From the Wikipedia article linked below:
A rotor ship is a type of ship designed to use the Magnus effect for propulsion. The ship is propelled, at least in part, by large powered vertical rotors, sometimes known as rotor sails. German engineer Anton Flettner was the first to build a ship that attempted to tap this force for propulsion, and ships using his type of rotor are sometimes known as Flettner ships.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship
See also the Magnus effect.
I was ready to mock this, but the more I look into it the more sense it makes.
Honestly I had the same thought process
If you want Atlantic trips to take months it sure does make a lot of sense
From the article:
Estimated average speed of the Oceanbird is 10 knots. A transatlantic crossing with 7,000 cars onboard will take around 12 days (today’s crossings takes about 8 days).
Sounds utterly acceptable.
Isn’t it like 20% fuel reduction only? Not insignificant
Let’s be real, we all love movies with wind powered fantasy-esque ships or conventional public transport. Sailing is just so cool and trains and trolleys are convenient or in my mind even whimsical. Why shouldn’t we take modern approaches to sustainable and minimally polluting technologies?
I took a road trip halfway across America and I have to say, having a ticket for a sleeper car would have been cheaper, faster, and convenient. Why can’t we have that option?
