Posted on 12/17/2021 11:51:10 AM PST by Red Badger
Airseas has fitted its first automated sail to an Airbus-chartered cargo ship, promising impressive efficiency and emissions gainsAirseas VIEW 3 IMAGES
French company Airseas has installed its first half-size automated Seawing kite to a cargo ship chartered by Airbus, and will commence six months of trials in January. The full-size kite is estimated to save up to 20 percent of fuel burn and emissions.
The US$30-million, 154-meter (505-ft) Ville de Bordeaux, owned and operated by Louis Dreyfus, is currently on a long-term lease to Airbus, which uses it to move large aircraft structures between its distributed manufacturing plants around Europe and its final assembly plant in Toulouse.
Now, it's been fitted with a 500-square-meter (5,400-sq-ft) parafoil kite, plus all the deck and bridge equipment required to run the Seawing system. The Seawing deploys automatically, first emerging from storage on a trolley, then raising up from the deck on a mast to catch the wind, and finally being released on a long cable to grab the steady, strong winds over about 200 m (656 ft) above sea level.
At this point, it begins a figure-eight trajectory at a speed over 100 km/h (62 mph), monitored and controlled by an automated system running on the ship that's programmed to place the kite for maximum traction power. The Seawing computers also interface with the ship's navigation systems, monitoring forward wind conditions and re-routing the ship to take the most efficient path possible without affecting its arrival time.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
250 shreds...........................
What’s old is new again, with a modern twist. Why not? This is some sane “renewable” power technology that I can support.
Yep... still most states respect human and natural powered vessels. Here in AZ you do not have to register any human or wind powered water vessels. :)
Question is does the other shore in the other state respect that interstate rule? They purposely hide that particular detail... It is apparently up to the “Officer’s Discretion”. It is not set in stone with interstate maritime codified language.
wow!
Q: What did socialists use for seagoing vessels before sailing ships?
A: Steam-turbine ships.
Right out of Popular Mechanics Magazine circa 1977
I call feldercarb.
“Makes you wonder how ships sailed prior to cotton...”
The Egyptians were using linen in 3000BC and animal hides before that.
https://snr.org.uk/sails-made/
The efficiency in wind & solar were wildly overestimated so we’ll see how this works out.
Should be able to turn on a dime.
Expect more US Navy Captains to run into other ships once the Navy installs sails on their frigates.
You say “As a Sailor, cargo ships generally don’t care who else is out on the ocean”.
OK Popeye, did you get your Captain’s hat at the marina gift shop? Comments like that tell me you have no idea what you are talking about.
You say “As a Sailor, cargo ships generally don’t care who else is out on the ocean”.
OK Popeye, did you get your Captain’s hat at the marina gift shop? Comments like that tell me you have no idea what you are talking about.
—————-
EngineDead -
I’ll admit I’ve never been on a cargo ship … but, in the middle of the Atlantic, under sail, hailing larger vessels by radio as it/they approached and occupied my stern to ascertain their Captain’s intentions with no material reply or any courtesy response … I was/am left with the first hand impression that they didn’t care who else was out on the ocean. This does not require your unsolicited approval or validation. If the Captains or crew I hailed had a bum attitude like yours, I was probably better off with their silence anyway.
No Worries.. The wind blows all day, and all night, whenever it is needed. Oil and gas will no longer be needed since the wind is permanent. Wait... My Chrystal Ball indicates that there is such a thing called Peak Wind. There is a newly discovered AlGorithm that once enough ships are all using kites at the same time, the total wind power generation will reach Peak Wind, and more trees will be necessary to increase the overall Peakness. The upper levels of Peakness are not yet known, so more and more people will have to send AlGore more money. While any funds directed to AlGore will not be tax deductible, it will make the donor feeeeeeel better.
I’ve been on cargo ships that have stopped to rendered aid to fishermen and refugees. I was also on a ship once that deviated to give aid to a sailboat that was thought to be in trouble. It turns out their EPRIB fell out of the bracket and was being dragged behind the boat. The people in the boat had no clue. No situational awareness. A lot of time, effort and money spent considering cargo ships “generally don’t care about who else is on the oceans”. I didn’t develop the opinion that “in general” all people on sailboats are self-centered idiots that think they need to discuss the rules of the road in the middle of the Atlantic. I certainly don’t go making general comments denigrating pagans worshiping the Venti.
But I guess your feelings were hurt and your inner Henry Richard Dana, Jr has a need to lash out at an entire industry. Brilliant.
I accept your perspective even though you seem to be the one with hurt feelings. My opinion is based on my experience and observations, but I have not seen it all, and I am open to additional information. To the extent that you think I’m incorrect, I apologize to you. I have seen some yachtsmen do some incredibly stupid stuff. Thank you for being on station to help the ones you have come across to recover.
I don’t comment much about pagans and their venti, but I’m certain your forbearance on the topic is appreciated by many.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.