AMSTERDAM – The 27th International HISWA Symposium on Yacht Design and Yacht Construction (Nov. 14-15) revolves around energy transition. Under the heading “Get Energized,” the two-day, biennial event, held in the margin of the 2022 Metstrade show, sheds light on the latest scientific insights into the large yacht construction industry. The focus is on applied knowledge transfer.
The symposium is an initiative of the HISWA-RECRON trade lobby, Delft University of Technology, RAI Amsterdam and MARIN, the world’s largest independent maritime research institute. Co-sponsors are Feadship, Oceanco, and Royal Huisman Shipyard.
“Just like the previous edition in 2020, the program consists of a mix of scientific research presentations and practical applications. Both aspects will be covered,” says Michael Steenhoff, yacht construction manager at HISWA-RECRON.
“The symposium’s objective is to bring together the worlds of research and practice, share knowledge and thus accelerate innovation. That is badly needed if we want to meet the climate goals of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Organizers say the participation of students is extremely important and offer a discounted rate for vocational or university education students. “It is important to bring them into contact with companies that are active in yacht construction or design so they can find out about developments they may be able to contribute to,” says Steenhoff.
Delft University of Technology students will give a presentation on their “flying” carbon hydrogen-powered boat that took top honors at an international event off Monaco recently.
The TU Delft team opted to work not on a multihull craft but on a carbon monohull on hydrofoils, holding two 2.3m tanks in which hydrogen is stored at 350 bar pressure. The boat had to be seaworthy (as the race was run off Monaco), meaning the submerged wings had to stay submerged for the sake of stability. To achieve that, the students used a clever control system that reacts to the height of waves and keeps the hydrofoils submerged.
Flying a boat on wings decreases drag and dramatically increases speed in tandem with less energy consumption. At 25 km/hour, the boat starts to plane and the lift created keeps the boat flying above the water. The control system ensures the approach angle of the water on the wing can be adjusted by using advanced sensors and smart software applications that can quickly respond to changing conditions.
