Palaemon Water Travel Solutions

Palaemon is an economical and clean alternative water transport vessel made of residual plastic and powered by hydro fuel technology.

Palaemon Water Travel Solutions is an endeavor to change the way the world transports things on water. Conventional water transport vessels use Heavy Fuel Oil as marine fuel which is highly concentrated in sulfur (35,000 parts per million). According to statistical data, global shipping accounts for about 8% of global emissions of sulfur dioxide emissions . This highly acidic substance makes water transportation a major contributor in acid rain and respiratory diseases and also harms aquatic life. Moreover, the rising oil prices lead to soaring shipping costs which further lead to the rise in the prices of basic commodities. In India, this rise has also left a huge impact on the operating costs of fishermen and so the sea-food industry. In a country with about 14,500 km of navigable waterways where about 55 million tonnes of cargo are being moved annually by Inland Water Transport (IWT), our aim is to make water transport economical and environmentally friendly. Being in its developmental phase, our prototype is centered around transportation in fresh water systems including but not exclusive to lakes, ponds, rivers and fisheries. 

As per reports by the Ministry of Environment, India generates about  3.6 lakh million tonnes of plastic waste only 50% of which is recycled. Thus, our plan is to use plastic waste prefabricated as a boat and powered by a hydro fuel cell.

Besides, it also helps the aquaculture and pisciculture industry to create new practices and develop new techniques to make their industry more prosperous. Inland fisheries and aquaculture have increased in absolute terms, their potential has not been fully realized. The 191,024 km of rivers and canals, 1.2 million ha of floodplain lakes, 2.36 million ha of ponds and tanks, 3.54 million ha of reservoirs, and 1.24 million ha of brackish water resources—vast, underutilized resources—offer excellent opportunities for increased production, creation of livelihoods, and emergence of economic prosperity.

This solution is also geared to coincide with several SDGs and thus is to be regarded as a solution that can be implemented across the world and not just in India.

We are going to be using a boat made up of recycled plastic waste to make it light, corrosion-resistant and environmentally conscious. Using that as a base, we are fitting the boat with a hydrogen fuel cell powered by water mixed with hydroxy blend chemical to enhance performance. This enables us to essentially travel on water using water. Also, the underside of the boat will be fitted with paddles to utilize the undercurrents of the water to its fullest potential.

The fundamentals of the hydrogen fuel cell are fairly simple. Using the principle of electrolysis we will be passing an electric current through the water solution mixed with hydroxy blend chemical to separate hydrogen and oxygen from the water. After separation, the 2 elemental ions are mixed and ignited to produce energy to propel the vessel. The motion of the vessel will create undercurrents in the water that will churn the propellers thereby producing more energy from a single process.

The base technology is several hundred years old but the practical usage of the same is fairly recent. The combustion of the 2 elements is essentially the purest form of energy. Hydrogen and Oxygen when combined produce a lot of energy and water as a byproduct. Since there are no other elements mixed in, there are no harmful oxides of carbon or sulfur produced.

The underside paddles are connected to a dynamo that will produce energy for every rotation caused due to the motion. That energy is stored in a battery to allow for emergency usage and initial ignition of the system.

Our solution is catered for freshwater fishermen and others who are accustomed to use fresh water sources for varied purposes. Our solution will make water transport faster, cheaper and more ecologically friendly. It will reduce the price of all ancillary services provided by the water transport system. 

Our team comprises a diverse set of youngsters who are passionate about solving the pressing problems of the world through the lens of true servant leaders. Our six member team consists of individuals with varied skill sets. From economics and finance to business and computer science - our team members hold expertise in diverse fields. Having worked on projects related to sustainability and climate change for which he earned the title of ‘UNESCO Young Earth Champion’, Yashesswin provided the team with great insight. A STEM and business student, Sriram is passionate about environment and sustainability. He has worked on several projects related to recycling plastics, usage of hydrocarbon fuel and holds great expertise in the domain of the core technology of our solution.

Vani, a high school student, is passionate about STEM and sustainability. She has worked on several projects related to renewable energy in the New York Academy of Sciences. Her expertise also lies with plastic packaging for which she went on to win the second prize in the ‘BIEA STEM Youth Innovation Contest’. Being Computer Science and Mechanical engineering students, Prem, Swetha and Manish have played a pivotal role in understanding the mechanism of a moving vessel in water and determining the feasibility of the vessel’s structure. Overall, we have faith in our team’s ability to address this problem.

We have done our research in the regions where freshwater farming and transport are prevalent. Our research is still ongoing with plans to engage alongside grassroot organizations working in and for the industry to better understand problems and help implement the solution for the same. Our team has members who have worked with the community in the past and so are uniquely adapted to help design and develop the solution.

Our solution is a unique integration of several innovative processes and products. Our solution is a significant improvement to all existing solutions as it solves many issues as opposed to other products and services which focus on solving one particular issue at a time. This solution has the potential to transform the way we view water transport systems and bring in change in aquaculture and pisciculture sectors. This cheaper system will allow for price reduction in several goods and services thereby making our domestic economy flourish. 

In the next one year we plan to finish our design construction and initial testing. The first 6 months will be dedicated to boat design optimisation using aerodynamic principles, the next 3 will be devoted to testing the hydrolytic energy system. And finally the last 3 months are devoted to final installation and testing.

For year 2, we will be focusing on testing and trying out the product on larger water bodies and compiling data for future usage, before product testing in market pilots and final market entry.

• Electrolytic cell is the key theory used in our project. It is what converts water into its base components of hydrogen and oxygen gas, enabling the motor of the boat to work.

• Hydroelectric energy is the energy derived from the force of water propelling a paddle to produce electricity.

• Hydrokinetic turbine designs are used to maximize the energy conversion that happens in the underbody of the boat.

• Energy conversion theory is what enables the hydrokinetic turbine attached in the underbody of the boat to convert the rotational energy of the turbine to electrical energy.

• Plastic re-fabrication systems are used to convert old plastic waste into plastic sheets and plastic screws using Injection Moulding and Sheet Press Moulding.

• Aerodynamic systems are used to create an optimal design for the boat while also incorporating the various innovations discussed.

As of today our product is still in the ideation stage. Over the next year through our pilot we plan to impact around 50 families, and over the next 3 years we are expecting our product to impact over 1000 families.

Our barriers at the moment are financial and technical. Being a team composed entirely of students our technical knowledge is still nascent and mentoring would play a key role in developing it. Our finances are also not in the best place. Fortunately our design is such that it can be produced and replicated using old materials and spare parts that are generally discarded by others. That makes our product extremely sustainable.

We have not partnered with any organization as of yet. However, we plan to reach out to the department of fisheries, Government of India. Since our team mates belong to coastal areas, our aim is to connect with associations of fishermen at the grassroot level. To further our project, we aim to contact maritime institutes to test the feasibility of our project in sea. Along with this, we will also reach to travel agencies and lake administration centres in tourist spots in India.

Our business model is focused around the sale of products primarily to freshwater fishermen, operators of aquaculture ponds, inland water transport service providers and recreational water sport enthusiasts. Our products do not require much maintenance since all components are made of refurbished plastic waste. For a continued revenue stream we will be relying on the sale of hydroxy blend which is an essential chemical for the system to function at optimum capacity. We are in the process of developing our own special hydroxy blend which will optimize the electrolytic process.

Our model is a low-cost product innovation, by the lieu of its locally-sourced and recycled raw materials, and we expect fixed costs to be financed by grants and microfinance corporations, since we prioritize a local-driven production approach, sourcing labour from sites closer to the market. This initial grant from incubators/accelerators/impact enterprises will help us cover the upfront expenses for the model, while our revenue stream from providing services through the solution and sale of hydroxy will help us break-even with any recurring costs of maintenance associated with the model. An option we are also considering is signing contracts with government bodies to provide essential services to users, and build a revenue sharing model for the same.