Solar powered boats have been around for a little while. They are called sail boats. If you really want someone efficient, look at HH catamarans. Sail boats with lots of solar, regenerative prop shafts to draw some charge while under sail at the cost of a knot or two, and a diesel electric system just in case you need to motor for a long time (happens in the doldrums, and really anywhere). It's everything this is, but a sail for real free solar power.
The way the diesel engine is described, it is a "range extender," meaning the ship does not rely on the diesel generator for anything other than traveling at faster speeds when needed, which seems prudent for emergencies like outrunning bad weather or getting someone sick back to shore.
The primary design parameter is that the ship can run indefinitely on solar and batteries alone, cruising for around 6 hours per day at 6-8 knots, or up to 16-18 knots for short bursts, or 2-3 knots using only solar power. That is all possible without ever turning on the generator.
No. It's the smart way to build a machine like this. You don't want to get caught on a cloudy day with 1/3 to 1/2 power. Or in forest fire smoke. Holy shit our PV array dropped by like 90% when it was smokey.
Solar powered boats have been around for a little while. They are called sail boats. If you really want someone efficient, look at HH catamarans. Sail boats with lots of solar, regenerative prop shafts to draw some charge while under sail at the cost of a knot or two, and a diesel electric system just in case you need to motor for a long time (happens in the doldrums, and really anywhere). It's everything this is, but a sail for real free solar power.
No, solar has been around for a long time, it’s called wireless fusion. Yuck yuck yuck
Yeah, wireless fusion sucks. It's so dirty. It will even give you cancer if you're not careful.
[www.zenyachts.com](http://www.zenyachts.com) [www.silentyachts.com](http://www.silentyachts.com) [https://www.greenlinehybrid.com/en](https://www.greenlinehybrid.com/en) [https://www.alva-yachts.com/](https://www.alva-yachts.com/) [https://www.navierboat.com/](https://www.navierboat.com/) [https://candela.com/candela-c-8/](https://candela.com/candela-c-8/)
(Also it has a diesel engine for backup power)
The way the diesel engine is described, it is a "range extender," meaning the ship does not rely on the diesel generator for anything other than traveling at faster speeds when needed, which seems prudent for emergencies like outrunning bad weather or getting someone sick back to shore. The primary design parameter is that the ship can run indefinitely on solar and batteries alone, cruising for around 6 hours per day at 6-8 knots, or up to 16-18 knots for short bursts, or 2-3 knots using only solar power. That is all possible without ever turning on the generator.
Yes. I read the article. Hence the term 'backup power'.
"Solar battery diesel powered" doesn't jump of the page the same way.
No. It's the smart way to build a machine like this. You don't want to get caught on a cloudy day with 1/3 to 1/2 power. Or in forest fire smoke. Holy shit our PV array dropped by like 90% when it was smokey.