4 ms·
What are the reasonable size limits of this tech? Does it have positive or negative economics of scaling (does hydrofoiling on bigger electric ships get cheape
by kristofferR 3y ago
What are the reasonable size limits of this tech?
Does it have positive or negative economics of scaling (does hydrofoiling on bigger electric ships get cheaper or more expensive per weight unit), or is there a ship size limit where the equation flips?
- lstodd 3y agoI think it's not possible to fit enough batteries by weight to scale this. Consider the Voskhod boat which at 28 tons and 60 km/h has to have ~800kW engine. To have any useful range the battery mass and charge time would be prohibitive. Turbodiesel and/or gas turbine work just fine though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voskhod_(hydrofoil) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voskhod_(hydrofoil)
- smileysteve 3y agoAs length increases so do the support/balancing requirements between multiple foils (front vs rear); As weight increases, lift may want to be increased to keep a low liftoff speed. As lift increases, speed and maneuverability decrease.