Foldable Floating Solar Array for Electric Vessel

This paper introduces the concept of the foldable floating solar array (FFSA) for electric vessels. As being moved from fossil-based transportation to fumeless mode, going electric is the most preferred way based on efficiency and economic viability. With an increased demand for electric transport, the number of electric ships and boats has gone up. With this increase, there is more need for energy production to fulfill the demands. To tackle this problem sustainably, integration of renewable energy with electric vessels is focused in this paper, for that the idea of a foldable floating solar array is proposed. This product is based on pre-existing technologies of floating solar farms, overhead charging and microgrid concept in an electric vessel. Such technologies provide an efficient and reliable solution to problems. In this paper, the insight about the product, its design, application, and the challenges faced are detailed. The overall system is demonstrated by using the MATLAB/Simulink model. The performance of FFSA is evaluated. The design and analysis of FFSA are detailed in this.