Samenvatting

Solar Boat, the project was born in 2009 by a group of enthusiastic students of mixed educational backgrounds who wanted to fill their free composition course points in a special, more meaningful way. They came in contact with DTIW and established an agreement of what they could offer each other, eventually settling on the idea of a solar powered boat to take part in scientific research and races.

DTIW has more than just Solar Boat going on though, Sensor boat is also a project just as esteemed and driven by similar origins. The solar boat project in particular though, was rekindled in 2019 after having been retired in 2011. The team of 2019 had a first goal; picking up the project and redefining the boat so that it is ready to race again.
The goal of the solar boat project is to give students a chance to explore their inventive mind and develop new techniques on the basis of Green energy and alternative to conventional methods. Furthermore, it is important to have direct involvement in the growth of a project, of course also learning about vital project points such as logistics, budgeting and general management.
Currently the heads of the Solar Boat project are W. Haak and Ronald Eijlers.
The Hull currently used was designed in collaboration with a reputable boat manufacturer of the Netherlands, DAMEN.
Ideally, the boat should be able to withstand all critical situations comfortably without overcompensating in any aspect as this is a form of inefficiency. It is to compete in all races and events, meeting all requirements for entry and do so at its best possible performance.
In designing the boat, the ideal hull shape for function was provided but there was one critical element missing; Thickness of the hull with use of Flax Fibre composite. With no specified thickness provided the sealander 2 was constructed very conservatively, airing on the side of rather safe than sorry.
Having a very thick hull has its benefits of being comfortable that the structure will hold in all experienced situations. It does, however, also increase the weight unnecessarily and cost more to produce. As a racing boat, it will be pitched against others and needs to be as competitive everywhere possible, weight being a vital category.

Given that this is a project funded by the university, there is a limit on the budget. This is not to say that the team is constantly restricted but reduction in material costs for hull construction could free up space in other sectors which may need it, or just give them a bit more leeway. The exact amount by which costs will be decreased is not yet known but will be discovered along the course of this research.

Given the current state of build, it was decided that the next iteration of the boat should have weight and general material efficiency accounted for.
Through discussion the following research question was defined: “How to create the lightest boat hull possible using flax fibre?“
This research question directly falls in line with objectives of the Solarboat team and should ultimately benefit it in performance and material efficiency.
Additional sub questions would include: What is the ideal fibre orientation? What is the ideal hull thickness? What should the balance between strength vs weight be?