Michael A just returned from its trial run moving cargo between Germany, South America and North America. Reporters for German Journal on DW-TV said the vessel saved about 15% from normal fuel consumption.
SmartAlix Posted an early discussion about the system here.
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Fuel prices will soon reusher in the age of sail. along with the age of the airship!
Lets go back to using sails!
The first steam liners used sail also. Why they stopped using this free and almost ubiquitous source of energy is beyond my comprehension.
More and bigger sails please. I bet they could save up to about 30% before the sails got to much to maintain and manage.
I want one for my car.
They had an article on this in Popular Science. If this trial run was successful, which it seems it was, they are planning bigger sails.
One illustration had a sail that was something close to a quarter mile wide pulling an oil tanker.
That is the very definition of irony.
JoaoPT. Traditional sails required big crews that had to be paid and the job was outragiously dangerous in bad weather.
If this works without much man power, is cheap and safe to use, and doesn’t slow the ship then the 15% is going to soon have kites on most cargo ships. 15% of their fuel bills is serious money.
This is an awesome solution; simple, effective, and with off the shelf tech. Brilliant!