Solarboat Internship
In the first half of my second year I was an intern at the HAN Solarboat team. Working with multiple disciplines such as Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering we ran the team for half a year, getting the boat ready for the next racing season. The HAN solarboat races in the national- and international solarboats races in it competes with other universities and professional teams.
From the start it was clear we wanted to further develop the hydrofoil technology for the solarboat aswell as to implement new features and improvements to the boat- and team.
The hydrofoils are extended wings (3 seeable in the upper middle picture) which lift the boat out of the water when it reaches the required speed. As a result of this the boat has less friction with the water, and is able to get an even higher top speed when racing other boats. In the upper left picture you can see one of the flow simulations I did to test the aero(hydro?)dynamics of the vessel.
As I worked on new graphics (upper middle picture) for the solarboat, which had to comply with the race regulations, I also created a solution for the massive water flow which partly flowed into the cockpit when racing in turbulent waters.
After sketching different possible solution I started working on composite 'hydro wings' to deflect the incoming water and to add an extra surface which the pilot could use to enter/leave the solarboat. After carefully shaping the foam pieces, I then laid up the fibres combined with epoxy resin. Before the wings could be coated and colored, countless hours were fullfilled sanding the composite.
Besides the experience I gained working with composites such as carbon fibre, I also learned more about working in a bigger team of people, from different disciplines for a longer period of time.
Don't forget to scroll down!
Multi-discipline team - Competition driven - Experience with composites - Flow- and fluid dynamics
