Mercury V10 Engine Offers Option for 48-Volt Alternator

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
Jefecinco
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Mercury V10 Engine Offers Option for 48-Volt Alternator

Postby Jefecinco » Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:05 am

An article on PANBO and the several comments it elicited revealed an interesting point on the new Mercury V10 engines' alternators output. I believe it makes a 48-Volt output and eliminates the need for an auxiliary installed generator set on boats small enough to be powered by outboard engines.

See

https://panbo.com/mercury-unveils-350-a ... lternator/
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jimh
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Re: Mercury V10 Engine Offers Option for 48-Volt Alternator

Postby jimh » Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:09 am

Thanks for the pointer to the PANBO article.

The option of having 48-Volt alternator output is very interesting. In generating electrical power, a higher voltage reduces the current needed.

Modern boats are acquiring more electrical loads. There was a notion about a decade ago that automobile electrical systems would be trending toward a higher voltage, and 48-Volts was often mentioned. So far at least with traditional internal combustion engine automobiles, their electrical systems remain stuck at 12-Volts.

Mercury's concept of having a dual-voltage alternator solves the problem of supporting so many legacy 12-Volt DC loads on a boat, while also offering the ability to more efficiently generate recharging current to 48-Volt battery banks that will be used to power other loads.

With Brunswick now having their own battery company, RELION, they should be able to integrate battery charging for very large house battery banks from the VERADO V10 engine 48-Volt alternator. In electrical energy storage systems, use of a 48-Volt battery bank is very common.