The Stevens Institute of Technology rookie team had a very successful run at the Solar Splash Boat Competition. The solar boat team took home several trophies in their debut using a hull powered by Elco Electric Propulsion.
On June 11, 2017 Spenser Swanton, Austin Swain and Mason Reimer raced Stevens first ever solar boat in the intercollegiate Solar Splash competition in Dayton, Ohio. They won first place for Outstanding Hull Design, first place for Outstanding Drive Train Design and third place for Outstanding Technical Report.
The Team’s Boat was Powered by an Elco Electric Outboard Motor charged with Solar!!!
Swanton and Swain were naval engineering seniors at Stevens Institute of Technology. They’ve graduated now, but built their entire senior year around this project. “Most naval engineering projects end up being computer design related rather than anything you actually build—mostly because it costs so much,” Swanton explained. “We wanted to build something we could interact with.” Advisor Michael DeLorme suggested Solar Splash, and they recruited mutual friend Mason Riemer, as well as Brad Applegate, Leo Wortman, Jesse Squier and Christina DiGiacomo—all of whom were mechanical engineering students—to help them. Then the team got to work building a competition-ready boat.
Thankfully, all that hard work and support paid off during the competition. While only Swanton, Swain and Reimer were able to go to the competition, the team designed their systems to be “simple enough for only three people to operate in 30 to 45 minutes, which was a lot faster than any of the other teams there,” Swanton explained. That smart bit of planning allowed them “to relax within the time constraints.”
- 4th Place Overall
- 3rd Place Outstanding Technical Report
- 3rd Place Solar Slalom
- 1st Place Outstanding Hull Design
- 1st Place Outstanding Drive Train Design
See the Full story on the Stevens Institute of Technology Website
