Title: Performance Evaluation of a Battery-Electric Propulsion System of a Locally Fabricated Small Boat
Authors: Robert Poku, Ernest Appresai, Favour Chinomso Onyia, Emmanuel Malachi Daniel, Abraham Mugan Warri, Hope Love Roya, & Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 20-25
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
The increasing environmental impacts associated with conventional propulsion systems utilizing fuel-based energy sources have created the need for cleaner and more sustainable alternatives for small boats. This research presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of a battery-electric propulsion system for a small wooden boat intended for inland waterway applications. Materials used for the boat fabrication were sourced locally. The propulsion system comprised a 60W AC motor, powered by a 12 V, 90 Ah sealed lead-acid battery through a 500 W inverter and capacitor arrangement. The design was validated in a river in order to assess the performance, battery discharge behavior, power consumption, stability, and operational characteristics. The results showed that the boat achieved a steady speed of approximately 5.5-5.6 knots with only a small fraction of the available battery energy. The findings demonstrate that battery-electric propulsion is technically feasible for small boats operating at low speeds and offers significant advantages in terms of environmental sustainability, noise reduction, and operational simplicity.