After two participations in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in 2021 and 2022, the Swiss Solar Boat team set itself a new challenge — positioning the project halfway between pure optimization for competition purposes and emerging as an industrial actor in sustainable boating.

Since the propulsion system plays a critical role in the boat’s energy efficiency and performance, tests and studies were carried out to develop an optimized propulsion system. To do so, Erik Maffei and I studied the feasibility of a test bench directly integrated into a Surface Effect Ship (SES), allowing free and independent access to the testing environment.

The project consisted of the following steps:

Designing the system according to the requirements specification

Modeling the mechanical parts to be added to the SES and creating 2D electronic schematics

Conducting a FEM analysis to check structural integrity

Assembling and programming the electronics (Electronic Speed Controller, radio emitter & receiver, microcontroller, and more)

Integrating a 6-axis balance to measure forces and torques in the vertical direction

After Swiss Solar Boat’s participation in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC) in 2021 and 2022, the team recognized the critical need to enhance the boat’s autonomy. This insight led them to develop the Renewable Energy Foiler (REF), a three-seater hybrid solar-hydrogen foiling boat. In this context, I was first responsible for translating the MEBC hydrogen safety rules to the REF, thereby determining the required specifications for the ventilation system. This involved modeling the diffusion of H₂ into the boat’s compartments due to a small slit in the piping, evaluating the H₂ flux from a hazardous high-pressure leak (supersonic/compressible flow), and determining the ventilation needed to keep H₂ concentrations below the lower flammability limit.

In addition, the fuel cell required water cooling. I took part in modeling different cooling designs and translating design ideas into insightful, quantitative data.

Skills used:

Evaluation of H₂ flux from hazardous leaks

Ventilation design to maintain H₂ concentrations below the flammability limit

Analysis of pressure losses, flow rates, and heat transfer across different cooling designs

MATLAB, Microsoft Excel, compressible/incompressible fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer

One of the team projects I completed during my Bachelor’s degree at EPFL involved designing and machining a fruit gripper end-effector and detector. This included the ideation and performance design of the gripper, as well as the development of a system to detect berries and assess their ripeness.

Skills used:

Python, OpenCV, Git/GitHub, CAD (Fusion 360), Engineering Design