Integration of Wind Propulsion in an Electric ASV

This paper describes the steps taken to integrate wind propulsion in the Zarco ASV, a small size electric powered catamaran. In terms of hardware, the original structure of the vehicle has been enlarged to accommodate one or more sails, and the proper interfaces have been included to allow measurement of wind speed and direction and independent sail actuation. The sails are lightweight rigid wings assembled from a core of balsa wood, reinforced with aluminum and epoxy. Each sail angle can be controlled by a servo, commanded by the main CPU and taking into account the wind speed and direction, as well as the lift and drag curves of the wing sails, according to some predefined control strategy.