Surf's Up: Designing and Manufacturing an Electric Foil-Board

Abstract

Electric foil-boards (EFoils) are a very recent development in the market of water sports that incorporate a hydrofoil lifting surface, a surfboard, and a propulsion system to provide a new experience for thrill seekers alike. An EFoil transfers electrical energy into mechanical power as seen in thrust to propel, and inherently lift, the board and rider across the water. Excitement around self-propelled boards stem from its ability to incorporate the classic riding thrills of a hydrofoil surfboard while making the user's experience independent of another human, weather, waves, or other limiting factors. The crux of the problem throughout water sports has almost always remained in uncertainty. Uncertainty in the sense that the user's experience has always been dependent on the uncontrollable. The aim of this project was to solve this issue by designing and manufacturing an EFoil at a third of the cost at which they are currently sold. The report communicates the creative nature of the project with focus on the design and fabrication space; both hold equal importance to the scope of the thesis. The report further breaks down the four critical components (the board, the hydrofoil, the propulsion unit, and the electronics) by not only placing focus on understanding each "part" but also understanding how it interacts with the "whole". The final design configuration couples theory with simplicity, elegance, and robustness to eventually reach a physical electric foil-board. Due to the constraints of Covid-19, testing at the capacity desired has not yet been carried out, but confidence remains in the created EFoil's ability to lift and propel a rider across a lake, ocean, or other body of water.