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A comment on Launch HN: OutSail (YC W23) – Wingsails to reduce cargo ship fuel consumption. Parent comment

Re:Launch HN: OutSail (YC W23) – Wingsails to reduce cargo s... by sourcecodeplz on Monday April 03, 2023 @10:15PM (#35434115)
It's never gonna work for a multitude of reasons like you said. Usually I'm not pessimistic but this really seems like: we have an idea, make a video, post it on a site, ask questions later.
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Re:Launch HN: OutSail (YC W23) – Wingsails to reduce cargo s... by stevage on Tuesday April 04, 2023 @01:33AM (#35435498)
It probably won't succeed, because most startups don't succeed.
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Re:Launch HN: OutSail (YC W23) – Wingsails to reduce cargo s... by leghifla on Tuesday April 04, 2023 @01:58AM (#35435670)
It won't succeed because of physics/math.

They claim a save of 400kW per sail, with a boat cruising at 22kts. Let's do some math:

- 400kW is 400e6 J/s, or 400e6 N.m/s

- 22kts is 11.31m/s

So the forward force must be 400e6/11.31 = 3.5e7N, so around 3500 metric tons of force for a single sail. And with a relative wind coming from the front usually, this means the side force will be much bigger than that.

I am calling this BS

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Re:Launch HN: OutSail (YC W23) – Wingsails to reduce cargo s... by theflyingpigeon on Tuesday April 04, 2023 @10:09PM (#35448397)
Exactly my point. Not to mention transferring that load to the body of the vessel, which has a structure made to withstand loads in specific points. A container stacked on top of other containers for sure isn’t able to sustain such forces lol not even if it’s well latched. It’s just too much force. Also the ship is hollow, there are like 5 rows of containers below deck, so the deck itself is not very strong except for some points that have the mechanism for the ropes.
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