The process of designing a boat that is not much like anything that proceeds it, takes degree of imagination that the new software in 3D development makes much more accessible an engaging.
The general layout drawings ( in many editions) were evolved in a 2D format, but the real job of making it all come together, in a three dimensional form, is where the real design sculpting starts. From a cardboard model, to a 2D plan, then on into 3D plan, the naval architectural process is candy for those with hungry imagination. Read the rest of this entry »
It had to happen sooner or later. Batteries just won’t cut it. When you have a perpetual incoming stream of photovoltaic power, with nowhere to go after you have filled the batteries, some serious naval gazing was inevitable. We already have an electric powered boat, ready for a hydrogen fuel cell to feed . We already have a huge photovoltaic supply of free electricity. The batteries, even several tonnes of the very best Lithium batteries, can be filled and emptied at an alarmingly impractical rate. You can’t just keep adding tonnes more lithium batteries; it will eventually weigh the boat down, this is a boat, not a submarine. But unlike just about any other means of transport, including trains and planes, buses and cars….. boats are unique. Boats are not restricted in width by rail gauges or road rules. Boats can easily support huge photovoltaic arrays…especially if you design the boat from the water up, to be a giant solar array. This is TRYBRID. 
itself is at the cutting edge, in this case, of international naval architectural design.
The Trybrid design team faces a nasty problem that faces many of us in the drive to deploy the new energy, namely, conventional batteries just cannot hold enough power to store the continuous power stream flowing from the large photovoltaic solar cells. For example, if we were to use say 146 batteries as pictured, which is a lithium, 24 volt 40 amp, best of breed batteries from LifeBatt, weighing in at 16.8kgs each, a total of 2452kg, we could drain all 146 batteries at ‘full stick’ in just 20 minutes. At a retail price of US$1820, or a total of US $265,720, that’s a lot of money and weight to be all spent in 20 minutes!