At the core of the Greenheart Project is a new idea for a small ship: one that combines reliable, universal sails with a simple and proven solar panel / storage battery / DC electric drive. The present state of the technology prevents the application of this type of hybrid system to larger ships, but a one-container vessel that sails well, can use electric motors to approach and exit harbors, navigate in restricted waters, provide additional speed and steerage at sea, and reach inland ports via canals and rivers. The obvious and most pressing application for a small ship with these features is as an appropriate development tool for impoverished coastal communities.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 03:21:13 +0000