2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Hybrid Hydrogen Vessel Design

Presented at ECCNED Technical Session 3: Renewable Energy Design, Prototyping, and Capstone Learning

The United States Coast Guard regulates maritime vessels, including those equipped with hybrid hydrogen-powered propulsion systems and artificial intelligence (AI). The sponsor for this project is the USCG Marine Safety Center. The goal of this project is to create a small-scale hybrid power vessel that automatically switches between energy sources of hydrogen and batteries using both a traditionally coded algorithm and a machine learning algorithm. Hydrogen-powered vessels often use hybrid energy systems that store energy in batteries alongside hydrogen-generated power. This allows the vessel to draw power from multiple energy sources in different circumstances to most efficiently meet the load demand. Additionally, automatic transitions between energy sources allow for the maximization of efficiency and reduce the demand on the vessel crew. In highly complex systems in which large amounts of data can be collected, artificial intelligence systems show promise in improving efficiency. Therefore, this project will incorporate machine learning algorithms as testing progresses. The operational objectives that support the project goal are the design of a vessel hull, a propulsion system, an electrical power circuit, and an energy management algorithm; the simulation of these systems to verify their effectiveness, the construction of these systems, the integration of these systems into a single vessel, and the incorporation of a machine learning energy management algorithm.

This multidisciplinary project includes 5 students: two mechanical engineering majors to design and manufacture the vessel hull and propulsion system, two electrical engineering majors to design and manufacture the power circuit and algorithm, and a cyber systems major to collect data and design and create a machine learning power management algorithm. The vessel hull will be approximately 4.5 feet in length, 1.5 feet in width, and propelled using a 200-watt brushless motor propeller. The power circuit will supply and store energy via a 200-watt (W) hydrogen Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and two 6-volt, 7-amp-hour batteries. The circuit will be managed using an 8-module relay and an Arduino Mega. The data collected from testing the small-scale vessel with procedural code automation will be used to train the machine learning algorithm.

Authors

Joshua Joshua Golden [biography]

Joshua D. Golden is from Arlington, Virginia, and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, where he first discovered a passion for engineering. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the United States Coast Guard Academy. His academic interests include coding and signal processing with a focus on digital signal processing.
Taylor Anne Lynch United States Coast Guard Academy [biography]

Taylor A. Lynch is an undergraduate student at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Originally from Madison, Indiana, she is preparing to commission as an officer in the United States Coast Guard upon graduation. Her academic interests include engineering design and applied mechanics, with a focus on practical applications in maritime and military contexts.
Charlotte Emerine Waring [biography]

Charlotte E. Waring is an undergraduate student at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She is originally from Metuchen, New Jersey, and is preparing to commission as an officer in the United States Coast Guard upon graduation. Her academic interests include machine design and thermal systems engineering
Victor Parks [biography]

Victor Z. Parks is an undergraduate student at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Systems. He is originally from Williamsburg, Virginia and is preparing to commission as an officer in the United States Coast Guard upon graduation. His academic interests include digital circuitry and software engineering.
Hudson Holden United States Coast Guard Academy [biography]

Hudson D. Holden is an undergraduate student at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, a 100-ton Merchant Mariner license, and a commission as an officer in the United States Coast Guard. He grew up in Southern Maine, where he enjoyed pursuing underwater robotics and kayaking. His academic interests include autonomous vessel systems and greywater processing.
Dr. Tooran Emami Ph. D. United States Coast Guard Academy [biography]

Tooran Emami is a tenured full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University in 2006 and 2009, respectively. Her research focuses on control and power systems, with a particular interest in Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller design, robust control, time delay, compensator design for continuous-time and discrete-time systems, analog and digital filter design, and hybrid power system design.
James Meyers [biography]

James Meyers is an Electrical Engineering officer and instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Cyber Systems at the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from USCGA in 2015 and received an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Power Systems) from Northeastern University. His graduate research in field robotics focused on autonomous aerial, surface, and subsurface systems, and his thesis, “Towards a COLREGS-Compliant Autonomous Surface Vessel,” involved development and testing using the WHOI Jetyak at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and on the Charles River. His work also included deployment aboard the USCGC HEALY in support of the British Antarctic Survey. Following graduate school, he served at the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center (MSC) as an Electrical Staff Engineer and later as Electrical Branch Chief, where he reviewed electrical and control system designs for commercial vessels, including power distribution, complex automation systems, and emerging technologies such as lithium-ion energy storage, hydrogen powered vessels, liquefied natural gas propulsion, and autonomous rocket retrieval platforms. His current teaching and research interests include robotics, autonomy, artificial intelligence, and alternative energy systems.

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