Study of the use of alternative energy sources in inland waterway transport

A study has been conducted on the use of alternative energy sources for propulsion of a vessel in inland waterway transport. It is clear that at this stage it is most appropriate to use a vessel designed for short-haul trips between two banks of a ferryboat for passengers and luggage or for recreation and entertainment. On this basis, research has been conducted on a newly designed and built vessel to carry up to 12 people. The drive is fully powered by 180-Ah batteries at 48 V. The batteries are charged by the sun through 5-kW solar panels. The results show that the vessel powered by two 5-kW electric motors can sail autonomously for about 1.5 hours, to travel about 13 km, at an average speed of 7.9 km/h with an average energy consumption of 71.3 kWh/100km when sailing on a linearly reversible route including sailing downstream and upstream on the Danube River.