BBC Science Focus - 10.2019

APOLLO TRAINING FEATURE

NASA/JSC, GETTY IMAGES

FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE

￿ ENERGY OBSERVER SHIP

It was once a racing catamaran that won

trophies and broke world records, but this boat

• now called ‘Energy Observer’ – has taken on
  a new life as a floating laboratory aimed at
  revolutionising how we power ships.
  Its traditional sails have been replaced by a
  skin of cutting-edge solar panels that power
  electric motors. It’s also the first ship to feature a
  hydrogen power generation system, using an
  electrolyser to split seawater into hydrogen and
  oxygen. The hydrogen is compressed and stored
  in tanks until it’s needed, when a fuel cell
  converts the hydrogen back into water, releasing
  electrical energy in the process. Meanwhile, two
  rigid, 12-metre-tall ‘Oceanwings’ sit on either
  side of the 30-metre-long craft, providing extra
  wind propulsion when required.
  Energy Observer is currently two years into a
  six-year world tour, the goal of which is to
  demonstrate how this green energy production
  and propulsion technology could be harnessed
  in future ships – important given that 90 per cent
  of global trade is transported by the sea.

￿ CONTROL CENTRE

It’s from this cockpit that the crew steer Energy

Observer and communicate with the outside

world. Doors from the cockpit lead to the brains

of the boat: the Energy Management System.

Because different energy sources ebb and flow as

conditions at sea change, the system is routinely

switched between power sources to keep the

craft running. For example, when solar power

runs out at night, the hydrogen fuel cells are

brought into action to convert the stored

hydrogen into electricity.

TRANSPORT REVOLUTION FEATURE

FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE

￿ENERGY OBSERVER SHIP

It was once a racing catamaran that won

trophies and broke world records, but this boat

• now called ‘Energy Observer’ – has taken on
  a new life as a floating laboratory aimed at
  revolutionising how we power ships.
  Its traditional sails have been replaced by a
  skin of cutting-edge solar panels that power
  electric motors. It’s also the first ship to feature a
  hydrogen power generation system, using an
  electrolyser to split seawater into hydrogen and
  oxygen. The hydrogen is compressed and stored
  in tanks until it’s needed, when a fuel cell
  converts the hydrogen back into water, releasing
  electrical energy in the process. Meanwhile, two
  rigid, 12-metre-tall ‘Oceanwings’ sit on either
  side of the 30-metre-long craft, providing extra
  wind propulsion when required.
  Energy Observer is currently two years into a
  six-year world tour, the goal of which is to
  demonstrate how this green energy production
  and propulsion technology could be harnessed
  in future ships – important given that 90 per cent
  of global trade is transported by the sea.

￿CONTROL CENTRE

It’s from this cockpit that the crew steer Energy
Observer and communicate with the outside
world. Doors from the cockpit lead to the brains
of the boat: the Energy Management System.
Because different energy sources ebb and flow as
conditions at sea change, the system is routinely
switched between power sources to keep the
craft running. For example, when solar power
runs out at night, the hydrogen fuel cells are
brought into action to convert the stored
hydrogen into electricity.

TRANSPORT REVOLUTION FEATURE