Influence of energy consumption on battery sizing of electric fluvial vessels: a Colombian Case Study

Electric vessels represent a sustainable solution for fluvial mobility. However, their energy demand is higher compared to terrestrial vehicles, so that, increasing the hydrodynamic efficiency is mandatory. The purpose of this research is to estimate the hydrodynamic drag and battery capacity of an electric boat for passenger transport with the same performance of the boats with internal combustion engines currently operating in the Magdalena river, in Colombia. This estimation of hydrodynamic efficiency is carried out through both Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and statistical analysis for planing vessels. The results show the energy consumption estimation of the boat for a defined route, through different approaches, leading to the battery sizing. As the battery affects the total weight of the boat and the resistance is affected in turn, an iterative process is proposed. As the battery sizing through statistical methods shows uncertainties due to the variation of the results, the iterative method promises to be a practical and fast way to estimate the battery size for an electric boat in early design stages.