[FatherOfTwo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8037087/

[thegrq]

This sounds like some engineer went a little nuts with the alternative energies. It sounds like this is more art, less engineering.

solar cells in the sails would charge fuel cells to power electric motors.

What for? Why wouldn't they just use the energy of solar cells directly? Or at the least charge a battery...

[lorenzo]

What for? Why wouldn't they just use the energy of solar cells directly? Or at the least charge a battery...

Mmm, in a sense, hydrogen+fuel cells are batteries. The energy density of ordinary (or even advanced) batteries is much lower than that of hydrogen fuel cells. In short, they're way too heavy. And in ship design, saving weight plays a considerable role, I think.


(Remember NASA's helios, the solar powered airplane? They used fuelcells and hydrogen too, because batteries are too heavy - of course, in a ship, the weight problem wouldn't be that critical).