4 ms·
Ships, out of all modes of transportation, could use the wind to really reduce the fuel consumption. Giant kites that are fully automatic should be able to drag
by imaginenore 10y ago
Ships, out of all modes of transportation, could use the wind to really reduce the fuel consumption. Giant kites that are fully automatic should be able to drag even the largest ships.
- qbrass 10y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Beluga_Skysails https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Beluga_Skysails
- rosser 10y agoI actually posted another comment, previously in this story's discussion, mentioning high-altitude kite propelled container ships. You'd probably still need to burn something (or somehow otherwise) turn screws for maneuvering and propulsion in coastal waters, but that's a small fraction of the fuel burned each crossing.
- nradov 10y agoNo even with kite propulsion cargo ships will still need to run the main engine constantly. Wind just isn't strong enough to push a huge ship through the water a reasonable speed using a relatively small kite. See the other link in the sibling post; total fuel consumption with a kite is only 5% lower. http://www.skysails.info/english/skysails-marine/skysails-propulsion-for-cargo-ships/advantages/ http://www.skysails.info/english/skysails-marine/skysails-pr...
- imaginenore 10y agoWith one specific kite. Nothing stops you from adding multiple kites, and larger ones too.
- nradov 10y agoThere are practical limits to kite size in order to keep them controllable. And where would you put multiple kites? Deck space is at a premium and they won't sacrifice cargo capacity.
- rosser 10y agoCurrently, yes. Currently, aeons-decomposed dinosaurs are still plentiful enough that we're profligately burning them, at our own peril, too. Both of those things will change.