cars?
Water could be used to drive cars, but the efficiency would be lower. “There are potential savings of 10% in fuel. It is lower because gasoline engines develop less heat than diesel engines. There is also the fact that the engine speed of a car is not constant like that of a ship, ”explained Mr. Thibault.
The boss of RTMC sees more possibilities on the side of trucks and long-haul buses. Adding a water supply system to a new diesel engine would cost around $ 2500.
One of the flagship products of the firm which specializes in fuel economy is a jet propulsion system for medium-sized boats.