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Re:Maersk installed 100-foot-tall rotating sails on one of i... by wenc on Friday August 31, 2018 @01:30PM (#17887364)
I wonder: do sails alone generate enough power to move today's massive container ships? Or would the ships need to be smaller?
Re:Maersk installed 100-foot-tall rotating sails on one of i... by dscpls on Friday August 31, 2018 @01:46PM (#17887499)
There's no question sails can move today's cargo volume. But the shape of the ships doesn't lend itself to sail power. I think these sails are specific to supporting other power. And the shape of today's ships is very much towards fitting more cargo. I think you'd need at least slightly bigger ships that are efficient for sail power alone, and able to carry similar cargo volume or mass.
Re:Maersk installed 100-foot-tall rotating sails on one of i... by dzhiurgis on Friday August 31, 2018 @04:50PM (#17888552)
I think such rotating sails could be almost called 'solid state' - basically zero hassle compared to a traditional canvas where there is always person on lookout, trim before wind picked up, make sure rigging is maintained, etc. That said these probably produce way less power.
Re:Maersk installed 100-foot-tall rotating sails on one of i... by jhayward on Sunday September 02, 2018 @04:30PM (#17898486)
Rotating sails and wind turbines have historically been extremely high maintenance due to the forces the long moment arm puts on the rotational coupling at the base.