The design and application of an unmanned surface vehicle powered by solar and wind energy

The development of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for reconnaissance or other littoral missions is attracting increasing attention. In order to increase the sustainability of USVs, a new hybrid driving system powered by solar energy and wind energy is designed for the proposed USV. The developed USV is based on a catamarans prototype boat, and is equipped with a wing sail. In addition, the superficial of the USV is covered with PV panels for providing sustainable energy generation. The batteries based storage system is used for storing extra electricity as well as providing electricity for the control system and electrical system. To achieve tasks independently and intelligently, the USV is integrated with an automatic control system. The USV is discussed in detail, and some testing results are presented to validate its feasibility.