Tûranor PlanetSolar
Tûranor PlanetSolar in Hamburg harbor
The Tûranor Planet Solar ( working name before baptism PlanetSolar ) is a February 25, 2010 officially having his and baptized on 31 March 2010 catamaran powered exclusively by solar energy. For this reason, the entire deck of solar modules. It is currently the world's largest solar power driven watercraft.
Description
The catamaran design is a so-called Wave Piercer - the two hulls do not run over the waves, but by cutting them. The hull has a length of 31 meters, a width of 15 meters and displaces about 85 tons. Except for a small bridge consists almost the entire deck of solar modules. In addition there are retractable solar panels that are hydraulically extended over cables starboard and port side and at the rear; by the length and width zoom to 35 or 23 meters. Overall, as a total collector area of 537 m² is reached, consisting of 825 solar modules with 38,000 photovoltaic cells. The overall performance of the photovoltaic system is 93.5 kW.
The special feature of the ship is the drive. The catamaran is driven by four electric motors, which act on two drive shafts. The drive power is obtained exclusively on the solar modules. At night, the engines of lithium - ion batteries are supplied, which are housed in the floats. The batteries weigh 11.7 tons, save 1130 kWh and are the largest of their kind Other additional drives are not. The two CFRP propeller are twice as large as conventional propeller and run at low speed. They are mounted as a drive surface. The rudder is needed only for cruising. The boat is steered by the adjustable propeller and the variation of the torque of the individual propeller also with minimum driving. The two engines deliver a total of 240 kilowatts, making a cruising speed of seven knots (13 km / h) is reached. For maneuvering in port two additional cross-flow oars are used.
Everything on the ship, except a gas stove is supplied with power from the solar modules.
The name was derived from the same Tûranor language of JRR Tolkien and mean power of the sun or victory of the sun.
Formation
The history of the ship goes back to the year 2004. At that time, the Swiss engineer Raphael Domjan and eco- adventurers had made the first man to orbit in a solar boat the world. Together with his partner, the French ship captain Gérard d' Aboville he developed the first prototypes. D' Aboville had crossed already in the 1980s and 1990s, the first man alone the Atlantic and then the Pacific Ocean in a rowing boat. The two first wanted to build a small boat for two people. Then the Darmstadt entrepreneur and Wella Heritage Realty Ströher learned from a press report of the project. He convinced Domjan and d' Aboville them to build a bigger boat. He also planned a professional communication strategy and a re-use concept.
The project, whose total cost will be around 15 million euros, was largely funded by Realty Ströher and its Swiss holding Rivendell, which invests primarily in technology in the field of renewable energy, recycling and environmental protection.
The futuristic design with a main and two side hulls comes from New Zealand designer Craig Loomes, the company LOMOcean Design from New Zealand.
The construction of the Tûranor PlanetSolar was incumbent on the Kiel general contractor Knierim Yacht Building. Keel was in early 2009. Central hull and side parts had to be assembled in specially rented hall 11 of the Kiel HDW - German Werft GmbH (HDW ), because they were too big for Knierim. On 31 March 2010, the catamaran was christened Tûranor PlanetSolar and left in the Kiel Fjord to water. Originally, the launch and maiden voyage in January were planned. The construction costs were approximately 12.5 million euros.
The products manufactured by the Gaia accumulators works Lithium- ion batteries are part of a development plan of the German shipyard HDW - for energy storage and are to be used for future use on non- nuclear submarines.
The boat was presented in May 2010 at 821 Hamburg Harbour Birthday to the public.
Circumnavigation of the world
With the aim to provide emission-free solar energy into the focus of world public opinion, the Tûranor PlanetSolar broke out on September 27, 2010 from Monaco on the first circumnavigation of a solar-powered ship. The route was chosen overall in constant close to the equator because the sun radiation is most intense. Two months later, the Tûranor PlanetSolar reached on their expedition around the world to the American continent and laid on 27 November 2010 at the Port of Miami in the U.S. state of Florida. The subsequent milestone was the World Climate Conference of the UNFCCC in Cancun. This gave the boat with his presence a visible proof of efficient and forward-looking use of solar technology to improve the climate.
The first solar boat in the world Tûranor PlanetSolar crossed mid-January 2011 the Panama Canal. Before the start of the great Pacific crossing was still a visit to the Galapagos Islands on the program, made possible through cooperation with the WWF, which in close cooperation with national and local authorities, the public and private sectors as well as with the local community for over 40 years committed to the preservation of the Galápagos Islands. WWF's work on the islands aimed at sustainable development and provides maximum use of renewable energies, in particular as an essential building block for sustainable forms of tourism. In this context, the visit of the Tûranor PlanetSolar on the Galápagos Islands paints a detailed picture of the technological possibilities that exist in the field of renewable energy today.
Beginning of April 2011 had the Tûranor PlanetSolar in Bora Bora because of damage to the propeller system, the circumnavigation of the globe for repairs interrupt. After a nearly two-week stay, the circumnavigation of the world in the direction of Tonga could be continued. End of May 2011 the solar boat moored in Brisbane, after it had previously happened on the stage from Tonga to New Caledonia, the "centerline " of the circumnavigation of the globe. In Brisbane also the global children's and youth project PlanetSolar Relay for Hope was lifted out of the baptism. Here, children and young people around the world can express their wishes and ideas of a solar future.
After the Tûranor PlanetSolar in January 2012 had been the guest of honor at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, the Gulf of Aden had to be crossed. In these waters, the ship would have been an easy prey to Somali pirates as it was too slow to ride in a convoy. Therefore, in this section was a security team on board, which was led by Christophe Keckeis, the former head of the Swiss Army.
On 4 May 2012, the catamaran ran 60,000 kilometers of driving again in a Monaco. The boat took 584 days, 23 hours and 31 minutes for the trip around the world.
Records
61 days after departure in Monaco reached the Tûranor PlanetSolar Miami, which was the fastest Atlantic crossing of a solar boat with 26 days and 34 minutes. Previous record holder of the Sun21 was 26 days, 19 hours and 10 minutes.
On 20 February 2011, the Tûranor PlanetSolar announced another world record. With 9,904 nautical miles or 18,342 kilometers distance from the starting point Monaco is the largest at this time solar boat in the world had mastered the longest distance that has ever gone a vehicle with solar energy. From 2004 to this day, this record had been held by the Midnight Sun Solar Race Team, which was driven by a solar car a distance of 15,070 km through Canada and the United States of America.
2013 was hired by the ship in crossing the Atlantic 's own record of the world circumnavigation from 2010 to 2012. The ship, the flight from Gran Canaria to St. Martin in 22 days; at the round the world it had required 26 days for the route.
Technical data of the electrical components
In the floats of the catamaran stuck 11.7 ton lithium - ion batteries. There are the biggest accumulators in non-military use around the world to be.
Pictures
Front view
Rear view
Gangway
Lifted Solar Panels
Propeller surface drive
Official data sheet