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All Uncrewed Surface Vessels
(USVs) require a power source
and as such, any lack of
available fuel can limit their
range. Some are solely battery
powered and ideal for port
and harbour surveillance.
Others seek to exploit the
power of wind or waves.
A popular design solution is to
use solar power to charge a
battery directly. The battery
can power the vehicle at night
time and be recharged by the
sun during the following day.
Solar power means that
operational costs and
maintenance are typically low
when compared with diesel or
hybrid systems. The simplified
designs also have fewer
moving parts that reduces
mechanical failure risks.
Solar-powered vessels are also
environmentally friendly with
zero carbon emissions during
operation and minimal noise
pollution. This reduces
disturbance to marine life,
making these vehicles suitable
for conservation projects and
eco-sensitive regions.
Solar USVs also have a lower
thermal footprint, making
them less detectable in certain
defence scenarios.
The downside of the vehicles
stems from the dependence
on solar availability. There is a
reduced efficiency in high-
latitude regions or during
extended cloudy conditions.
This means that they need to
be coupled to larger high-
capacity batteries adding
weight and cost. The larger and
heavier the battery, the less
weight constraints and deck
space available for payload and
the power budget may restrict
the types of sensors and
communication equipment that
can be carried.
Solar panels are vulnerable to
corrosion, biofouling and
impact damage from debris.
Ocean conditions like high
waves and saltwater exposure
can degrade performance over
time.
Nevertheless, solar -powered
vessels have a number of
potential applications including
environmental monitoring and
oceanographic surveys such as
mapping ocean currents,
collecting weather data and
monitoring marine ecosystems.
These vessels could be used for
long-term studies of ocean
acidification, climate change
impacts and marine
biodiversity.They are also
suitable for maritime
surveillance and defence
coastal patrol, anti-
submarine warfare and mine
detection.
Many USVs such as wind and
wave-driven systems have
solar panels to provide
auxiliary power but there are
a number of vessels that use
solar power and the primary
fuel source.
SOLAR
POWER
Blue Trail Engineering launched
its prototype oceangoing ASV
from Avila Beach, California in
February earlier this year. It
successfully reached its
destination in Hawaii,
but moved on
towards Southeast
Asia.
The vessel has a
length of 2.6 m and
weighs 28 kg . Hull is
constructed of a wet
fibreglass layup co-
cured with expanding
polyurethane foam,
with G-10
reinforcements in key
locations. Solar panel
base is constructed
of 1/2" foam core
BLUE TRAIL
Blue Trail USV above….
SOLAR-POWERED USVS