Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel
Encyclopedia
The Piranha Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV or unmanned surface vehicle
) is a watercraft developed by Zyvex Marine
(a division of Zyvex Technologies, formerly Zyvex Performance Materials) in 2010. The boat is 54’ in length and weighs just 8,000 lbs. The Piranha is the first USV to utilize a lightweight carbon-nanotube enhanced composite material called Arovex, which allows the watercraft to weigh "significantly less" than any other USV.
The weight advantage from Arovex gives the Piranha a Payload
capacity of 15,000 lbs and a range of over 2,500 miles. Additionally, the carbon-nanotubes actually provide a strength increase of 20-50% over traditional materials. With those characteristics, the Piranha is expected to be sold as a possible tool for anti-piracy, search and rescue, submarine hunting, and harbor patrol.
The first Piranha began construction in February 2010 with an anticipated completion date of summer 2010. The Piranha is conducting sea trials near Seattle's Puget Sound during the months of October and November 2010.
The Piranha concluded approximately 6 months and 600 nautical miles of sea trials in Washington state and Oregon state on April 4, 2011.
Unmanned surface vehicle
The term unmanned surface vehicle or autonomous surface vehicle refers to any vehicle that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs have been tested since World War II but have been largely overshadowed. This is due to the fact the USVs, such as the OWL Mk II surveillance drone,...
) is a watercraft developed by Zyvex Marine
Zyvex Marine
Zyvex Marine is a division of Zyvex Technologies, a molecular engineering company. Zyvex Marine develops boats that use Zyvex Technologies' proprietary nanomaterials.-History:...
(a division of Zyvex Technologies, formerly Zyvex Performance Materials) in 2010. The boat is 54’ in length and weighs just 8,000 lbs. The Piranha is the first USV to utilize a lightweight carbon-nanotube enhanced composite material called Arovex, which allows the watercraft to weigh "significantly less" than any other USV.
The weight advantage from Arovex gives the Piranha a Payload
Payload
In military aircraft or space exploration, the payload is the carrying capacity of an aircraft or space ship, including cargo, munitions, scientific instruments or experiments. External fuel, when optionally carried, is also considered part of the payload....
capacity of 15,000 lbs and a range of over 2,500 miles. Additionally, the carbon-nanotubes actually provide a strength increase of 20-50% over traditional materials. With those characteristics, the Piranha is expected to be sold as a possible tool for anti-piracy, search and rescue, submarine hunting, and harbor patrol.
The first Piranha began construction in February 2010 with an anticipated completion date of summer 2010. The Piranha is conducting sea trials near Seattle's Puget Sound during the months of October and November 2010.
The Piranha concluded approximately 6 months and 600 nautical miles of sea trials in Washington state and Oregon state on April 4, 2011.