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Think of a container ship. It is full of containers, stacked high, but with only the room of the ship to sit on.
Why not put side areas (lips) on all 4 sides to pile more containers on. They could be very strong to bear up under the weight. Improved computer control of the ship could minimize rocking
if necessary.
Another improvement would be to weigh the containers prior to placement and then place the heaviest ones at the bottom to minimize rocking
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The size of modern container ships is often limited by the
sizes of critical waterways. If it weren't, they'd just make the
ships wider or longer, or both. |
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Also, loading and unloading are highly controlled processes,
and the placement of individual containers is computer-
chosen based on weight and also on the need to be able to
make multiple offloadings at different locations. |
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//just make the ships wider or longer//
Good thinking Max. Someone should build a ship that stretches all the way across the ocean*. Stick a conveyor belt up the middle of it & you can load at one end & unload at the other without having to do any of that dangerous ocean travel that seems to cause so many problems.
* The Atlantic, obviously. |
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// Stick a conveyor belt up the middle of it // |
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An engineering nightmare. Much better to build a massive trench across the deck, fill it with water and operate as a transatlantic canal. You could drop a bunch of ordinary cargo ships in it, along with some rubber ducks to keep it cheery. |
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It's when the laden ship (with its ingeniously raised centre of
gravity) first comes abeam of a heavy swell that the full brilliance
of this idea will become apparent. If it survives that, try packing
the containers tighter, and landing aircraft across them. |
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