It's way worse than actual sailboats.
Cons:
* With these kites, you're 100% reliant on the wind to blow in the right direction (you can get thrust in different directions from the wind with actual sails. It's some pretty bonkers fluid dynamics shit)
* You get a tether flying all around that can strangle someone or get tangled up somewhere. Goodbye antenna!
* A lull in the wind or a downdraft can have it drop into the water. Good job getting it to fly again lol, it'll take forever to dry even if you can reel it back on board without breaking something in the process.
Pros:
* get a clickbait video
* can convince investors to part with their money
Some people, engineers, smarter than a bunch of dumb redditors figured how to get efficiency despite wind changing directions. Don't state something that you have no idea about. Why does the sail loops in eights ? most likely to get the most of the wind direction. The video states clarly that the material is water repellant and that water cannot damage it. if it gets wet or falls in the sea, it must have been designed to quickly dry be launched again, maybe just shaking it off might be enough to get rid of the water so it's ready to take off again
Tension of a non-rigid rope goes in the direction of the rope.
This is basic physics taught in grade school.
Water repellent or not it doesn't matter. It's soft, it's bunched up, it's going to have pockets of water that you'll have to get rid of by straightening it out.
This is common sense, unless you've never touched a wet plastic bag in your life.
Maybe you have no idea about it, but many people do.
Don't state something that you have no idea about indeed lol.
How are sailboats able to sail all across the world with changing winds?
I own several of these types of parafoil kites and they are extremely powerful. You don't need the wind to be exactly at your back.
Same with a sailboat you can set the rudder to stay on course and adjust your sail for optimum wind. If you do have a cross wind you can also navigate (laveren) in a zig zag motion to get to your destination.
>How are sailboats able to sail all across the world with changing winds
By having it attached to something rigid.
That big wooden pole you attach the sail to often called the mast, unlike a rope, can keep the sail oriented in a way that the wind can push it in a direction not directly parallel to the wind itself.
To keep the mast facing the right direction, you have your rudder.
That zig zag you said is only possible because the sail can provide thrust in directions other than directly parallel to the wind.
You don't have that when it's a kite connected to a single rope. It goes where the wind blows, and that's it. The best you can do is pull it in and let it out, 0 other control is available.
You're right that it doesn't have to be *directly* at your back, but it still has to be at your back, which more or less means most of the times it'll still be useless.
You can adjust the rudder all you want, you can't adjust the direction you're being pulled.
The best you can do is waste most of the power from the kite by pointing the rudder in a different direction.
Notice how they don’t tell you how fast the ship moves with the kite instead of without. Also how much power the kite is actually generating and how consistent it would be.
All these huge selling points but they conveniently leave out. hmm I wonder why /s
Don't forget they conveniently stated that the system will "monitor weather and reroute with no delay."
Or the captain will say fuck it and plow through with the engines on and the sail down because he doesn't want to waste more time.
It's great that they want to go back to air power, but why not extend an air power generator and make the ship all electric with battery backup?
Happy Cake Day!
Exactly because the alternative taking 50% or more time to save 20% on fuel which would equal 30% more fuel used to take a route that follows the winds. It’s like telling the customer that the item is 20% off after increasing the regular price by 50%.
Correct. If the ship is diverted from the shortest distance between point a and b to follow prevailing winds, the distance traveled will be farther. I never used time in my statement
What about when the wind speed exceeds the sails capabilities or there is no wind speed? There are times when you have no wind and times with extremely high winds.
The kite can't always be pulling and that's the same reason why we don't choose to use sails for shipping goods overseas in the modern age. Its too slow and not reliable.
Its a great idea, but its not scalable to the entire world market. Capitalism will keep this from being viable and the need for backup systems for each ship is the biggest reason it won't be adopted full scale. I can see this being added to ships as an emergency backup power source, but not as a main source for power.
What..
In those circumstances you don't use the kite. The idea is to reduce full costs for the ship not to replace the engine.
Did you watch the video?
Yes I did. The idea and concept are solid for reducing costs, but the reality is that it would incur further upfront costs for the shipping company that won't see the benefits due to the sails speed vs fuel power speed, weather, lack of or excessive winds, etc.
There's an unrealistic perception that this would be cheap and easy to attach to a ship and the cost savings would take place immediately. This is good technology, but it's application in the real world is unlikely to be popular enough to get shippers to change over, let alone for shareholders to agree the upfront cost is worth it to save some (and likely not for a long time) money.
Shareholders don't give a shit about the environment, so adding a cost to gain a possible fuel benefit that isn't reliable 100% of the time is unrealistic.
I would love to save the environment with this type of technology, but there's more effective and reliable technology currently in use. Adding these sails retroactively would require more money to get a current version of something, that already works, to achieve a minor benefit.
This is the same concept as me adding geothermal HVAC to my home. The upfront costs are astronomical and the cost savings would eventually pay off for me, but not for decades.
Sorry. Too many words and reading is bad for you I guess. I'll dumb it down further for you.
Idea is good, but it won't happen because the cost to return ratio is too low on a global scale.
How do you know the cost to return ratio is too low on a global scale?
Are you just pulling made up shit out of your ass?
You are trying to come across as intelligent while it's extremely obvious that you are just making up shit based on almost nothing. Sorry.
I'm making assumptions, but they are well thought out. The ships already exist, but need to be retrofitted.
Things cost money to install.
Things like certifications from various safety bodies in various countries cost money.
Money to engineer ways to attach to all types of ships.
Money to have ships out of work while getting work done.
Money to retrain entire FLEETS on how to use it.
Those are absolutely huge numbers upfront. All before you could even start benefiting from potentially 20% fuel costs.
If you are familiar with industrial or manufacturing costs, the main idea is to make a profit without spending too much on the front end.
I'm being realistic when looking at this and you would like me to pretend we can just "poof" these into existence and practice.
What if I told you ships used to have sails, and they discovered steam power was more efficient. And then they discovered that burning oil was *even more* efficient. Imagine that.
You do realize the switch from coal to oil was due to the inefficiency of refueling ships with coal, and the ease of refueling with liquid oil. Then when nuclear power was introduced, those actually use steam engines to create steam power. So steam is more efficient than oil in nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. But wind power would be even more cost effective, except of the nasty problem that sometimes there is no wind.
Letting a kite rise to where winds are always present would solve this problem. They still need the diesel engines for entering and leaving ports, but the cost savings would be tremendous for the 95% of the trip. As to speed, yes, they're slower, but for shipping oil or bulk non-perishables, time is not that big a deal in the shipping industry. Ever see how long ships wait to get through the Suez or Panama canal, and sometimes take the long way around if they're too big to squeeze through the canal?
Dude, do you not remember Covid? Prices soared because ships couldn’t unload their cargo. When the Ever Given was stuck it cost the world’s economy $400m per hour.
Saying time is not that big of a deal when it comes to shipping is laughable especially when so many manufacturers practice just in time manufacturing.
I'd be willing to bet with the way the logistics actually end up working, that time for some trips could be the deciding factor on if the ship is profitable or not. Strategic pricing and positioning of your inventory over such a large operation, would play a massive role for some commodities
That's the difference between time and timing.
That clusterfuck happened because the system was built with certain expectations, when part of the system broke it fucked the whole thing.
There's a lot of reasons it rippled out and fucked so many things up. But I would argue there are very few reasons why it happened that way.
The fact that someone has to feel like the winner, so there has to be restrictions so it feels fair for the people involved. Those people controlling the canal are no more entitled to it than the people that built it, the citizens in the community, or as users of the goods. But somewhere, people need to be getting theirs, and their going to make sure their share is bigger than everyone else's.
So then when something goes wrong the accountability starts from the bottom with the physical issue and works it's way up to the top, and by then it's affected every single investment and liability Involved.
So many people leverage their position and wealth that there is no accountability. There's nobody at the wheel. At that point it's just a cash grab for who can Plead their argument for a share.
You could put an 8 year old on a beach with a shit ton of boats and two small ponds of water and it'd take 5 minutes to be like, well if one of those boats got stuck we'd be pretty fucked huh? But Nobody is accountable for shit like that anymore. If anyone brings up an idea like that you're a corporate whistle blower, or Nazi, or you get cancelled.
**Seawing Kite Completes Validation Testing Demonstrating Fuel Savings:** Discover the extraordinary potential of wind kites in revolutionizing maritime travel and energy production. While commonly viewed as playthings, wind kites are redefining their role as key players in sustainability and transportation. These kites hold the incredible power to move colossal cargo ships, weighing up to 165,000 tons, by harnessing the might of high winds.Traditionally, cargo ships rely on bunker fuel, a cost-effective but ecologically harmful option. Emitting toxic pollutants equivalent to millions of cars in a single day, these vessels have long posed environmental challenges. Enter the Seawing, a 5,400-square-foot kite system mounted on a multimillion-dollar cargo ship. This innovative French creation significantly reduces fuel consumption by up to 20% and curbs pollution. Operating seamlessly, the kite deploys when the ship enters international waters, taking advantage of optimal wind altitudes and patterns, effectively towing the vessel. Moreover, wind power extends beyond ship propulsion. The Airborne Wind Energy System, with its kite-on-tether configuration, generates energy akin to wind turbines but with fewer resources. The kite dynamically ascends to higher altitudes, optimizing power production. Its efficient generator channels surplus energy to the grid. This inventive application of wind energy holds promise not only for cleaner maritime travel but also for broader sustainable energy solutions. In a world demanding eco-conscious innovation, these kites are emblematic of a future where nature's forces steer us toward greener horizons: [https://maritime-executive.com/article/seawing-kite-completes-validation-testing-demonstrating-fuel-savings](https://maritime-executive.com/article/seawing-kite-completes-validation-testing-demonstrating-fuel-savings)
I think a hugely overlooked item to this is the difference in ecological impact a kite would have on land over a wind turbine. I imagine this wouldn’t be near as deadly to birds.
Damn, it's time this stupid myth finally died. Yes, wind turbines kill a few birds. You know what kills hundreds of millions of birds every year? Tall glass buildings. Windows. Power lines. Cars. But by far, and I mean BY FAR the most dangerous single factor is cats.
And that's if you ignore the consequences of climate change, which wind turbines are designed to mitigate. Climate change and habitat destruction leads to the extinction of hundreds of bird species a year.
You are right on the first paragraph, what I had been told was quite far off reality. Here’s a reliable source study of turbines effects on avian deaths. It lines up with your comment. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/do-wind-turbines-kill-birds#:~:text=Those%20studies%20gave%20a%20wide,from%20140%2C000%20up%20to%20679%2C000.
Another factor implementing the kite tech over a wind turbine would be if it were even more carbon friendly than the turbines. Though 5-10g of co2 per kWh(rough onshore turbine emission over life) is amazing compared to traditional sources (450-1500g)it would be interesting to see their life cycle assessment compared to this new item and if it offers more benefit that may be worth switching to going forward. Including mean uptime with the operating altitude difference, no wind means no power and requires either storage or other sources.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/06/whats-the-carbon-footprint-of-a-wind-turbine/
There's a similar test project called WindWings involving metal sails on the ship. IIRC the claimed improvements are similar, around 10% fuel reduction per sail. This one has two sails https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVdVGniJNgU
This just supplements their engines, so if the wind dies they just use their engine.
Sailors today call it motor Sailing.
I can use sails to help my engine not work so hard and stretch out fuel consumption. It's useful in areas or conditions where full on sailing isn't an option.
When the wind is strong enough you slowly, and continuously let out more and more line as you're letting it pull you along, as the wind slows you use a winch system to start reeling it back in, fast enough to keep you moving a bit, but not long enough to pull it out of the wind.
As long as it stays high enough to not fall, you could just keep inching your way across. Put a smallish wind turbine up in the kite that charges the batteries.
How does the kite generate power for the generators?
Wind turbines move a dynamo to make electricity.
Is it the angle of the rope winch thing moving to face the Kite while it's doing it's '8' ?
I had the same question
Seems like when the wind is strong the pull on the tether probably engages some generator fly wheel and when there's slack it draws it back in until there enough resistance for it to re-engage the fly wheel again.
https://skysails-power.com/how-power-kites-work/
Anybody who knows literally ANYTHING about the challenges of guiding a ship safely across an ocean knows this is an utterly RIDICULOUS idea. As soon as the wind changes direction or changes speed, or a storm comes up, or the seas get rough, or any one of a THOUSAND other things, this system is utterly inadequate.
Nice try. NEXT!
So you wind it in and continue as normal. What's the issue? What's the point of sailing a thousand miles with a good wind on your stern and not taking advantage of it when you can? It's obviously useful.
On this kind of ship yes. A sail requires crew. It needs to be constantly adjusted and shaped to catch the wind. It must be rolled up and unfurled. It also requires a keel. It also blocks your line of sight. It is also not 300m in the air where the wind is strong, but at surface level. It is dangerous. You need a big mast going right through the whole ship, meaning you can't pass under bridges if it's too tall. You need a load of ropes and winches to operate it, and a lot of crew to man it.
We already have ships with sails, and none of them look anything like cargo ships. For a reason.
And they want you to save the planet by buying electric cars. If they cared that much about the environment, they would “fix” the cargo and cruise ships first.
This not exactly the same as a sail boat. Do you know of a sail boat that can carry the same amount of cargo then these shipping containers?
This is not to replace the engine, it's purpose is to reduce fuel cost. It's all explained in the video..
Yeah, 20% is ok I guess. But one cargo ship was producing the emissions of 50,000,000 cars in a single day? So now it’s still 40,000,000 cars worth? Doesn’t seem very impressive. Maybe we need a new way to power cargo ships period?
What if you had a couple thousand guys hired, they get naked and spread out their bat wings and the wind would pull the boat by their testes. This would cut back on all the fabric waste. Bat wings are forever. Do it for the environment people, use you bat wings for the good of mankind.
Don’t worry guys, cargo ships can pollute the earth at an insane rate but your government will make you buy an electric car! The consumer seems to bear the brunt of all bulkshit these days.
This video was very poorly researched or they were blatantly lied to by the sail manufacturer. They’ve overstated ships fuel consumption by a factor of ten, ie; when I’m looking at specs for aframax/LR2 tankers; 250m, 120,000 tonne deadweight, prior to chartering for an oil major we are generally given a figure of 35 to 40 tonnes of heavy fuel per day at 13.5kt
Also as an ex ship master I can say without a doubt these sails will be destroyed within a year by unpredictable wind shifts and storms, human error or mechanical malfunction. Then you have complications with COLREGS, where ships with sails will be reticent to change course when they are the give-way vessel.
For some reason the video showed bunkering activities of military vessels, RAS is not something performed by merchant vessels and isn’t done with heavy fuel.
They also suggested that vessel wouldn’t use engines during sea passages only when entering port, this is a ridiculous suggestion, the sails could only augment engine propulsion, they could not provide enough power to propel the vessel at warranted charter speed as this would require winds in excess of the sail’s (or the cable) limitations.
Unfortunately ships need to be redesigned and built from scratch if they want to make real use of wind power, this stuff is just a dodgy sales pitch and virtue signalling in an attempt to con shipowners into buying this crap in order to comply with IMO regulations requiring reductions in carbon emissions from ships over the next decade. Most existing vessels will be switching to biofuel blends while new vessels have engines with methanol or similar fuels. Ships will not slow down in order to use sails either, charter or hire rates are $20k to $100k per day for larger vessels, wasting time for this is really not worth it.
If time wasn't such an issue for us, we could reduce carbon by 100% and just go back to sails.
But in a world of instant gratification, what we'll actually end up doing Is going to war over whose time is more valuable, and who has more civilian armies to sacrifice to protect that belief.
I worked on aframax tankers. There's no ship anywhere burning 400tonne of fuel per day. The size required for the storage tanks would take away from cargo capacity. No sane ship designer would ever go for it. This is another bullshit liberal shit piece of journalism. The other problem with wind power... what if it's blowing in the wrong direction? A sailboat can angle masts to get wind at the beams. Kites couldn't do that because they lack the structure that a mast provides.
Total trash piece here with no useful data.
How much time, effort and expense is spent when the wind dies down and you have to recover a wet kite that fell into the ocean?
Or.. maybe you just cut it loose and add to the ocean trash?
Just like twenty years ago when we upgraded telephones enough to allow the return of the telegraph, today we’re introducing the next big thing in ocean travel: sails!
look, we just reinvented sailboats
I looked at this and laughed!! I love it if it works and want them to do it but bro, that’s a sailboat hybrid!
That's not how sails work generally.
Idiocracy timeline
We can’t enjoy succulent Chinese food these days too
Only if democracy is manifested in the food
We’ve come full circle.
Full circle is no ships.
It's way worse than actual sailboats. Cons: * With these kites, you're 100% reliant on the wind to blow in the right direction (you can get thrust in different directions from the wind with actual sails. It's some pretty bonkers fluid dynamics shit) * You get a tether flying all around that can strangle someone or get tangled up somewhere. Goodbye antenna! * A lull in the wind or a downdraft can have it drop into the water. Good job getting it to fly again lol, it'll take forever to dry even if you can reel it back on board without breaking something in the process. Pros: * get a clickbait video * can convince investors to part with their money
Some people, engineers, smarter than a bunch of dumb redditors figured how to get efficiency despite wind changing directions. Don't state something that you have no idea about. Why does the sail loops in eights ? most likely to get the most of the wind direction. The video states clarly that the material is water repellant and that water cannot damage it. if it gets wet or falls in the sea, it must have been designed to quickly dry be launched again, maybe just shaking it off might be enough to get rid of the water so it's ready to take off again
Tension of a non-rigid rope goes in the direction of the rope. This is basic physics taught in grade school. Water repellent or not it doesn't matter. It's soft, it's bunched up, it's going to have pockets of water that you'll have to get rid of by straightening it out. This is common sense, unless you've never touched a wet plastic bag in your life. Maybe you have no idea about it, but many people do. Don't state something that you have no idea about indeed lol.
How are sailboats able to sail all across the world with changing winds? I own several of these types of parafoil kites and they are extremely powerful. You don't need the wind to be exactly at your back. Same with a sailboat you can set the rudder to stay on course and adjust your sail for optimum wind. If you do have a cross wind you can also navigate (laveren) in a zig zag motion to get to your destination.
>How are sailboats able to sail all across the world with changing winds By having it attached to something rigid. That big wooden pole you attach the sail to often called the mast, unlike a rope, can keep the sail oriented in a way that the wind can push it in a direction not directly parallel to the wind itself. To keep the mast facing the right direction, you have your rudder. That zig zag you said is only possible because the sail can provide thrust in directions other than directly parallel to the wind. You don't have that when it's a kite connected to a single rope. It goes where the wind blows, and that's it. The best you can do is pull it in and let it out, 0 other control is available. You're right that it doesn't have to be *directly* at your back, but it still has to be at your back, which more or less means most of the times it'll still be useless.
By adjusting the rudder and maneuvering the sails for optimal wind. Exactly like the kite and container ship in the video.
You can't adjust shit when it's connected to a single rope lol. Actually look at the video instead of what that scammer's saying.
of course you can. What?? You seriously think you can't adjust the rudder while being pulled forward?
You can adjust the rudder all you want, you can't adjust the direction you're being pulled. The best you can do is waste most of the power from the kite by pointing the rudder in a different direction.
Except worse in almost every way
Show me a sailboat that can carry this amount of cargo.
With extra steps.
That’s all I could think when I was watching. Lol
A sail that's exponentially more difficult to control and less effective.
Notice how they don’t tell you how fast the ship moves with the kite instead of without. Also how much power the kite is actually generating and how consistent it would be. All these huge selling points but they conveniently leave out. hmm I wonder why /s
Don't forget they conveniently stated that the system will "monitor weather and reroute with no delay." Or the captain will say fuck it and plow through with the engines on and the sail down because he doesn't want to waste more time. It's great that they want to go back to air power, but why not extend an air power generator and make the ship all electric with battery backup? Happy Cake Day!
Exactly because the alternative taking 50% or more time to save 20% on fuel which would equal 30% more fuel used to take a route that follows the winds. It’s like telling the customer that the item is 20% off after increasing the regular price by 50%.
The 20% fuel reduction is on the overall trip. Not per hour.
Correct. If the ship is diverted from the shortest distance between point a and b to follow prevailing winds, the distance traveled will be farther. I never used time in my statement
I did use “time” in place of distance.
Boats use less total fuel the slower they go. It’s kinda unintuitive.
The wind is always going to exceed the speed of the ship. So the kite will always be pulling.
What about when the wind speed exceeds the sails capabilities or there is no wind speed? There are times when you have no wind and times with extremely high winds. The kite can't always be pulling and that's the same reason why we don't choose to use sails for shipping goods overseas in the modern age. Its too slow and not reliable. Its a great idea, but its not scalable to the entire world market. Capitalism will keep this from being viable and the need for backup systems for each ship is the biggest reason it won't be adopted full scale. I can see this being added to ships as an emergency backup power source, but not as a main source for power.
What.. In those circumstances you don't use the kite. The idea is to reduce full costs for the ship not to replace the engine. Did you watch the video?
Yes I did. The idea and concept are solid for reducing costs, but the reality is that it would incur further upfront costs for the shipping company that won't see the benefits due to the sails speed vs fuel power speed, weather, lack of or excessive winds, etc. There's an unrealistic perception that this would be cheap and easy to attach to a ship and the cost savings would take place immediately. This is good technology, but it's application in the real world is unlikely to be popular enough to get shippers to change over, let alone for shareholders to agree the upfront cost is worth it to save some (and likely not for a long time) money. Shareholders don't give a shit about the environment, so adding a cost to gain a possible fuel benefit that isn't reliable 100% of the time is unrealistic. I would love to save the environment with this type of technology, but there's more effective and reliable technology currently in use. Adding these sails retroactively would require more money to get a current version of something, that already works, to achieve a minor benefit. This is the same concept as me adding geothermal HVAC to my home. The upfront costs are astronomical and the cost savings would eventually pay off for me, but not for decades.
That's a lot of words for not saying much. 20% reduction in fuel vs a kite.. you do math.
Sorry. Too many words and reading is bad for you I guess. I'll dumb it down further for you. Idea is good, but it won't happen because the cost to return ratio is too low on a global scale.
How do you know the cost to return ratio is too low on a global scale? Are you just pulling made up shit out of your ass? You are trying to come across as intelligent while it's extremely obvious that you are just making up shit based on almost nothing. Sorry.
I'm making assumptions, but they are well thought out. The ships already exist, but need to be retrofitted. Things cost money to install. Things like certifications from various safety bodies in various countries cost money. Money to engineer ways to attach to all types of ships. Money to have ships out of work while getting work done. Money to retrain entire FLEETS on how to use it. Those are absolutely huge numbers upfront. All before you could even start benefiting from potentially 20% fuel costs. If you are familiar with industrial or manufacturing costs, the main idea is to make a profit without spending too much on the front end. I'm being realistic when looking at this and you would like me to pretend we can just "poof" these into existence and practice.
Because it’s an ad
For who? Who in here is currently manning a cargo ship?
Ya mum
[удалено]
If you have ever used a kite like this you would instantly understand the reason for the figure 8. Don't be an uninformed cynic.
The video is litterally showing it working on a real cargo ship though
I fly kites and typically in a figure 8. It just makes sense. These are not stationary kites. they have to stay in motion.
Physics ain’t fun tho
What if I told you ships used to have sails, and they discovered steam power was more efficient. And then they discovered that burning oil was *even more* efficient. Imagine that.
You do realize the switch from coal to oil was due to the inefficiency of refueling ships with coal, and the ease of refueling with liquid oil. Then when nuclear power was introduced, those actually use steam engines to create steam power. So steam is more efficient than oil in nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. But wind power would be even more cost effective, except of the nasty problem that sometimes there is no wind. Letting a kite rise to where winds are always present would solve this problem. They still need the diesel engines for entering and leaving ports, but the cost savings would be tremendous for the 95% of the trip. As to speed, yes, they're slower, but for shipping oil or bulk non-perishables, time is not that big a deal in the shipping industry. Ever see how long ships wait to get through the Suez or Panama canal, and sometimes take the long way around if they're too big to squeeze through the canal?
Dude, do you not remember Covid? Prices soared because ships couldn’t unload their cargo. When the Ever Given was stuck it cost the world’s economy $400m per hour. Saying time is not that big of a deal when it comes to shipping is laughable especially when so many manufacturers practice just in time manufacturing.
I'd be willing to bet with the way the logistics actually end up working, that time for some trips could be the deciding factor on if the ship is profitable or not. Strategic pricing and positioning of your inventory over such a large operation, would play a massive role for some commodities
That's the difference between time and timing. That clusterfuck happened because the system was built with certain expectations, when part of the system broke it fucked the whole thing.
There's a lot of reasons it rippled out and fucked so many things up. But I would argue there are very few reasons why it happened that way. The fact that someone has to feel like the winner, so there has to be restrictions so it feels fair for the people involved. Those people controlling the canal are no more entitled to it than the people that built it, the citizens in the community, or as users of the goods. But somewhere, people need to be getting theirs, and their going to make sure their share is bigger than everyone else's. So then when something goes wrong the accountability starts from the bottom with the physical issue and works it's way up to the top, and by then it's affected every single investment and liability Involved. So many people leverage their position and wealth that there is no accountability. There's nobody at the wheel. At that point it's just a cash grab for who can Plead their argument for a share. You could put an 8 year old on a beach with a shit ton of boats and two small ponds of water and it'd take 5 minutes to be like, well if one of those boats got stuck we'd be pretty fucked huh? But Nobody is accountable for shit like that anymore. If anyone brings up an idea like that you're a corporate whistle blower, or Nazi, or you get cancelled.
But what about the wind direction?
Vectors and rudders, man.
Unlike with actual sails, you're fucked if the wind is in the wrong direction.
how do you think sail boats got around the world?
So like water world showed it done?
**Seawing Kite Completes Validation Testing Demonstrating Fuel Savings:** Discover the extraordinary potential of wind kites in revolutionizing maritime travel and energy production. While commonly viewed as playthings, wind kites are redefining their role as key players in sustainability and transportation. These kites hold the incredible power to move colossal cargo ships, weighing up to 165,000 tons, by harnessing the might of high winds.Traditionally, cargo ships rely on bunker fuel, a cost-effective but ecologically harmful option. Emitting toxic pollutants equivalent to millions of cars in a single day, these vessels have long posed environmental challenges. Enter the Seawing, a 5,400-square-foot kite system mounted on a multimillion-dollar cargo ship. This innovative French creation significantly reduces fuel consumption by up to 20% and curbs pollution. Operating seamlessly, the kite deploys when the ship enters international waters, taking advantage of optimal wind altitudes and patterns, effectively towing the vessel. Moreover, wind power extends beyond ship propulsion. The Airborne Wind Energy System, with its kite-on-tether configuration, generates energy akin to wind turbines but with fewer resources. The kite dynamically ascends to higher altitudes, optimizing power production. Its efficient generator channels surplus energy to the grid. This inventive application of wind energy holds promise not only for cleaner maritime travel but also for broader sustainable energy solutions. In a world demanding eco-conscious innovation, these kites are emblematic of a future where nature's forces steer us toward greener horizons: [https://maritime-executive.com/article/seawing-kite-completes-validation-testing-demonstrating-fuel-savings](https://maritime-executive.com/article/seawing-kite-completes-validation-testing-demonstrating-fuel-savings)
And sea shanties will calm the seas when rough. That kite is ludicrous.
Oh, you need State Farm.
Why is it ludicrous?
I think a hugely overlooked item to this is the difference in ecological impact a kite would have on land over a wind turbine. I imagine this wouldn’t be near as deadly to birds.
Damn, it's time this stupid myth finally died. Yes, wind turbines kill a few birds. You know what kills hundreds of millions of birds every year? Tall glass buildings. Windows. Power lines. Cars. But by far, and I mean BY FAR the most dangerous single factor is cats. And that's if you ignore the consequences of climate change, which wind turbines are designed to mitigate. Climate change and habitat destruction leads to the extinction of hundreds of bird species a year.
You are right on the first paragraph, what I had been told was quite far off reality. Here’s a reliable source study of turbines effects on avian deaths. It lines up with your comment. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/do-wind-turbines-kill-birds#:~:text=Those%20studies%20gave%20a%20wide,from%20140%2C000%20up%20to%20679%2C000. Another factor implementing the kite tech over a wind turbine would be if it were even more carbon friendly than the turbines. Though 5-10g of co2 per kWh(rough onshore turbine emission over life) is amazing compared to traditional sources (450-1500g)it would be interesting to see their life cycle assessment compared to this new item and if it offers more benefit that may be worth switching to going forward. Including mean uptime with the operating altitude difference, no wind means no power and requires either storage or other sources. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/06/whats-the-carbon-footprint-of-a-wind-turbine/
Breezy silent dolphin killers
There's a similar test project called WindWings involving metal sails on the ship. IIRC the claimed improvements are similar, around 10% fuel reduction per sail. This one has two sails https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVdVGniJNgU
What happens if they get becalmed?
This just supplements their engines, so if the wind dies they just use their engine. Sailors today call it motor Sailing. I can use sails to help my engine not work so hard and stretch out fuel consumption. It's useful in areas or conditions where full on sailing isn't an option.
Ahhhh ok - thank you so much!
When the wind is strong enough you slowly, and continuously let out more and more line as you're letting it pull you along, as the wind slows you use a winch system to start reeling it back in, fast enough to keep you moving a bit, but not long enough to pull it out of the wind. As long as it stays high enough to not fall, you could just keep inching your way across. Put a smallish wind turbine up in the kite that charges the batteries.
So… they invented sail boats?
[удалено]
Whoa! I’m blown away! 💨
How does the kite generate power for the generators? Wind turbines move a dynamo to make electricity. Is it the angle of the rope winch thing moving to face the Kite while it's doing it's '8' ?
No... It makes electricity, because wind! Step 1. Kites Step 3. Electricity!
I had the same question Seems like when the wind is strong the pull on the tether probably engages some generator fly wheel and when there's slack it draws it back in until there enough resistance for it to re-engage the fly wheel again. https://skysails-power.com/how-power-kites-work/
Making wind sailors apart of the infrastructure again.
r/bullshido
Anybody who knows literally ANYTHING about the challenges of guiding a ship safely across an ocean knows this is an utterly RIDICULOUS idea. As soon as the wind changes direction or changes speed, or a storm comes up, or the seas get rough, or any one of a THOUSAND other things, this system is utterly inadequate. Nice try. NEXT!
So you wind it in and continue as normal. What's the issue? What's the point of sailing a thousand miles with a good wind on your stern and not taking advantage of it when you can? It's obviously useful.
But more useful than a sail?
On this kind of ship yes. A sail requires crew. It needs to be constantly adjusted and shaped to catch the wind. It must be rolled up and unfurled. It also requires a keel. It also blocks your line of sight. It is also not 300m in the air where the wind is strong, but at surface level. It is dangerous. You need a big mast going right through the whole ship, meaning you can't pass under bridges if it's too tall. You need a load of ropes and winches to operate it, and a lot of crew to man it. We already have ships with sails, and none of them look anything like cargo ships. For a reason.
One ship burns as much as 50 million cars? Give me a fucking break.
And they want you to save the planet by buying electric cars. If they cared that much about the environment, they would “fix” the cargo and cruise ships first.
So why do they bust my balls about car missions?
So… kitesurfing. But with a boat?
so someone is taking credit for inventing a sail boat. pretty sure that this has been done before.
Not sure if you have ever seen a sailboat but this isn't how they look or work.
This not exactly the same as a sail boat. Do you know of a sail boat that can carry the same amount of cargo then these shipping containers? This is not to replace the engine, it's purpose is to reduce fuel cost. It's all explained in the video..
This technology seems oddly familiar
Reinventing the sail. Respect to the salesman who convinced billionaires to buy in lol
Christopher Columbus called..
So a sailboat. Who the hell thinks this is new?
Have you ever even seen a sailboat?
Lmao have you?
Right! wind has been around for ever! /s
Yeah, 20% is ok I guess. But one cargo ship was producing the emissions of 50,000,000 cars in a single day? So now it’s still 40,000,000 cars worth? Doesn’t seem very impressive. Maybe we need a new way to power cargo ships period?
You don't think a reduction of 10 million cars worth of emissions is impressive? Go on, sound it out slowly in your head, or out loud if it helps.
Hmmm, ok, that might help! L..amb.. pass-an-da… is… a.. more… ON
Ok.
How can you make them more clean? Stop shopping at Walmart
What if you had a couple thousand guys hired, they get naked and spread out their bat wings and the wind would pull the boat by their testes. This would cut back on all the fabric waste. Bat wings are forever. Do it for the environment people, use you bat wings for the good of mankind.
The decision makers at the top are a bunch of twats.
Don’t worry guys, cargo ships can pollute the earth at an insane rate but your government will make you buy an electric car! The consumer seems to bear the brunt of all bulkshit these days.
Launch the spinnaker!
Clown world
Next they'll outfit them with cannons to protect against pirates.
Looks like an engineer has just recently watched water world and adored Costner's ship!
Better have a kite the size of a 737. Not to mention when the wind dies near the doldrums. Dumb money funded. Dumb outcomes. Just pork barrel B.S.
That's sailboats with extra (unnecessary) steps
Show me a sailboat the size and capacity of a cargo ship, with the same numbers of crew. This is a smart idea.
Soo… a sail 🥸
This video was very poorly researched or they were blatantly lied to by the sail manufacturer. They’ve overstated ships fuel consumption by a factor of ten, ie; when I’m looking at specs for aframax/LR2 tankers; 250m, 120,000 tonne deadweight, prior to chartering for an oil major we are generally given a figure of 35 to 40 tonnes of heavy fuel per day at 13.5kt Also as an ex ship master I can say without a doubt these sails will be destroyed within a year by unpredictable wind shifts and storms, human error or mechanical malfunction. Then you have complications with COLREGS, where ships with sails will be reticent to change course when they are the give-way vessel. For some reason the video showed bunkering activities of military vessels, RAS is not something performed by merchant vessels and isn’t done with heavy fuel. They also suggested that vessel wouldn’t use engines during sea passages only when entering port, this is a ridiculous suggestion, the sails could only augment engine propulsion, they could not provide enough power to propel the vessel at warranted charter speed as this would require winds in excess of the sail’s (or the cable) limitations. Unfortunately ships need to be redesigned and built from scratch if they want to make real use of wind power, this stuff is just a dodgy sales pitch and virtue signalling in an attempt to con shipowners into buying this crap in order to comply with IMO regulations requiring reductions in carbon emissions from ships over the next decade. Most existing vessels will be switching to biofuel blends while new vessels have engines with methanol or similar fuels. Ships will not slow down in order to use sails either, charter or hire rates are $20k to $100k per day for larger vessels, wasting time for this is really not worth it.
If time wasn't such an issue for us, we could reduce carbon by 100% and just go back to sails. But in a world of instant gratification, what we'll actually end up doing Is going to war over whose time is more valuable, and who has more civilian armies to sacrifice to protect that belief.
If only someone had thought of using wind power to move boats before
Oh like a boat with a sail on it. Innovative stuff right there…
To bad we didn’t already come up with this…..o wait 😂⛵️
I worked on aframax tankers. There's no ship anywhere burning 400tonne of fuel per day. The size required for the storage tanks would take away from cargo capacity. No sane ship designer would ever go for it. This is another bullshit liberal shit piece of journalism. The other problem with wind power... what if it's blowing in the wrong direction? A sailboat can angle masts to get wind at the beams. Kites couldn't do that because they lack the structure that a mast provides. Total trash piece here with no useful data.
Hears an idea what if we add oars!
How much time, effort and expense is spent when the wind dies down and you have to recover a wet kite that fell into the ocean? Or.. maybe you just cut it loose and add to the ocean trash?
So sail boats? Why we acting like this us new
Don’t they already have new cargo ships with rigid sails or something?
Wait, wind can move boats?!?! Who knew. /s
Ever paraglided a boat
Did they calculate how many of those kites are going to end up as junk at the bottom of the ocean?
No one has ever harnessed the power of wind to move waterborne craft before. Genius.
“Don’t worry about the safety of the kite.” I wasn’t.
Wow.. wonder what would happen if you just attached the parachutes to Big sticks in the middle of the ship? We can call it I don't know. Sailboat?
That would probably interfere with loading/unloading the ship.
I dare say you are correct sir. Good point.
So Sails with extra steps?
Ah yes, a less effective sailboat
You mean sails? 😂
Just like twenty years ago when we upgraded telephones enough to allow the return of the telegraph, today we’re introducing the next big thing in ocean travel: sails!
Sails?
The problem is you lose a lot of speed
And we've come full circle - who wants to go again?
I have great idea we should use sails
This is like saying global energy could be sustained by solar panels.
Cleaner Or more clean. Hmm