Solar-powered boat

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A team of students at Southampton University has completed final testing of a solar-powered boat ahead of the global Solar Splash boating competition in Arkansas.

A team of students at the

has completed final testing of a solar-powered boat ahead of the global Solar Splash boating competition in

.

Working alongside the student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the students from the university's School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) have created a design that they will enter into five separate events between 27 and 31 May.

Team Tarka leader, Dr Peter Wilson, said: ‘The main challenge was the battery power - we use batteries to store the solar-generated energy efficiently - and ensuring that our mechanical propeller could turn all the electrical energy we have into forward thrust. Despite this, our initial trials showed speeds of 24.4km per hour - measured with GPS - with plenty more power to use. We have now shipped the boat, but will continue improving the motor drive system for the next month.’

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