The Turanor PlanetSolar catamaran is the world's largest solar-powered vessel. The ship owes its existence to the Swiss Raphael Domian, who conceived this project and began to implement it in the spring of 2004. According to the idea, the catamaran was supposed to show the possibility of using alternative energy sources and call for a decrease in the combustion of hydrocarbons.
The Turanor PlanetSolar catamaran was designed by LOMOcean Design, built at the Knierim Yachtbau shipyard in Kiel (Germany) and successfully launched on March 31, 2010. The project cost was $ 26 million.
The Turanor PlanetSolar, 31 meters long and 15 meters wide, uses 537 square meters of solar panels to power its engines, which recharge lithium-ion batteries. The energy conversion rate of photovoltaic cells is 18.8 percent. In cloudy weather, the area of solar panels is increased by pull-out modules. Working on solar batteries "Turanor PlanetSolar" is environmentally friendly and quiet.
In September 2010, the world's largest solar-powered vessel began its round-the-world voyage from Monaco and ended here in the port of Hercule.
The energy received in an environmentally friendly way was enough to swim across the entire globe. The vessel has visited cities such as Miami, Cancun, Brisbane, Singapore, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.
Along the entire route, the ship was operated by a team of 4 people, but it can easily accommodate up to 40 people. While passing the Gulf of Aden, the team was reinforced by a military unit to defend against a pirate attack.
The voyage was completed 584 days after departure. The voyage has become unique in a series of the fact that no one has yet been able to make a round-the-world voyage on a ship using only solar energy.
The main characteristics of "Turanor PlanetSolar":
Displacement, t: 89;
Overall dimensions, m: length - 31; width - 15; height - 6.30; sediment - 1.55;
Solar modules area, m2: 537;
Panel efficiency,%: 18.8;
Installed power of the panels, kW: 93.5 (127.0 hp);
Maximum engine power, kW: 120;
Average engine consumption, kW: 20 (26.8 HP);
Average speed: 5 knots (9.25 km / h)
Speed, knots: maximum - 14 (26 km / h), cruising - 7.5 (13.9 km / h);
Swimming autonomy: unlimited in clear sunny weather
Crew, pers .: 4;
Capacity, pers .: 40
It looks like a "golden age" for water travel enthusiasts has arrived. And indeed for all those who like to spend their vacation or just free time on the water. And this time has come thanks to such a rapidly developing industry as solar energy. New technologies have made it possible to obtain high-performance photoconverters, small but powerful electric motors, compact but high-capacity batteries. And then there were boats, boats, yachts powered by electricity, which is provided by solar panels.
One of the first to launch was a solar-powered yacht, which its creators - Italian students Marco Ferrari and Alberto Franchi - named "Helios". This yacht had sails made from 2500 flexible polycrystalline silicon batteries. The total area of these batteries is slightly more than 2000 square meters. And they generate over 350 kilowatts of power.
In the engine room there is a battery group charged by these solar panels. A low-noise sustainer electric motor operates from the batteries, which rotates the propeller. Since the solar-powered sails can be folded for a long time due to bad weather and will not charge the batteries, the yacht has a diesel generator that is used in cloudy and inclement weather.
The advent of the solar yacht Helios has spurred the creation of new vessels. And the emergence of new lightweight and durable materials has given scope for the imagination of designers and shipbuilders. Not only large yachts with solar energy were launched into the water, but also small pleasure boats, boats for individual use. And this entire fleet can rightfully be called "solar", because it was the sun that gave the energy that rotated the propellers of these ships.
Yacht MS Turanor PlanetSolar
Founded in 2008, the Swiss firm PlanetSolar SA has designed a solar-powered yacht to showcase the power of solar power to the world. At the shipyard in Kiel, the German company Knierim Yachtbau, according to a Swiss project, built this yacht, which was named "Turanor PlanetSolar". According to the idea of the creators, the ship was supposed to make a round-the-world trip, using only and exclusively solar energy.
The yacht "Turanor PlanetSolar" set off on a round-the-world trip.
The yacht was a catamaran with the main hull of the yacht located between the floats. The upper deck was covered with solar panels, and in addition to the panels fixed to the deck, blocks of sliding panels were added, which were pulled out on the port and starboard sides.
The total area of helium panels is 537 square meters. The panels have a total capacity of just under 120 kilowatts and charge lithium-ion batteries. The capacity of the batteries is such that the movement of the vessel is ensured for five days without recharging. These batteries, located in the side floats, are powered by four cruise motors.
In the open sea
The yacht is 31 meters long and 15 meters wide. Height ─ 7.5 meters. Displacement ─ about 60 tons. The capacity is up to 50 passengers. The maximum speed is up to 15 knots (approximately 25 km / h). The yacht develops this speed thanks to two propellers made of carbon composite materials.
The felling. Remote Control
Another interesting engineering solution is that the diameter of each screw is two meters. This is significantly more than the propellers installed on ships of this class. But such a large diameter of the screws allowed them to be immersed only by half. Thus, a twofold task was solved - to ensure the forward movement and quick maneuvering of the catamaran without a conventional rudder.
Off the coast of France. The propellers of the yacht are clearly visible.
A crew of five was recruited for the round-the-world trip, led by Raphael Domjan. On September 27, 2010, having started in Monaco and having covered more than 60,000 kilometers, having made calls to ports of 28 countries, on May 6, 2012, after 585 days, the MS Turanor PlanetSolar yacht returned to the starting point - to the port of Hercule Monaco.
Currently, the solar catamaran is used as a research vessel, although it can be successfully converted into an excellent cruise yacht.
Another Swiss company Solarwave, not wanting to lag behind PlanetSolar SA, decided to create its own "green" yacht. Moreover, this ship, as conceived by the developers, will have to be mass-produced and intended for cruise travel. Nedship, a Turkish shipyard, was chosen as a partner. And in 2015, the pilot copy of the cruise yacht was launched. They called it "Solarwave 62" ("Solar wave 62").
The vessel is a catamaran, the length of which is 18.6 meters. The body is made of composite carbon material. The middle section of the roof, made up of monocrystalline silicon solar panels, can be raised to let the sun's rays in on the deck. The total capacity of these batteries is 15 kilowatts. But if the customer so desires, the roof area can be increased, and accordingly the power of the solar panels, which charge the battery pack with a total capacity of 100 kilowatt-hours, will also be increased.
Yacht off the coast. The roof is folded.
The propellers are driven by two electric motors with a peak power of 62 kW. These engines can accelerate the yacht to a top speed of 13 knots. With such a load, the batteries can quickly discharge, so this operating mode is recommended only in emergency cases.
In the open sea
Under normal circumstances, the ship moves at a cruising speed of 7 knots, which guarantees maximum cruising range without recharging. The speed, of course, is not high, but this yacht is not a racing one, but a cruising one.
Salon and helm of the yacht
The vessel has a six-meter boathouse for small water scooters, boats, sun terraces at the bow and stern, a saloon with elegant furnishings, a galley, a yacht owner's suite, and three to six cabins for guests and crew. The cost of such a yacht is 2.0-2.5 million euros.
Boat "Aqua Watt 500 Solar"
The German company Aqua Watt GmbH is known for producing boats, yachts, electric boats. The latest innovation that the firm introduced to the market was a solar-powered boat. This boat was named "Aqua Watt 500 Solar". Unlike all previous ships of the company, this boat runs entirely on solar energy. Initially, it was intended for the rangers and gamekeepers of reserves, which are very strict about the environment, and where the use of any vehicles with harmful emissions is prohibited.
Boat "Aqua Watt 500 Solar"
This boat does not need specially equipped berths and mooring points. Shallow draft allows you to pull it ashore, and if this is not possible, then it is enough to drop anchor or moor to the buoy. The boat is available in two versions - with a 1600 watt motor and an 800 watt motor. With a 1600 watt engine, the boat can reach speeds of up to 6 knots.
With an 800 watt motor at full power, the boat develops a speed of 4.7 knots, at half power - 4 knots. In constant sunlight at a speed of 5.5 knots, the power reserve is 6 hours. At a speed of 4 knots, this time increases to 10 hours. At night, the battery lasts for 4 hours at a speed of 5 knots and for 6 hours at a speed of 4 hours. At a speed of 2 - 2.5 knots, the travel time is not limited.
The hull of the boat is made of polyester three-layer fiberglass. Solar panels with a capacity of 1600 watts are made on the basis of monocrystalline silicon. Li-ion batteries with a capacity of 210 ampere hours. Infinitely variable electronic submarine engine with a capacity of 1600/800 watts. The length of the boat is 5.5 meters, the width is 1.84 meters. Draft ─ 0.4 meters. Weight ─ 480 - 550 kilograms. Capacity - 4 people.
Now, on the water surface of lakes, rivers, seas, you can see many graceful boats, yachts, boats with fantastic outlines, gleaming with blue solar panels. No engine noise, no exhaust fumes. And this is very important for minimizing the technogenic impact of man on nature.
In our city. A unique environmentally friendly solar-powered catamaran travels on the route St. Petersburg - Veliky Novgorod - Moscow - Astrakhan, and on July 22 it moored in Cheboksary.
The expedition takes place within the framework of the "Engineering Contests and Competitions" project of the "Marinet" roadmap of the National Technology Initiative. It is planned to pass 5,000 km along the rivers of Russia and visit 20 regions... On the way, the catamaran makes stops in large settlements, excursions around the ship are conducted for local residents and even offer to ride on it. And in some cities, including Cheboksary, the members of the expedition organize scientific and technical festival "Ekovolna" for children.
Our republic is directly related to the creation of a catamaran. Novocheboksarsky plant "Hevel" as a program partner provided solar modules free of charge. They are sheathed on the roof of the ship. Total battery power - 9 kW... The catamaran was under construction in St. Petersburg in 2017 from July to November. From the same place May 20 the ship set sail, and on September 1 the expedition will end in Astrakhan.
Director of ANO "National Center for Engineering Contests and Competitions", head of the expedition "Ekovolna" Evgeny Kazanov told that for the fifth year in Russia the competition "Solar Regatta" is being held:
“In 2014, we started building solar-powered ships for the first time, and then we had 10 Russian teams, now - more than 40. Previously, we only had single-seat boats for racing for several hours, and this is our first experience - a manned ship, which can move for several months ".
By the way, in Cheboksary in the House of Children and Youth Creativity built a small single-seat solar-powered boat called "Yorick" and also participates in the Solar Regatta program.
At the cost price, the catamaran cost less than 200 thousand euros - about 14 million rubles.
For comparison, the cost of a solar-powered catamaran, which is produced in Europe, is more than 1 million euros, and it is planned to sell it in general for 1 million 800 thousand euros.
The mission of the expedition- to show people that renewable energy sources are not the future, but the present. Solar modules are the main source of power for two electric motors... The course of the catamaran at night and during periods of low solar insolation provide lithium-ion batteries of the Novosibirsk plant "Liotech" with a total power of 70 kW.
The catamaran develops speed 10-12 km / h, almost like a bicycle, which is normal in displacement mode. This consumes energy 3 kWh... Speed can be increased up to 15-17 km / h, but then the load will triple - up to 9 kW / h. The vessel is designed so that 10-12 km / h is most energy efficient mode... When the catamaran was conceived, it was expected that the electricity would be supplied in the amount of about 3-4 kW / h.
In practice, it turned out that there is more reserve in the batteries, in fact, you can spend 6-7 kW / h. Thus, the creators - the National Center for Engineering Contests and Competitions - are planning to redesign the ship and make the speed a little higher.
On the other hand, the crew is ready for long rains and bad weather. That is, in cloudy weather, 30 kW / hours are produced per day, in good weather - 60-70.Solar panels store electricity from 3 am to 10 pm. But when the sun just rises or already sets, then they produce less - 500 W or 1 kW, and the greatest amount of energy falls on the day - from about 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Record - 10.5 kW generated energy per hour.
The vessel is small (11.6 meters long), on board during the movement there may be up to 12 people... Everything on the catamaran four double cabins where are located eight people... There is one more crew member on the ship - rat delta, and, as the members of the expedition joke, if she has not escaped yet, then the journey is going well.
The catamaran is designed so that the system itself regulates energy consumption and even redistributes it, if necessary, for example, to turn on the kettle or the engine. Energy reserve in batteries when fully charged enough for 24 hours of running without stopping and recharging.
Evgeny Kazanov said that three universities are participating in this expedition: MGIMO(Department of Nature Management) - together with them, water and climate research is carried out for the "Floating University" project; Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov- they take water samples, check in an express laboratory, and then canned and sent to Moscow; St. Petersburg Polytechnic- together with them, a study of the arrival of solar insolation and electricity and the consumption of efficiency is carried out. Also, the guys from Moscow travel with them. Water transport academies: they undergo practice here, learn to moor, lock, change in two weeks.
Fresh water is the most valuable resource in Russia, all people are made of water. By polluting water, we pollute ourselves, because somehow we consume fresh water. And if you paid attention, the water in the ports is black, because internal combustion engines throw all waste into the water. In many countries around the world, on those lakes that want to save, internal combustion engines have been banned and only electric motors are allowed. We are a little behind in this area, but there is a tendency to preserve protected water bodies and switch to a more careful use of water resources. After all, our country is in second place in the world in terms of fresh water reserves.
With the same power on the gasoline engine and on our engine, our efficiency is higher, the speed is higher. Solar panels are the future. In Europe, a decision has already been made and a convention has been adopted that by 2050 the use of internal combustion engines in water, air and road transport will be prohibited. Also, for example, Japan is switching to hydrogen energy, they are abandoning nuclear power, because the atom is dangerous, and it is irrelevant to burn oil. Even Mendeleev said that getting energy from oil is tantamount to stoking the stove with banknotes. Oil is a very useful resource, you can make a lot of things from it that are useful to a person, and when you burn it, you actually smoke the sky. Now we have the arrival of 6 kW of electricity, and in order to get them from oil, you need to spend a liter of gasoline and pollute the atmosphere.
The catamaran will stay in Cheboksary two more days- today and tomorrow. Then the ship will head to Zelenodolsk, and the next big stop July 28 in Kazan.
The Austrian shipyard SILENT-YACHTS has begun construction of the first three 24-meter ocean-class SILENT 79 solar-powered catamarans based in Italy Marotte... Project design based on the concept of the founder and CEO of SILENT-YACHTS Michael Koehler(Michael Köhler) did Marco Casali(Marco Casali) of Too Design, naval architecture designed Enrique Castilla(Enrique Castilla) from Insenaval. SILENT 79 will become the flagship of the shipyard's model range.
The SILENT 79 can be called a new step in the evolution of the company's past models. In particular, in the design of the catamaran, much refers to its older, but much smaller brother SILENT 55.
“Solar panels need a large surface area. Our task was to free up as much space for this as possible, but at the same time preserve harmony in the silhouette of the catamaran. I think we succeeded. I tried to create an interesting Italian design: sophisticated and noble. This yacht looks good and is practical at the same time, ”says Marco Casali.
The hull of the catamaran will be cast and built using the vacuum infusion method. This will lighten the fiberglass sandwich and improve its sound and heat insulation qualities.
SILENT 79's exterior design emphasizes straight lines and large windows. On the one hand, glazing will allow you to enjoy a panoramic view of the sea from the salon, on the other hand, it will reduce the need for additional artificial lighting. In the cockpit at the stern of the main deck, in addition to the standard seating area, there will be a bar. But the bow of the main deck is reserved for the beach club.
The layout of the cabins on each catamaran will differ from one another at the request of their owners. In the standard layout, the cabin will be almost 11 meters wide. Inside there will be a galley, seating area and dining area. On the lower deck, there are expected to be from four to six guest cabins and two crew cabins for two or three people each. But already on the first of the boats under construction, the layout was changed so that the two cabins in the aft part of the ship will become the owner's suite with a spacious living room, study and sauna.
All cabins on the "green" catamaran will naturally be finished with recyclable materials. The authors of the project promise a minimalistic, ergonomic and at the same time luxurious interior design.
Solar panels will occupy the roof over the saloon and cockpit. In addition, they will be located on the roof of the unglazed captain's bridge, which is shaped like a sports car spoiler. A total of 70 high-performance panels, capable of generating voltages up to 25 kV, will be installed on the SILENT 79 with the most advanced charge controllers such as MPPT (“maximum power point tracking”). Lithium batteries, similar to those used by Tesla, will keep you busy at night. 15 kVA voltage inverters will provide electricity for the domestic needs of the crew and guests of the yacht.
A generator is provided on the vessel, but it is assumed that its use will only be required in extreme cases to recharge the batteries, when it is necessary to go at high speed for a long time or when the weather has been cloudy for several days. The SILENT 79 does not need a generator to cook or operate the air conditioner while stationary.
In absolute silence, absolutely without the use of additional fuel, the catamaran at a speed of 6-7 knots will be able to pass up to 100 nautical miles a day. The maximum speed that he will be able to develop will be 20 knots.
The vessel will be powered by a pair of 50 kV electric motors in the standard "cruising" modification or 250 kV each in the E-Power version. In addition to being quiet and emission-free, they also feature low vibration levels. However, at the request of the owners, the SILENT 79 can also be a hybrid with two 220 hp diesel engines. With.
In the non-hybrid version, the SILENT 79 power system will be as simple as possible and will require virtually no maintenance, which will allow the catamaran to be used in autonomous navigation mode. This will significantly reduce its cost compared to diesel counterparts. The base price of the SILENT 79 is 3.4 million euros.
Since the catamaran does not need an engine room, it boasts the largest tender garage in its class. There is enough space for a 4.5 meter boat, an amphibious vehicle and a gyrocopter on floats.
Two of the three catamarans under construction have already found their owners. The first launch of the SILENT 79 is scheduled for 2020.
A press conference and presentation of an innovative vessel for Russian waters took place in St. Petersburg on May 11, during which the participants of the event were not only told details about the newest catamaran, but were also allowed to sail under solar panels.
It must be said that the use of renewable energy sources, such as sun and wind, is just beginning in Russia, which is associated with the peculiarities of the country's resource base. However, the conference participants noted the importance of the project for the further innovative development of shipbuilding and shipping, because in many countries of the world, alternative energy is used quite actively. This is due not only to the environmental aspect, but also to the importance of improving energy efficiency.
According to Evgeny Kazanov, no solar-powered vessels of this size have yet been built in Russia, which makes the Ekovolna catamaran more unique.
The vessel is capable of speeds up to 13 km / h. It is marine and can hold waves up to 2 meters.
The project was developed by graduate students and students of Kaliningrad University, Moscow State University and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, with the support of MGIMO and Makarov State University of Marine and River Fleet.
The cost of building the catamaran was 13 million rubles. 8 million of them are state-owned, and 5 million are investments of private investors.
The construction of the vessel began last summer at the shipyard of the Baltiets Yacht Club. The construction was carried out by the company from St. Petersburg Marinelab.
Interestingly, 90% of the components on the ship are Russian-made: solar panels are manufactured by Hevel (Novocheboksarsk), batteries - by Liotech (Novosibirsk), automation - Valkom (St. Petersburg).
Solar panels were developed at the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, and, according to a Marinelab representative, are the best in Russia and also correspond to the world level.
Batteries allow the ship to run for about 8 hours without recharging. For safety reasons, the catamaran is equipped with a diesel engine, which, according to Evgeny Kazanov, will be used only in the most extreme case.
