Design Solutions for a Competition Solar Boat

In recent decades there has been an increase in global interest in the environment protection, prompting researchers to develop sustainable solutions. Solar energy is central in this context, as it can reduce pollution and energy costs, as in the case of a solar boat project that aims to maximize efficiency and reliability. The aim of this article is to show how we developed the best solar boat design prototype which, once the project has been embodied, will then have to compete in a competitive university context in the most important international competitions on the planet such as the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. The research made use of one of the-state-of-the art software for boat prototyping, namely Rhinoceros 7 and, in particular, the Orca 3D plug in. Initially, a first general prototype was created with the first try lengths and beams, compatible with the race regulations, and then moved on to more specific prototypes by improving the design lines and taking into account the adjustments due to the tests done considering strength and stability. This research will demonstrate the succession of steps towards obtaining the best solution considering the interaction of hydrostatics and hydrodynamics with competition regulations.