Chase Zero, the revolutionary, hydrogen-powered, America’s Cup foiling chase boat from Emirates Team New Zealand, is now undergoing sea trials in Auckland. The 33-foot catamaran tops out at about 50 knots and has a range of 100 nm with six people on board, a typical distance for a chase boat’s working day.
A prototype, Chase Zero was developed in less than a year after the Emirates New Zealand team announced plans for a chase boat with zero carbon emissions. Emirates New Zealand is the defending America’s Cup champion, so it gets to set the protocol for the next races, scheduled for 2024 in Barcelona. As a result, each team competing for the Cup has to build at least two hydrogen fuel cell chase boats for the races leading up to the Cup itself.
Chase Zero is powered by two 80kW Toyota hydrogen cells. It has four hydrogen fuel tanks made from a plastic liner and wrapped in carbon fiber for strength, two in each hull. Hydrogen gas goes through a catalyst that strips electrons away from the H2 molecules. Electricity then is either stored in the boat’s two 42kWh batteries or fed directly to two 220kW electric motors to drive it.
The boat cruises at about 30 knots with power generated from the fuel cells, but it needs the batteries for short bursts of higher speeds. The fuel cells then work to recharge the batteries. It has no carbon emissions, with basically water vapor coming out of the exhaust.
“This project is all about proving how we can influence the global marine industry by producing a prototype hydrogen-powered, foiling catamaran,” said Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO. “We have no doubt that there will be a lot of entities and organizations that will be watching and thinking how the technology can be adapted to their specific use.” Read more at https://emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com/en/news/549_EMIRATES-TEAM-NEW-ZEALAND-TAKE-FLIGHT-IN-HYDROGEN-POWERED-FOILING-CHASE-BOAT.html and see the video below:
