CCG chooses DIAB foam for USV

The autonomous drone was designed and engineered by a diverse team of specialists, including Ocius Technology, One-2-Three Naval Architects and Composites Consulting Group (CCG). Drawing upon decades of experience with solar assisted sailing vessels, Ocius developed the Bluebottle Stinger to provide continuous unmanned surveillance of ocean waters. The USV can harvest energy from the sun via solar panels, from wind via a rigid wing sail, and from waves via a unique rudder that generates forward motion from vertical wave forces. The result is a vessel that is completely autonomous and can maintain an average speed of around 4 knots whilst carrying a payload in excess of 100kg.

Designed to automatically deploy a sonar array, the USV can monitor sub-surface traffic while also capturing video images from above the surface. Working with a fleet of other USV’s, vast expanses of ocean can be monitored by a minimum of personnel who are only required to do periodic maintenance. The resulting benefits in terms of cost for service are obvious.

To create a vessel that operates efficiently it was important to reduce vessel weight, but also to maintain the required durability to survive in all conditions at sea. To meet these challenges, CCG chose DIAB’s HM80 IPN foam for the hull and keel shell, and Matrix 7-7 for the deck shell and removable hatch.

Designed by Australian CCG engineers to ISO 12215 Category A, the structures were constructed by Australian builder Steber International of hand-consolidated vinylester resin with e-glass reinforcements. For the prototype hull and keel shells, sheets of grid scored foam were temporarily attached to male forms creating the shape. The outer skins and reinforcements were applied and the shells removed from their moulds. The inner skins were then applied, creating a final, rigid shell.

The wing sail was built using non-structural EPS foam as a former attached to a hollow carbon mast tube. To create support structure for the former, horizontal ribs made from Matrix 7-7 foam were let into the EPS every 550mm. These ribs allowed for a positive structural attachment to the mast and light carbon skin reinforcements.

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