Boat sales remain high during the pandemic, with carbon and glass fiber still in high demand. 3D printing, biomaterials and recycling move forward while hydrogen propulsion grows rapidly with the pursuit of zero emissions. #sourcebook #feature #multitudeofmarkets
The Rush 39’s composite construction uses resin infusion of hemp fiber with bioresin and a recycled PET foam core. The 40-foot power boat is also designed to foil for reduced fuel consumption. Photo Credit: Rush Yachts
The National Marine Manufacturers Assn. (NMMA, Chicago, Ill., U.S.) reported in January 2021 that power boat retail sales reached a 13-year high in 2020, increasing 9% from 2019. Sales of new boats increased by 12% to 310,000 for 2020, led by freshwater fishing boats and pontoons boats, which accounted for half of powerboat sales. Another high-growth segment was wake boats, used for wakeboarding and wake surfing, with new boats up 20% to 13,000 units in 2020.
NMMA reported in June 2021 that sales through March were up 30% compared to the 2020 average. “All signs point to boating demand and boat sales remaining strong,” said NMMA president Frank Hugelmeyer. One driver of this growth is the increase in first-time boat buyers, with NMMA data showing that 415,000 first-time boat buyers (new and used boats) entered the market in 2020. These buyers are reportedly averaging younger and are 1.5 times more likely to be women compared to other buyer groups. Dealers report that prior to the pandemic, the average wait time to get a boat was four to six weeks. Wait times now easily stretch eight to 12 months, with delivery times for outboard engines quoted at 72 weeks.
The 7.7-meter-long electric-powered Candela C-7 claims to be 4-5 times more energy efficient versus a gas-powered planing boat with a 95% lower cost of ownership thanks to its carbon fiber/epoxy foils and lightweight hull. Photo Credit: Candela
A growing trend in power and sailing boats is foiling, that is, the use of underwater wings known as hydrofoils to lift the hull out of the water and “fly” (see “Composites enable novel flying speedboat”). Foils are typically V-shaped blades that pierce the water’s surface or T-shaped blades that remain below the water. Some boats use a combination of both. Similar to airfoils on a plane, these generate lift so that as the boat gains speed — in most applications, 15-18 knots — its hull lifts out of the water. The foils are typically retracted at lower speeds and actuated by electronics.
Because foiling boats are raised out of the water, they have less resistance and drag, and thus are more efficient — many claim a 30-40% reduction in fuel consumption. One example is the 7.7-meter-long electric-powered C-7 by Candela Boats (Lidingö, Sweden), which claims to be 4-5 times more energy efficient versus a gas-powered planing boat with a 95% lower cost of ownership. The C-7 begins foiling at 14-15 knots, cruises at 22 knots, has a maximum speed of 30 knots and a range of 50 nautical miles.
Foils are typically made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The C-7’s foils are made from unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber tapes infused with Sicomin Epoxy Systems (Châteauneuf les Martigues, France) SR1710 epoxy resin and room-temperature cured, followed by a 40°C post-cure. The C-7’s hull is made from the same carbon fiber and epoxy, which is also a trend, because these “flying” boats have increased need for lightweight and stiffness.
Although costs for foiling boats are typically higher than for traditional boats, due to the extensive development and computer-aided design required, as well as lightweight materials like carbon fiber, the improved performance typically pays back the difference quickly — as little as three years, according to some manufacturers. Another factor is that as the push for more environmentally friendly boats continues, foiling offers a means to improve the boating performance possible with electric power.
Candela’s 9.5-meter-long P-12 electric, foiling water taxi carries up to 12 passengers and reportedly consumes less energy per passenger than a family car. Photo Credit: Candela
In May 2021, Candela unveiled the P-12 electric hydrofoil water taxi to replace diesel-powered ferries. The 9.5-meter P-12 carries up to 12 passengers in a panoramic-view cabin. Using the same CFRP hydrofoil system and hull construction already proven in the C-7, Candela reports the P-12 consumes less energy per passenger than a family car with 90% lower operating cost versus combustion engine vessels.
The 5.2-meter-long, three-passenger Future-E concept vessel uses recycled carbon fiber composites and four automatically-controlled foils to achieve “zero impact” — no emissions, noise or waves. Photo Credit: Centrostiledesign
Another more futuristic 2021 launch is the Future-E concept from Centrostiledesign (Mordano, Italy). Reportedly built using recycled carbon fiber composites, the 5.2-meter-long, 2-meter-wide “zero-impact boat” — i.e., no carbon emissions, noise or waves — carries up to three passengers. It rises out of the water on four retractable foils at 16 knots and reaches a maximum speed of 30 knots from two electric motors. The Future-E features a “foil-integrated kinematic system” that reportedly manages how far the four independently adjusted foils extend as well as their angle of attack to maintain an optimally smooth ride.
Overall, the use of CFRP continues to slowly increase in marine, driven by boat owner and operators’ demands for higher speed and performance while looking to reduce fuel consumption and environmental impact. One example is the lightweight CFRP deckhouse that Holland Composites (Lelystad, Netherlands) produces for Windcat Workboats wind farm service/support vessels, which uses resin-infused CFRP foam sandwich construction for stiffness to achieve a large, open span without pillars inside the cabin. “The monocoque deckhouse is lightweight enough that we can put it on good dampeners to isolate [it] from engine and wave vibration in the hull,” says Janssen. “Windcat is known for its really quiet ride, and the boats are well-liked by the large wind turbine OEMs. All of these wind farms must be maintained, so there is a new market for high-speed catamarans of 50 to 60 feet in length.”
The 6.5-meter-long MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat) is claimed by builder moi composites (Milan, Italy) to be the first 3D-printed boat using continuous glass fiber-reinforced thermoset composites. Photo Credit: moi composites
MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat) is claimed by builder moi composites (Milan, Italy) to be the first 3D-printed boat using continuous glass fiber-reinforced thermoset composites. The 6.5-meter-long, 2.5-meter-wide power boat demonstrates a new, unique shape that isn’t possible with traditional manufacturing. It was printed in sections using robots guided by generative algorithms which enables printing with continuous fibers directly from the digital structural model as well as scalability in size. The sections were then laminated together to create the final, sculpted structure without the traditional division between hull and deck.
Continuous fiber reinforcement coupled with vinyl ester resin — favored in marine applications for its long-term resistance to seawater — enables MAMBO to be strong, durable and lightweight. By creating 3D-printed structures without the need for plugs or molds, it is also possible to build actual products — not just prototypes — in small lots or as unique, one-off constructions in a way that is both efficient and cost-effective. Moi’s partners in the MAMBO project include digital design software supplier Autodesk (San Rafael, Calif., U.S.) and glass fiber supplier Owens Corning (Toledo, Ohio, U.S.). (Read more: “Additive manufacturing adds versatility to large marine structures and “Mambo tests the waters ...”)
In September 2021, large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) specialist Caracol (Lomazzo, Italy) debuted Beluga, a 3D-printed sailing boat prototype manufactured in a single piece using recycled polypropylene (PP) and 30% short glass fiber. Beluga is the product of a joint research project between Caracol and NextChem (Rome, Italy), a green energy company that produces MyReplast recycled plastic materials. With these materials, Caracol claims to have overcome traditional fiberglass construction’s lack of recyclability. Caracol also eliminated the need for expensive molds by using its proprietary, robotic AM system — comprising a six-axis robotic arm with extruder — to print the boat’s hull in a single piece. (Read more: “Large-scale, robotic-mounted 3D printer aims to expand AM size limits”.)
Another large trend is the progress being made by two European consortia, FIBRESHIP and RAMSSES, supported by the 378-member European network for Lightweight Applications at Sea (E-LASS), in a wave of demonstration projects, including composite decks, rudders, hulls, modular cabins and superstructures, patch repairs to steel and composite-to-steel welded joints (see “Removing barriers to lightweighting ships with composites”). They aim to demonstrate the fire and structural performance of large structures and whole vessels as well as new production methods, joining technologies, design tools and routes to certification. FIBRESHIP has completed a 20-tonne section of an 85-meter-long fishing research vessel (FRV) made using composites. Measuring 11 x 11 x 8.6 meters, it was built by iXblue shipyard in La Ciotat, France.
Meanwhile, RAMSSES has 13 demonstrators in progress, 10 of which include composites. RAMSSES is also pursuing an all-composite ship — an 80-meter-long, all-composite offshore patrol-type vessel. Damen Shipyard Group (Gorinchem, Netherlands) is leading the demonstration of a 6 x 6 x 3-meter full-scale composite hull section of this vessel made using vacuum infusion and a novel resin by Evonik (Essen, Germany). Damen is also working with InfraCore Co. (Rotterdam, Netherlands) to apply the technology used by sister company FiberCore Europe (Rotterdam) in more than 1,000 composite bridges and lock gates worldwide. InfraCore is building decks, bulkheads and hull structure for the demonstrator, which will be tested for structural and fire performance. “We will use both horizontal and vertical infusion to produce the hull section in one shot,” says InfraCore operations manager Laurent Morel. “So far, we have infused to a height of 9.8 meters.”
Composites have already been demonstrated in the first roll-on/roll-off car carrier to use a composite cargo deck, designed and built by Uljanik Group (Pula, Croatia) as part of RAMSSES work package 14 (see “Low weight on the high seas”), as well as a lightweight sundeck for a 110-meter-long river cruise ship (see “Composite deck reduces river ship draft”) and a composite tween deck for a 200-meter-long general cargo carrier. “A tween deck is a removable deck you can install to divide the cargo hold to facilitate different types of cargo,” explains Arnt Frode Brevik, manager at Compocean (Sandvika, Norway). “We have been working with Oshima Shipbuilding (Nagasaki, Japan) and DNV GL for several years to develop a lightweight tween deck with the goal of cutting the weight by 50% versus steel,” says Brevik. This resulted in a 9 x 2-meter glass fiber composite prototype that was tested for impact and maximum loads and then exhibited in 2017. Compocean has now extended this development to include ship owner Masterbulk Pte Ltd. (Singapore) and build a full-scale 27 x 12-meter prototype composite tween deck, which will be installed and tested until late 2021.
Composite ship rudders are also being developed. As part of RAMSSES work package 12, Becker Marine Systems (BMS, Hamburg, Germany) is demonstrating a lightweight composite flap for a steel rudder. Such rudders typically weigh more than 200 tons, says Jörg Mehldau, head of R&D at BMS. “By adding a hinged aft flap, you can significantly reduce the rudder area.” BMS pioneered this flap rudder, which improves course-keeping and maneuverability, enabling berthing without tugboat assistance. A composite flap reduces weight and enables more efficient shapes and designs. For RAMSSES, a flap measuring 11.8 meters long and 0.9 meter wide with a chord of 2.9 meters has been developed as a full-scale test case aimed at one of the largest container ships (≈400 meters long). The flap will be produced using resin infusion and a design from InfraCore, beginning with a 1:6 scale demonstrator, using glass fiber and polyester resin already certified by DNV GL to keep costs low. Testing of the 2-meter-high demonstrator was scheduled to be completed during 2021.
The new Couach Fly 86/2600 Motor Yacht, at 26 meters long, is reportedly the largest boat hull to be infused with bio-resins to date (top). Its hull, deck and superstructure use InfuGreen 810, part of Sicomin’s GreenPoxy range of bio-based resins. Photo Credit: Couach
Marine sporting goods and boats have been increasingly touting improved sustainability via bio-based materials. One example is the Rush 39 (see opening image), a 12-meter/39-foot superyacht tender/day boat from Rush Yachts (Cornwall, U.K.). Reportedly designed around use of the most advanced and green materials and processes, the hull is made using resin infusion, hemp fiber and bioresin with a recycled PET foam core. The power boat is also designed to foil for reduced fuel consumption.
In October 2021, Sicomin reported that its InfuGreen 810 bio-based epoxy infusion resin is being used for the new Couach (Bordeaux, France) Fly 86/2600 Motor Yacht — said to be the largest yacht hull to be made using resin infusion and bio-resins to date. The 26-meter, 52-tonne superyacht’s hull, deck and superstructure use Sicomin’s InfuGreen 810, producing a lighter and faster yacht with reduced overall fuel consumption. Part of Sicomin’s GreenPoxy range of bio-based resins, 38% of InfuseGreen 810’s carbon content reportedly comes from plant-based sources.
Starting materials for the development of fire-resistant and bio-based fiber composites for structural lightweight design in ships. Photo Credit: Fraunhofer IFAM.
The GreenLight project, under the leadership of Fraunhofer IFAM (Bremen, Germany) with partners Meye Werft GmbH & Co. KG (Niedersachsen) and INVENT GmbH (Braunschweig), aims to develop bio-based composites with intrinsic fire safety for use in load-bearing structures in ships. The project will also explore manufacturing and recycling concepts. Associate partners include Huntsman Advanced Materials (The Woodlands, Texas, U.S.), SAERTEX GmbH & Co. KG (Saerbeck, Germany), Lloyd’s Register (London, U.K.) and nova-Institut (Hürth, Germany). Focus will be on accessible bio-based polymers and benzoxazines for FRP materials that offer a lower CO2 footprint over the entire product life cycle compared to conventional, petroleum-based materials. Although benzoxazines are typically synthesized from petroleum-based phenolic components, amines and formaldehydes, they can also be derived from renewable raw materials such as corncobs or sesame seeds. GreenLight will focus on such sustainable benzoxazine-based composites.
For composites to continue to grow in any market segment, increased attention must be paid to sustainable recycling. The Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA, Bristol, R.I., U.S.) has been leading the Rhode Island Fiberglass Vessel (Boat) Recycling Program since January 2018. The program has tested and verified a viable recycling process and organized a network of partners to address end-of-life (EOL) boats in a responsible and sustainable manner. That pilot program is now being expanded to four additional states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Washington — thanks to a $105,452 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. Over the past two years, the Rhode Island Fiberglass Boat Recycling Program run by RIMTA has recycled more than 60 tons of fiberglass materials using the new process, successfully diverting old boats from landfills. The RIMTA Foundation, which is developing a sustainable financial model for fiberglass boat recycling, will use the NOAA funding to assist Washington and states in the New England region with improving upon and replicating the Rhode Island Fiberglass Boat Recycling Program.
Governments and industries around the world are turning away from fossil fuels and toward green energy, with the aim of zero emissions by 2050 and keeping the global temperature rise below 2°C. To meet this increased demand for zero-emissions propulsion, the already growing trend of electric boats has a new option: hydrogen fuel cells. The 100-foot-long Energy Observer sailing catamaran and the Hynova 40 production power boat (40 feet long) both use Toyota’s Rex H2 fuel cell. Toyota has also installed two fuel cells and eight 700-bar Type IV composite hydrogen tanks into a 40-foot Yanmar EX38A fishing cruiser. Toyota and Yanmar (Osaka, Japan) announced the goal of scaling up and deploying this hydrogen propulsion in larger vessels by 2025.
The MF Hydra, operated by Norled and designed by LMG Marin (Bergen, Norway), is the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered ferry. Photo Credit: Norled, LMG Marin.
Within commercial maritime, the world’s first hydrogen-powered river boat is slated for launch in 2021 in France with a system developed by ABB and Ballard Fuel Cell Systems (Bend, Ore., U.S.), which are also working on fuel cell cruise ships for Royal Caribbean. Meanwhile, Norwegian ferry operator Norled has taken delivery of the 82-meter-long MF Hydra, reportedly the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered ferry, capable of carrying up to 300 passengers and 80 cars. SWITCH Maritime is set to launch the first hydrogen-powered ferry in the U.S. The Sea Change is able to carry up to 75 passengers and will operate in San Francisco Bay. The European Union’s HySeas III project is moving forward to build a hydrogen ferry for transporting 120 passengers and 16 cars or two trucks between Kirkwall and Shapinsay in the north of Scotland, and a Danish-Norwegian project plans to build the world’s largest hydrogen ferry, the Europa Seaways, capable of transporting 1,800 passengers between Copenhagen and Oslo. The ferry will also be able to carry either 380 cars or 120 trucks, with service scheduled to begin by 2027. There are numerous other projects being developed, and more are being introduced, as the hydrogen economy rapidly expands.
Hexagon Composites (Alesund, Norway), a leader in Type IV tank production for storage of compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen gas (H2), spun off Hexagon Purus in January to focus on zero-emission H2 and battery electric systems and storage. It estimates a 630% increase in tank revenues from 2025 to 2030. In June 2021, Hexagon Purus announced it would establish a new subsidiary, Hexagon Purus Maritime. Though Hexagon has been involved in maritime hydrogen programs for some years, “we are now seeing that the maritime requests and activities for hydrogen are rising quickly,” explains Jørn Helge Dahl, sales and marketing director at Hexagon Purus. “Hexagon Purus Maritime will develop onboard storage systems, from the shipside fuel line feeding into the storage and from the storage down to the fuel cell. We think composites are the ideal storage solution for maritime applications, due to the harsh environment, including corrosion.”
Dahl believes the maritime industry will see rapid change in the middle of the decade, with an increased number of projects going live as 2030 approaches. This is driven, he explains, by the targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO, London, U.K.) that all new builds and existing ships must cut CO2 emission compared to the 2008 baseline by 40% in 2030 and 70% in 2050. “In addition, we see actions rising from local jurisdictions,” says Dahl. “For example, there are some World Heritage fjords in Norway requiring zero emissions by 2026. This will exclude the big cruise ships; so, they will have to develop smaller vessels to take people into the fjords. We will see more of these kinds of restrictions in dense river transport areas in Europe. Especially with the UN climate report coming out [recently], I think we have just seen the start, and much more will come in terms of regulations.”
Composites offer cost-effective means to repair, protect and/or strengthen structures made of steel, concrete or other materials.
The structural properties of composite materials are derived primarily from the fiber reinforcement. Fiber types, their manufacture, their uses and the end-market applications in which they find most use are described.
The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here’s a guide to selection.
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