Design and calculation of mechanical system for solar-powered electric boat

Abstract

Indonesian government has a flagship program that is to promote the nation through the maritime sector and make Indonesia as Global Maritime Fulcrum. To achieve that, sea transportation is very important for the development of Indonesia. But sea transportation is also the highest contributor to the air pollution and global warming. In order to reduce the source of global warming Indonesian Government has a strategic plan to gradually replace the use of fossil energy with renewable energy. One of the renewable energy that can be used effectively in Indonesia is solar energy, because Indonesia located along the equator and has a high intensity of sunlight that means it has excellent solar energy availability. In attempt to contribute to the Government’s energy strategic plan, the research is aimed to design a solar-powered electric boat with single pilot. The project is a further development of the solar boat created by the Universitas Indonesia team that participated in the International Solar-boat Challenge competition in the Netherlands. The paper is focused on the design and calculation of its mechanical system. The system is divided into propulsion system, steering system, and bilge pump system. The research is conducted based on literature study, discussion with experts, and surveys to the solar-powered electric boat had been designed previously for the race. Collected data are then used as input for the calculation and simulation of the vessel being designed. It is expected that the study could optimize the mechanical system of the solar-powered electric boat, and can be developed for recreational use in Indonesian waters.