Autonomous Boat Electrical Systems Design and Analysis

Under the supervision of the Murray State School of Engineering, and in collaboration with the Murray State University Biology department, the team I am working on is tasked with designing a boat capable of being completely autonomous while on the waters of Kentucky Lake. This boat must be able to move from point A to B without an operator, and must also be capable of avoiding any objects in the water. We have designed our boat in a way that meets all of these demands, and provides room for future expandability. The electrical system is designed to keep the boat in operation for 8 or more hours, and required extensive analysis to create a stable system capable of powering the trolling motor used for propulsion, the navigation lights, and the lidar system used for object avoidance. This electrical system includes two circuits, a motor circuit and an electronics circuit, to optimize the amount of time the trolling motor can be in operation, as well as a solar panel array to extend the length of time the boat is able to be on the water through the charging of the batteries powering the motor circuit. Proper measures were followed to ensure the circuits are NEC compliant, as well as safe for operation and maintenance. This watercraft will be completed in the spring semester of 2022, and should meet all requirements stated