Göteborg, the Swedish replica of an ancient sailing ship, sails to China

Author: He Xiaolu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: High-Tech Hiding in an Ancient Ship's Hull
Robert H?ggstr?m's new G?teborg will be fully assembled in the shipyard, ready to set sail and ride the waves just like her predecessor. But listen closely, and you'll hear sounds unknown to sailors from the 18th century. The hum of a generator comes from the bottom of the wooden hull, and the faint sound of the ventilation system is also audible. The water flowing from the side of the stern isn't bilge water manually pumped out but treated wastewater from cooling water or sewage tanks, automatically processed. Since both Sweden and China are signatories to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the G?teborg's journey to China must comply with numerous safety and environmental standards. Modern maritime authorities impose strict requirements on the ship's seaworthiness and crew safety—even a replica from 260 years ago must be equipped with propulsion systems, auxiliary engines, and other modern devices. Therefore, computer simulations were conducted on all ship systems in 3D to identify design flaws and simulate installations.
Although the ship can be fully powered, it will primarily rely on sails during most of its voyage due to limited fuel. The two Volvo main engines, each with 550 horsepower, are connected to two adjustable propellers via a gearbox. This allows the ship to change speed and direction without shutting down or restarting the engines or altering their speed. The ship has four equally sized fuel tanks with a total capacity of 56 cubic meters. If the weather is favorable and navigation is accurate, the ship can travel from G?teborg to Lisbon across the English Channel without sails, powered solely by engines. Then, from Cape Town in South Africa to Fremantle in Australia. Nearly 5,000 nautical miles, yet only enough fuel for 48 hours. If the engines are used beyond this time, the diesel onboard will no longer be sufficient to generate electricity, as fuel is primarily for power generation. We plan to use the engines in specific waters and when entering or leaving ports.
Why does an 18th-century sailing ship need electricity? Besides the requirements of maritime authorities, it's to ensure the crew's comfort. We have heating and ventilation systems but no air conditioning—installing it would be too expensive and take up too much space. The ship's chef is the most electricity-intensive person. To keep food fresh and palatable, there is a refrigerator, a freezer, and four large freezers, so food spoilage isn't a concern. In the past, fresh drinking water was stored in wooden barrels, but it quickly spoiled in high temperatures. People tried adding vodka to preserve the water, but it wasn't very effective. An 18th-century sailor once wrote, "Water and wine were full of maggots and disgusting insects, making them hard to swallow."
In the hull of the G?teborg, there are two steel water tanks, two generators, and the power system, desalination system, ventilation system, and automatic fire extinguishing system—all hidden beneath the wooden hull structure. The ship has three freshwater tanks with a total capacity of 18 cubic meters, used for cooking, washing, laundry, showering, and flushing toilets. With 80 crew members, each person consumes about 72 liters of water daily, totaling 5,600 liters, which would be used up in just three days. Therefore, we installed two sets of desalination systems. Each can supply 26 cubic meters of freshwater daily. Of course, the crew's water usage is strictly limited.
Although the designers tried to minimize the installation of mechanical systems and pipelines, the G?teborg is ultimately a modern, high-tech ship in the guise of an 18th-century vessel. P24-P25