The boat will be powered by 8 LiFePo4 cells, providing a total output of 12.8V and capacity of 30Ah. That’s enough to actively sail for a week without any sunlight. The batteries are protected by impact resistant polycarbonate tubes which are made to be waterproof for full submersion. They will work even if the hull is completely flooded.
There are 4 batteries in each tube. The end caps are made from laser-cut acrylic disks glued together.
The tubes are pressure compensated with a Gore membrane vent.
Special care was taken for reliable electrical connections that must endure shocks.
The batteries are pretty heavy and are placed in the front of the hull as their weight will be compensated by the swept-back keel. There will be a hatch just above the end caps, so the batteries can be easily replaced. As batteries normally generate heat when charging and this part of the hull will be filled with a foam, the tubes are thermally coupled with the aluminum skeleton. I’m thinking about some better cooling options.
