Hydro Motion
For 15 years our boats have successfully sailed on the power of the sun. This means 15 years of sustainable innovation and inspiring the maritime sector. In 2020, the team took the next big step towards a sustainable maritime industry by exploring uncharted waters and starting a new project; the Hydro Motion project. In 2021, the team built the world’s first flying hydrogen boat! In 2023, the team even became World Champions of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in the Open Sea Class. In 2024, the team became the first ever foiling hydrogen-powered boat that crosses the North Sea from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. Last year the team set the first stepping stones for liquid hydrogen powered propulsion.
This year, we will be the first foiling boat powered by liquid hydrogen to participate in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge.
We, together with our whole team, are very excited about the project! If you feel the same, follow us on our social media channels to keep up with our progress during the year, just search @hydromotionteam on any social media platform.
Why Hydrogen
Why do we use hydrogen to achieve our goal? As scientists have been warning for years the supply of oil and gas will inevitably run dry, and the exploitation of these energy sources will lead to irreversible climate change. We need to use different approaches if we want to move towards a zero-emission future.
There are several options to generate green electricity, Common methods include wind and solar generated energy. To come full circle it is essential that we do not only look at the supply side of the chain, but also pay attention to the way we store this energy. Right now, the industry tends towards the usage of chemical cells when it comes to storing energy and powering electric transport. However, this is only part of the solution to reducing carbon emissions in the transport industry, because different applications require different solutions and the demand of lithium is growing faster than the supply can satisfy.
This is why we focus on an alternative way of storing green energy. So, why not use the most abundant element in our universe? Using hydrogen as an energy carrier has the benefit that it doesn’t produce greenhouse gas emissions when used to generate electricity, the only emission is water. On top of that liquid hydrogen has a volumetric energy density 10 times that of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. This means you only need 10% of the volume of a battery in liquid hydrogen to have the same amount of energy! Furthermore, the very lightest Li-ion batteries are 71 times heavier per liter than liquid hydrogen. As tanks become lighter and fuel cells become more efficient, these density advantages are a crucial factor in deciding what type of energy storage to use for vehicles and other compact applications.
A common counter argument to using hydrogen is that when considering the entire chain, from winning hydrogen to electric motor, it is still less efficient than current battery technology. For us, it is important not to deny this. We view it more as an opportunity than a threat however. The world has been putting much more effort in battery technology compared to hydrogen, yet it’s clear from the physics that there are many benefits to be had from hydrogen storage. As a team we take the first step that the industry may be afraid to take, thus allowing companies to build off of the foundation that we set. By doing this we also build valuable experience which can be taken into industry.
When we show what our boat can do, we prove the viability of hydrogen. By working together with the maritime industry itself we can initiate action. Because we want to show the world that hydrogen is not just possible, but unstoppable!
OUR DESIGN
This year we are focusing on two major innovations. The first being the integration of a liquid hydrogen storage system, allowing us to store the same amount of energy in a much smaller volume compared to gaseous hydrogen. The second is the change to a so called ‘pi’ foil (more on this below). This allows us to perform banking turns as well as reducing induced drag produced by the foil. The increased hydrogen storage efficiency combined with reduced drag will allow us to fly faster and farther than ever before.
Of course these two changes are not the only innovation we are making this year, as in order to successfully utilize these innovations we need to break ground across all departments. Scroll down to read what some of our major new ideas are this year.
HULL
This year we continue the monohull V-shape trend of previous years, while making some large changes.
The hull is designed as a hybrid of the previous two years, combining the seaworthiness of the north-sea crossing 2024 design with the sleekness of last year. It features a high bow with a sloped deck, enabling us to cut through the waves better while avoiding excess material at the stern to save weight. The sloped deck also helps to redirect water off of the deck, helping to keep the caps and compartments dry. The spray rail further aids with seaworthiness by redirecting waves while also producing some lift.
FOILS
Hydrofoils lift our boat out of the water by creating a difference in pressure above and below the wing shape, and by redirecting the water to create lift.
The major change this year is that we are connecting the front foils to make one large wing, called a pi foil. This increases hydrodynamic efficiency by removing the middle two tip vortices, thus reducing induced drag. It also allows us to perform banking turns, which will reduce the lateral loads on the struts, making us glide through the water more efficiently. The entire front and rear foils can actuate up and down, and the front foil features small control surfaces for precise roll control. The rear strut can rotate 180 degrees to provide tight steering capabilities.
HYDROGEN POWER
We will continue last year’s design of a hybrid gas and liquid system, building upon this to eventually get to having a fully operational liquid system during the race in Monaco.
For the gas storage, the 350-liter carbon-fiber tank will be reused from last year. pressurized to 350 bar, it holds 8 kilograms of hydrogen. For the liquid system a new custom tank is used, allowing us to overcome the challenge of keeping hydrogen below its boiling point of -253°C (20 Kelvin). This tank allows us to carry an additional 9.2 kilograms on board. As liquid hydrogen warms up inevitably, the boil-off gas has to be removed in order to avoid pressure buildup. This gas however will not go to waste, as we are introducing a small auxiliary fuel cell (FC) that will constantly generate electricity from this gas when the main fuel cell is powered off. When in full operation this FC is removed to save weight, and the gas is routed to the main fuel cell to produce maximum power.
DRIVELINE AND PROPULSION
The driveline connects the motor, through the rear strut, to the propellor. The propellor pulls us through the water at high efficiencies using a custom made design.
As the propellor spins on a different axis to the driveshaft, they have to be connected using bevel gears to allow for a 90 degree rotation. Last year the gears were the limiting factor in our top speed, so this year we are introducing bigger gears to withstand more torque and drive us to greater speeds. Furthermore the driveshaft is more centered in the rear strut, allowing the strut to be more hydrodynamic thus increasing efficiency through the water. The propellor is situated in front of the rear strut in a tractor configuration, meaning it pulls instead of pushed the boat. This helps with overall efficiency and steering.
HEIGHT CONTROL AND STEERING
To keep our boat flying straight on the foils, we use a combination of electric motors and push-pull rods to actuate the foils and ailerons.
For the rear foil the height control remains the same design as last year, the big change however comes in the steering system. Instead of a hydraulic system we have chosen to go for an electric motor connected to the motor mount with a belt. This allows more precise control while simplifying the design. Due to the the connected pi front foil in the front, we need an innovative height control system to enable roll control, which will allow us to do banking turns. This system consists of multiple push-pull rods which will be able to actuate the main foil and ailerons separately.
Design Phase
Are you curious to see what the design process looked like? Check out the video below!