I built a robotic boat mainly for fun and research. Currently it has a 12 amp an hour 12 volt lead acid battery and a set of solar panels that output roughly 12 volts. I have items in the boat that use 12 volts as well as 5 volts. The 12 volts it sent through a high powered switching regulator. I am looking for more alternative energy solutions as the solar panels cover the top of the boat entirely. What are some other methods I can reasonably use to generate power? The boat is a sealed, watertight plastic container. Would using electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen and thus power from the hydrogen be doable?
The boat is completely self contained. There is the lead acid battery and the solar panels that could power it if need be. As for details of electrolysis, I am not entirely sure. I am just looking for innovative idea, also the water is 90 degrees and ambient temperature goes up to 95 during the day and 80 at night.
You could harvest tiny amounts of energy from the pressure differential inside and outside the hull. You could harvest tiny amounts of energy from a temperature differential. Both of those would likely be swamped by that gain you might get from slightly more efficient solar cells.
You might be able to reduce weight and thus conserve energy by switching from a lead acid battery to a LiPo battery.
I always thought that people where doing research into cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. I remember back in high school we had a fuel cell that would run off of a solar panel and then produce more electricity in the long run with the hydrogen. I am just looking for ideas and ways to implement more alternative energies for this project as I am out of room for solar cells......
EDIT:
johnwasser:
You could harvest tiny amounts of energy from the pressure differential inside and outside the hull. You could harvest tiny amounts of energy from a temperature differential. Both of those would likely be swamped by that gain you might get from slightly more efficient solar cells.
You might be able to reduce weight and thus conserve energy by switching from a lead acid battery to a LiPo battery.
For pressure or temperature differential how much power could theoretically be produced? I am also hoping to generate power during the night time when sunlight is not present.
arduinoPi:
I always thought that people where doing research into cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Yes. But the hydrogen is not being generated in the car. It is generated with solar power of hydro somewhere else. This EQHHP was one such idea that I don't think ever got anywhere.
Would using electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen and thus power from the hydrogen be doable?
No... It takes just as much energy to separate the hydrogen & oxygen as you get back when you burn the hydrogen ([u]conservation of energy[/u] AKA "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch").
And of course, nothing is 100% efficient in the real world... Energy (heat) is lost during electrolysis and more heat is lost when you convert the stored energy back to electricity.
I am just looking for innovative idea, also the water is 90 degrees and ambient temperature goes up to 95 during the day and 80 at night.
There are ways to extract energy from a temperature difference. But if it was practical, it would be done on a large scale to generate lots of "free" energy.
The rotaryhome site is fun, especially to read the angry comments from the misguided folks who don't believe it is possible to sail directly upwind (it is).
The same sort of skepticism was voiced against the idea of sailing directly downwind, faster than the wind, but that has been done many, many times, even with very large scale vehicles. See Blackbird (wind-powered vehicle) - Wikipedia
It is sad that the author of the the rotaryhome site is having trouble finding funds for construction of a large scale model.
Its not like we haven't been using wind power for the last 2 millennium to transverse bodies of water. Why start now?
You mean this type of Rotor ship? Rotor ship - Wikipedia
Based on the picture that's already been tested full scale, welcome to the 21 centaury.
But if your talking about a boat, you have sun, you have wind, you have waves. They are still a LONG ways from making a wave powered generator, so you can either try something with wind or be happy with solar.
No the ship shown there USES an engine to drive the turbines.
But some of the stuff in the "uses today" section are the kind of thing we are talking about. IE wind to generate power along side the solar the op is already using.