Solar Hydrofoil Vessel Navigation for Low-Drag Long-Range Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vessels face challenges in navigating aquatic bodies due to limited energy production from solar power and battery storage, leading to reduced range and speed, and are prone to capsizing in varying ocean conditions.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous hydrofoil vessel equipped with a solar array, hydrofoils, and electric thrusters, coupled with a sensor and control system to optimize navigation, includes features like collapsible hulls, drag reduction systems, and self-righting mechanisms to enhance energy efficiency and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the vessel uses solar panels for power generation, then the vessel can operate autonomously with extended range, but the power output is limited by the size and area available for solar panels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from surface-area-limited solar panels to volumetric energy storage by submerging the vessel. The solar panels remain on the surface for power generation while the hydrofoil design and ballast system enable the vessel to submerge, accessing three-dimensional space for extended operational duration without increasing surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The vessel separates power generation (solar panels on surface) from power storage (submerged energy reserves). This segmentation allows the solar panels to maximize surface exposure while the submerged portion provides additional operational duration through stored energy, resolving the contradiction between limited surface area and extended range.
2Productivity
If the vessel travels at high speed to reach destination faster, then productivity increases, but energy consumption increases beyond available solar power and battery storage
Solution Approach 1:
The vessel alternates between surface operation (solar power generation) and submerged operation (energy conservation). By periodically submerging as a hydrofoil, the vessel reduces drag and energy consumption during critical phases, allowing high-speed travel without continuous high energy input that would exceed available power.
Solution Approach 2:
The vessel changes its operational parameters by transitioning between surface and submerged states. When submerged, the hydrofoil configuration reduces drag coefficient and energy requirements, enabling the vessel to achieve productivity goals without exceeding energy availability constraints.
3Speed
If the vessel operates on the surface with traditional hull design, then it is stable and easy to operate, but it experiences high drag and limited speed
Solution Approach 1:
The vessel dynamically transitions between surface-hull mode (stable, low speed) and submerged-hydrofoil mode (high speed, low drag). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the vessel to optimize for speed when conditions permit, reducing energy loss to drag, while maintaining operational flexibility to return to stable surface operation when needed.
4Loss of energy
If the vessel submerges to reduce drag and increase speed, then energy efficiency improves, but the vessel becomes vulnerable to capsizing in varying ocean conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The vessel uses ballast systems and hydrofoil design to counterbalance forces during submerged operation. The ballast provides controlled weight distribution that prevents capsizing while maintaining the submerged hydrofoil configuration for reduced drag and improved energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors ocean conditions and vessel orientation during submerged operation, providing feedback to adjust hydrofoil angle and ballast distribution. This active feedback control maintains stability while preserving the energy-efficient submerged configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The vessel achieves high-speed, long-range navigation with minimal user interaction by optimizing energy use and maintaining stability in varying conditions, ensuring it reaches its destination efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
at least one solar array; at least one electric thruster, powered by at least one of the solar array and storage batteries charged at least in part by the solar array
Implementation Method 2
hydrofoils capable of lifting the hull(s) out of the water when a certain speed through the water is achieved
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned ocean vehicle apparatus having a hull, solar array, hydrofoil, and electric thruster is operable on a surface of a body of water to travel from one point to another with long range capabilities. The unmanned ocean vehicle can further be placed in a more compact configuration, incorporating a mechanism to alternate between operational mode and collapsed storage mode to facilitate physical storage or shipment of the vehicle. Methods are described for optimizing travel and determining favorable movements of the unmanned ocean vehicle by calculating current and predicted conditions at certain waypoints using a combination of a sensor, a computer, and a control system. The physical support of hydrofoils, a drag reducing system, capsize-prevention technique, and a three-dimensional arrangement of solar panels provides efficient power management, optimal route strategy, and sustainability of the vehicle's high speeds in wildly varying ocean conditions.