Design and Mechanical Construction of a Hydrofoil-based Solar Power Boat

Design and Mechanical Construction of a Hydrofoil-based Solar Power Boat

Guillermo Serrano, Ph.D.

gserrano@ece.uprm.edu

Mechanical Engineering

787-832-4040 ext. 6294

UPRM's Solar Boat Team is currently developing a hydrofoil-based solar power boat with adjustable angle of attack. The hydrofoil technology will allow the boat’s hull to be out of the water. In the “flying mode” the drag force produced by the water on the hull will be minimized, allowing the motor to operate with less energy and more efficiently. Nonetheless, lifting the boat with the hydrofoils turns the typically stable vehicle into an unstable and nonlinear system. The dynamic system is comparable to the well-known problem of the inverted pendulum. Therefore, the performance gain expected under the hydrofoil technology is matched by increased complexity of the system.