Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (Feb 2024)

Design Process and Advanced Manufacturing of an Aquatic Surface Vehicle Hull for the Integration of a Hydrogen Power Plant Propulsion System

  • Jordi Renau Martínez,
  • Víctor García Peñas,
  • Manuel Ibáñez Arnal,
  • Alberto Giménez Sancho,
  • Eduardo López González,
  • Adelaida García Magariño,
  • Félix Terroba Ramírez,
  • Francisco Javier Moreno Ayerbe,
  • Fernando Sánchez López

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12020268
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2
p. 268

Abstract

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This article presents the design and manufacturing of a hydrogen-powered unmanned aquatic surface vehicle (USV) hull. The design process comprised three stages: (1) defining the requirements for a preliminary geometry, (2) verifying the hydrodynamic hull performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and (3) experimentally validating the hydrodynamic hull performance and CFD analysis results through experimental fluid dynamics in a calm water towing tank. The manufacturing process utilized additive manufacturing technologies, such as fused granular fabrication and selective laser sintering, to produce the hull and other components, including the propeller and the rudder; thermoplastic materials with carbon fiber reinforcement were employed. The experimental results demonstrate that the optimized trimaran hull exhibited low hydrodynamic resistance (7.5 N), high stability, and a smooth flow around the hull (up to 2 m/s). The design and manufacturing of the USV hull met expectations from both hydrodynamic and structural perspectives, and future work was outlined to integrate a power plant, navigation system, and scientific equipment.

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