The Solar/Electric Boat Project
2009 was the eleventh year that the Department of Engineering at The College of New Jersey formed a team of students to design and build a solar/electric boat to compete in "Solar Splash", the World Championship, Solar/Electric Boat Regatta. For the purpose of this competition, the craft had to be powered by direct and stored solar energy. Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy was limited to 480 watts measured at one sun condition. System voltage coouls not exceed 53 VDC or AC RMS, and the source voltage could not exceed 36 VDC from 1.0 kilowatt hour batteries. The craft had fit into a box dimension of 6 meters in length, 2.4 meters in beam,1.5 meters in freeboard, and 1 meter in draft.
The competition lasted for four days, in which the solar/electric craft competed in a variety of point-earning events. These events were; a sprint race, an endurance race, a maneuverability race, a technical report, and a visual information display. Before competing the boat had to pass rigid safety inspections and qualify in maneuverability and buoyancy tests.
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