{"id":54585,"date":"2021-10-06T07:25:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T20:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=54585"},"modified":"2021-10-06T07:25:43","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T20:55:43","slug":"solar-saildrone-hurricane-mb2183","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-saildrone-hurricane-mb2183\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar-Assisted Saildrone Survives Hurricane Sam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Solar-assisted<\/p>\n

A solar and wind powered uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) has passed a dangerous test of its capabilities with flying colours. <\/p>\n

Saildrone<\/a> combines wind-powered propulsion and solar-powered meteorological and oceanographic equipment to perform long-range data collection missions autonomously.<\/p>\n

The USVs can travel at an average speed between two to six knots under wind power. What SailDrone may lack in speed, it makes up for in endurance as it can undertake missions of up to 12 months without having to return to shore for maintenance and refueling.<\/p>\n

There are actually three models – Explorer, Voyager and Surveyor, ranging in lengths from 7m long to 22m. But it’s only the Explorer that is purely solar and wind powered, enabling year-long mission lengths. I haven’t been able to find any information on how much solar power capacity is installed and while there appears to be also battery storage involved, specs on were likewise unavailable.<\/p>\n

Saildrone Explorer can be configured to carry all sorts of equipment measuring wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, salinity and much more. Among its previous missions was an Antarctica circumnavigation that saw the USV cover more than 22,000 kilometres in 196 days; surviving freezing temperatures, huge waves and 128 km\/h winds.<\/p>\n

But the wind conditions in that journey were a fresh breeze compared to a more recent mission.<\/p>\n

Into The Eye Of A Hurricane<\/h2>\n

The USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently sent its Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 into the guts of Hurricane Sam<\/a>, a category 4 hurricane that was packing winds of more than 193 km\/h and generating waves up to 15 metres high.<\/p>\n

Equipped with a specially designed \u201churricane wing,\u201d the Saildrone appeared to perform perfectly and achieved a world-first. SD 1045 captured the following video from inside Hurricane Sam.<\/p>\n