Proposed conceptual specifications for Aircruise are as follows:
● From the docking rig at the base to the tip, the ship is, astonishingly, 265 metres tall. (That’s 869 feet 5 inches.) Hydrogen, the lightest gas, is used as the lifting gas, and is capable of lifting around 1.2Kg per cubic metre of volume. Large PEM hydrogen fuel cells will provide on board power and some drinking water;
● The volume of the main envelope in the ship is calculated at 330,000 cubic metres, which equals 396,000 kilograms of available lift at sea level (1,000kg=1 tonne (t)); and
● Estimated weights: Primary structure, envelope and systems, 270t (around the same weight as the empty weight of an Airbus A380 super jumbo); consumables, water, ballast etc., 20t; people (with an estimated maximum 100 people on board), 15t; control deck and 20 staff, 6t; bar/lounge/communal zone fit-out, 15t; four duplex apartments at 5t each, 20t; penthouse apartment, 12t; five smaller apartments at 4t each, 20t; total of all these weights (the maximum take-off weight), 378t.
Available lift excess therefore would be 18-20t, or 20,000kg of lift, says Seymourpowell.
Seymourpowell's Aircruise concept for a huge luxury-cruise airship would moor at specially constructed but compact docking stations, which could be located near city centers. Some docking stations could be sited, perhaps, in rivers
The company notes that part of the renewed interest in airships derives from advances in materials, structures, stabilisation and clean propulsion technologies. Using composite frames and fabrications, lightweight semi-flexible structures can be built at large scales. Although large, the Aircruise is nevertheless a semi-rigid ship: The primary tensioned structure consists of 8 vertical composite lattices supporting four main flexible envelopes, which contain 330,000 cubic metres of hydrogen gas. Lower decks are ‘hung’ off these primary supports.
Each of the four external envelopes contains modular self-sealing lifting bags, which Seymourpowell says would minimize the incidence of bag rupture and ensuring safe flight even with a major external skin rupture.
Automatic stability thrusters and altitude control using automatic adjustment of the gas density would ensure a smooth ride compared to previous airships. Although still susceptible to storms and very poor weather, advanced weather radar and weather prediction systems would allow the ship to route around major problems.
Despite the perceived risks, hydrogen is used for its inherent lifting efficiency and as a power source. Flexible photovoltaic (solar panel) cells cover the upper part of the envelope, augmenting the primary power generation, in this case from fuel cells. Large surface area PEM fuel cells generate the primary power for onboard systems and turn low-speed compressors located in the mid section of the ship. This compressed gas is ducted to provide directional thrust and auto stabilisation. Compressed hydrogen stored in parts of the main structure provides fuel for longer ranges and by venting to the envelope or re-compressing these volumes, altitude stability would be achieved.
By combining the lifting gas and the fuel for thrust the overall weight of the ship can be minimized, whilst ensuring a silent, pollution-free passage. Water vapour is harnessed to augment on board potable water.
The service ceiling is limited to 12,000 feet, given the attenuation of the atmosphere (the hotel is not pressurised) and the limits of gas expansion within the envelope. If however, there are specific locations of interest en route, the ship can drop down to within a few hundred feet of the ground.
Even though Seymourpowell's Aircruise luxury-airship concept would weigh 270 tonnes when fully laden, its enormous buoyancy would enable it to drop down and hover at altitudes of just a few hundred feet to view spectacular landscapes and structures close-up
Cruising speed without tail or headwind would be 100km/hr to 150km/hr. This equates to journey times appropriate to the cruise experience: London to New York in 37 hours; Los Angeles to Shanghai in 90 hours.
There would be six flightcrew members, including two flight engineers. These staff would fly the ship in shifts, given the likely cruise durations. Another 14 support staff would run the hotel experience for the passenger guests.
Seymourpowell’s full Aircruise case study is available at www.seymourpowell.com/#/case_studies/34/. More of Seymourpowell’s computer graphic images of the Aircruise concept can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/seymourpowell/sets/72157623175424001.
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