£6,995

Our "HyArk" domestic power unit for boats is designed to keep your domestic batteries fully charged. Never suffer from flat batteries again! It does this by creating electricity from hydrogen, using a PEM fuel cell. This is the blue box in the picture above. The rest of the unit provides gas storage in a ventilated, securely locked enclosure, designed to integrate with different designs of boats. The unit connects directly to your domestic batteries (via a fuse) and will optimise the charge on the battery bank.

We are now taking orders for our new HyArk product. The price includes:

Hymera 200 Fuel Cell with 200W peak output

Housing, base tray and plinth

Two keys for the locks

Remote control switch

The lid can be configured for left-hand or right-hand operation. Please state your preference (when viewed from the front). The product is supplied un-painted. Alternatively we can arrange for vinyl wrapping in any colour for £399.

Delivery and installation can be arranged at an additional charge. We are not VAT registered yet. Please email nick@hydrogenafloat.com if you wish to place an order.

More detail on what it does

The fuel cell unit has an integrated battery charger that manages the charge current and voltage to optimise the life of your domestic batteries. The battery charger will provide the bulk, equalizing and float charge needed to keep your batteries in prime condition. The system will integrate with any solar panels that you may have, reducing gas consumption when the sun does shine.

The HyArk has two operating modes - a manual mode and an automatic mode. You can switch the unit between modes.

In manual you can turn it off and on like any other generator. The voltage output can be adjusted to around a nominal 12v or 24v, with the current determined by the load. The unit starts within a few tens of seconds in most temperatures, a little longer when in low ambient conditions. The display will show the current and voltage output. There is a remote on/off button that can be installed inside your boat.

In automatic mode the HyArk will sleep, waking up at a pre-determined frequency to measure the domestic battery voltage. If it measures a voltage at or below a pre-determined value three times, it will start and take the batteries through a full charging cycle. (We have our HyArk set to wake every 45 minutes and "look" for 11.8V or less on a nominal 12V 300Ah battery system). Once the charging cycle is complete, the unit will go back to sleep again, monitoring the battery voltage every so often. (We find our HyArk tends to come on in the evenings about once or twice a week, and will run for 12 to 15 hours over-night. Since it is quieter than a fridge, running at night is not a problem and it ensures that the batteries are fully charged by morning). In automatic mode, provided you have gas, you know the batteries will never be flat. The current and voltage during the charging cycle are represented below.

HyArk is roof mounted because of the importance of ventilation for hydrogen gas safety.

The unit is 2,310 mm long, 460mm tall and 520mm wide. It will accommodate two hydrogen storage options;

Two hydrogen Genie® cylinders (54G20) that each contain 454g of hydrogen. One can be in use whilst the other is held in reserve. Each cylinder has sufficient stored energy to generate 6.5kWh of DC power.

One GenieMax® cylinder (54G46V) that will store nearly 1kg of hydrogen when pressurized to 300 bar. This is sufficient to generate 15kWh of DC power.

The gas storage cylinders are hired from BOC, a Linde company, and refilled by exchange at one of their Gas and Gear centres.

It is anticipated that other suppliers of gas will become available as hydrogen is more widely adopted in society.

The unit is designed to be removeable from the roof if needed, and incorporates both boat interior ventilation and passive fire protection.

Our HyArk product is now ready to supply and we are accepting orders. Delivery between 8 and 12 weeks.