Wind power and wind-resistant technology aren’t the first things you would think of when designing a cargo ship. But a Norwegian firm has unveiled one with a hull so big it acts as an aeronautical sail.
Designed by Lade AS, The Vindskip has a hull that’s like a massive airfoil. Its design allows it to be powered by the wind, creating a force similar to lift to carry it through the sea.
The Vindskip’s aeronautical qualities allow a 60 per cent decrease in fuel usage and a whopping 80 per cent decrease in harmful emissions. Lade says it could eventually be used on cruise ships and plans to license the design in the future.
Set to float offshore near the coast, the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park will the the largest of its kind, featuring five turbines each generating six megawatts of power starting early next year. Northern Europe is a hotbed for such projects, accounting for nine-tenths of new offshore wind developments. The specially-engineered turbines…
Wind energy has long provided sustainable power for sailing the seven seas but when the winds go still the sun can continue to carry this dazzling vessel around the world. Dreamt up by Italian designers Marco Ferrari and Alberto Franchi, this performance fly-bridge ketch dubbed Helios spans 180 feet and accommodates…
The Earth's first solar-powered spacecraft successfully unfurled its solar sail in space, taking one more step toward heralding in a new era of space exploration. Japan's Ikaros spacecraft was launched in May 2010 and became the first space exploration craft that doesn't need to carry fuel on board, giving it…
