5 ms·
If only there were a way to power a cargo ship with a renewable such as wind... /s In all seriousness, I don't think the market would bear how slowly cargo mov
by i_am_proteus 7y ago
If only there were a way to power a cargo ship with a renewable such as wind... /s
In all seriousness, I don't think the market would bear how slowly cargo moves under sail.
There is an extant design, a decade old now, to add a kite to merchant ships to reduce fuel consumption when steaming downwind. It reportedly works, but hasn't been adopted much past the prototype, MS Beluga Skysails.[0]
[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Beluga_Skysails https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Beluga_Skysails
- uncoder0 7y agoAren't some containers refrigerated for meats and other perishables? I would think if that were the case any increase in journey time might be offset by the increased fuel required to cool anything that needed to be climate controlled. As it stands the electricity to cool a container ship is mostly free due to the giant motor you're already running to turn the prop.
- i_am_proteus 7y agoReefer is not free, all loads on the motor burn fuel.
- misterprime 7y agoI think the parent to your reply understood that. Restated: If there is a slower transport method that emits less carbon, wouldn't that carbon emission reduction be overtaken by the increased load required to run temperature controlled containers?
- uncoder0 7y agoThanks for rephrasing. I wasn't fully awake when I commented.
- Scoundreller 7y agoWe could vastly decrease the refrigeration required before spoilage if we embraced food irradiation. But we choose not to.
- chewz 7y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship
- misterprime 7y agoThis is awesome. Takes up some valuable container space though, doesn't it?
- NullPrefix 7y agoRegular fuel has volume too.
- A2017U1 7y agoPerhaps closer to OP's vision: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkySails https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkySails
- m463 7y agoOr maybe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion
- 8bitsrule 7y agoThe market will inevitably be forced to bear many slowdowns. Reverting shipping to wind is logical. It could start with the cargos that consist of garbage and e-waste.