Innovative budding minds, 10 Tamil Nadu students created a Hydrogen fuel cell powered boat to race at global competition

• Image Credit: Prag News

• Jun 9, 2023 | Poonam Nath

The Energy Boat Challenge in Monaco will be attended by a 10-person team from the Kumaraguru College of Technology in Tamil Nadu...

Digital Desk: The Kumaraguru College of Technology in Tamil Nadu selected a 10-person team to compete in the Energy Boat Challenge in Monaco. The team's self-built boat with hydrogen fuel cells will compete in the global race. The students also want to make the boat for fishermen commercially viable.

The prestigious Yacht Club De Monaco organised the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge to support students and researchers in building boats with an emphasis on zero-emission propulsion and sustainability, encouraging e-mobility in the marine industry, and promoting green innovation in the yachting industry.

Kumaraguru College of Technology's 'Sea Sakthi' team got qualified for the international challenge for the second year in a row.

The crew has decided to use a hydrogen fuel cell and a custom-designed Indigenous Propulsion System to power its energy boat.

Swaminathan, the boat's pilot, stated that the crew has qualified to compete in the 10th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, which will take place in July.

"The goal of the competition is to promote green energy in maritime travel. There are three competitive classes in which we will compete, and we have created our own energy system for the boat. We are using a twin-hull design without our own cockpit model, as well as an energy source and propellant system, and we tested it in Ukkadam Lake, where we achieved a speed of 20 knots," Swaminathan explained.

In the words of Hemalatha, who is the team's operations manager, the competition needed a minimum of two energy sources to be used, and the team chose a 400-watt solar panel, hydrogen fuel cells, and a Lithium battery to store the created energy.

"We chose hydrogen as a fuel because of its high energy density." "Hydrogen cell-based energy is very common in European countries, but it is a very new technology in India," she explained.

Sanjana, who oversees the Artificial Intelligence and Mechanical components, stated that the team planned to commercialise the propulsion and power system and make it available to fishers.

 Sanjana went on to explain, "Our goal is to replace the fossil-fuel-powered boats used by fishermen with our boats." Though the initial investment is significant, our method requires much less maintenance and, if commercialised, may reduce production costs as well."