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this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2024
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Great idea but a cargo ship has like 2% top surface showing, the rest is containers of future landfill :(
I'm sure they could put temporary solar panels on the containers. It would be more work but would it save enough on fuel to make it worth it? Who knows.
Even without doing the math, I feel pretty confident saying that the answer is "no."
The amount of fuel these ships consume to propel themselves is astronomical. Petroleum fuel has a waaaayy higher energy density than lithium batteries. Around 46 MJ/kg vs 6 MJ/kg...it's simply not practical.
Nuclear ships on the other hand...
Edit: This isnt really a fair comparison because of the efficiency differences between ICEs and electric motors but it does show the energy storage inefficiency per kg of current battery storage technologies. Not sure if there's a better comparison metric to use...
maybe a roll-out top made of those flexible panels that is extended when ship is loaded. I guess securing it though with wind and stuff might be a problem
Could make a solar roof on hinges over the cargo