30 Kt Solar Speedboat

[ASM]

Guys Guys....

I will do the translation for you from the Dutch news article:

It can deliver 80 kW with a peak of 150 kW (engine), the solar cells can only guarantee an everlasting 10 knts speed, so you could sail around the world without any berthing to top up the batteries.... The 30 knts top speed can only be held for 30 minutes.

[kerosene]

thanks ASM

[juiceclark]

If I had endless time and money, I'd want to see how much juice could be generated from the enormous deck of a boat like that Alden we've discussed lately:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...edeck&photo=12

With generous banks of batteries scattered smartly throughout the bilge and in the keel, one could likely generate the 10k cruise on this sweet baby for quite awhile. Moreover, I wonder if a lightly teak colored chromaveil could be used to integrate the solar strips into the deck in an athestically pleasing manner:
http://www.fibreglast.com/showproduc...aveil-190.html

If anyone knows the number to the next Lotto jackpot, please share so I can get started on this right away!

I suppose that silly speedboat was a good way for these guys to get their money back from the experiment. After they sell this worthless boat to Al, perhaps a utilitarian situation will give us some real cost/performance numbers on a real boat.

[tom28571]

Originally Posted by kerosene

Tom, I am not sure I follow your math.
kw is not amount of energy but power - so if you get 6kWh per day /sq meter then 14 sq meter * 6 kWh would result in 84 kWh - a little over an hour of full power drive.

If we do assume that the 6kwh is collected in 6 hours the sq meter would give you 1 kw. 14 sq meters would give 14kw - however this seems unlikely. the panels that I checked were 15% or so efficient and 1 sq m panels are rated in in the 130w range. This is close to what marshmat estimated - top of the line cells give around 20% efficiency.

I think I said the exact same thing. There may be a problem in translation.

[marshmat]

The difference is kW (power) versus kWh (energy). Power is the rate at which energy is used. Tom and kerosene both make sense, Tom just missed the "h" in the initial post.

Emcore's triple-junction GaAs cells, among the best available, are between 25-29% efficient (depending on encapsulation as well as the wavelength distribution of the available spectrum). I have worked with these cells extensively and these are, indeed, ideal efficiencies, reached only under clear blue skies or in space. There are concentrator cells that can get 30-40%, but they cannot be used in ambient conditions; they require large reflectors. The Sunpower A300, one of the best commercial silicon cells in common use, is nominally 21.5% efficient.