Researchers in Australia have developed a control algorithm that allows electric boats equipped with solar panels to supply power to remote islands.

In developed countries, as long as the switch is lightly pressed, the light will pour into the entire room; as long as the button is lightly pressed, the TV will buzz-if you still have such a TV. However, on most remote islands in Indonesia, power supply is neither simple nor convenient.

For example, before 2018, diesel generators could only provide electricity to residents of the Palau region of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, for 4 hours per day. According to the German "Photovoltaic" magazine report, in June 2018, a government-supported organization installed a new hybrid microgrid to enable its residents to enjoy all-day power supply. These hybrid microgrids consist of photovoltaic solar panels that collect energy and lithium-ion batteries that store energy.

But there may be another way to supply power to remote islands, especially after natural disasters, that is to use boat power.

Recently, researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia have invented an algorithm that can theoretically turn electric boats into small renewable energy power plants. They tested the algorithm with a microgrid in the laboratory, connecting four 6-volt gel batteries into a 24-volt battery combination as a stand-in for a ship.

In the experiment, they found that the algorithm can reliably manage the power flow, so that the electric ship can directly provide peak load support to the grid after sailing.

In order to achieve this application, they need an electric boat with its own photovoltaic system. When the boat floats, the system will charge the boat's battery. In addition, when the ship docks, it can be used as a small power plant to provide electricity to the island's households.

With this algorithm, ship owners can decide when to sell electricity and how much they want to sell. For example, they may set their system to automatically sell 10% of their stored energy, and only do so if the battery is at least half charged.

The researchers pointed out that the unique characteristics of the ship can make it provide such services. Electric vehicles generally do not have their own photovoltaic systems. Therefore, it is impossible for an electric car to supply power to the grid like a ship, but to extract energy from it.

The working principle of this technology is very similar to the micro-grids that Indonesia is gradually promoting-these micro-grids also contain photovoltaic systems for collecting energy and lithium-ion batteries for storing energy. However, the key difference between the two is: portability.

If Indonesia suffers from natural disasters, these microgrids may also be damaged, and even Indonesia ’s existing electrified islands will be affected. With this new method, the Indonesian government can use ships carrying food and supplies to provide electricity.

At present, this concept is still in its infancy, but the research team of the University of New South Wales expects that in the near future, they will use a real electric boat to test this algorithm, walk out of the laboratory and sail towards the ocean.

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