6 ms·

> The operation as currently described is so inefficient, even for the 1960's! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_

> The operation as currently described is so inefficient, even for the 1960's! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal Construction began: 1 January 1881 Date completed: 15 August 1914 > The energy released when lowering can be stored either in gravitational energy of a mass, or be used to power a second parallel lock operated in counter phase (so while one lock is lowering ships say eastwards, the energy is used to raise ships traveling westwards, and afterwards their roles reverse). To speed up a second gravitational potential energy store (and optional flywheel) can be used to accelerate and decelerate the pumping. if the canal didn't exist, and we were designing it as a greenfield project in 2026, that would definitely be a design worth considering. could it be retrofitted onto the existing canal? sure, in theory. in practice, they currently handle 36 ships per day, and lowering that limit by just 2-4 per day is significant enough that it makes international news [0] so whatever retrofitting you have in mind, the construction would need to be done completely non-invasively, without disrupting the daily operation of the locks. it's nowhere near as simple as you're making it out to be. 0: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2026/08/21/panama-canal-to-cut-ship-traffic-over-el-nino-fueled-drought_6756722_19.html https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2026/08/21/panama-...

DoctorOetker 23d ago
Its not that difficult to do it while in use, you just construct a parallel lock next to the existing ones that can remain in use. It's even possible to upgrade a lock while in use, you just add new inlets and outlets for the new archimedes screw system, an unused archimedes screw or inlet/outlet is just a differently shaped boundary wall... Even in 1881 all the necessary physics was already known, but I'm less surprised less informed people could rise to the top that easily back then. I'm more surprised by the post-war 60's when physics and engineering became a lot more democratized, less elite...
- evil-olive 23d ago
  > you just construct a parallel lock next to the existing ones that can remain in use. are you aware that they did that already? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project and that it took almost 10 years to complete? if they had put you in charge instead, do you think you could have gotten it done faster?
  - DoctorOetker 23d ago
    Do you read the URL's you submit yourself? The very first sentence says: > The Panama Canal expansion project (Spanish: ampliación del Canal de Panamá), also called the Third Set of Locks Project, doubled the capacity of the Panama Canal by adding a new traffic lane, enabling more ships to transit the waterway, and increasing the width and depth of the lanes and locks, allowing larger ships to pass. Of course widening and deepening not just the short length locks but especially the long length shipping lanes will take a lot of time. It's not about who's in charge, its about reading carefully what people state, and the goals ogled. The expansion project you posted was about increasing capacity: wider, deeper lanes enabling larger ships to pass. Now go up the thread, you will see none of us discuss that. We were discussing the absolute waste of fresh water (if assuming BBC reporting to be correct), which yes, can be ugraded without interrupting shipping, in a short time frame. It's different types of upgrade... pro tip: if you don't understand a word that appears, and it turns out to be physics jargon, perhaps take a step back and consider the person may actually know what they are talking about.
    - evil-olive 23d ago
      > pro tip: if you don't understand a word that appears, and it turns out to be physics jargon, perhaps take a step back and consider the person may actually know what they are talking about. if you're going to be condescending like this, and then on top of that imply that you have some expertise or qualifications that I lack... go ahead. tell me what that expertise is. don't be shy. PhD in marine engineering from the University of Panama? Six Sigma Black Belt certified in water pump maintenance & repair?
      - DoctorOetker 23d ago
        it's not condescending, it's physics.

DoctorOetker 23d ago

Its not that difficult to do it while in use, you just construct a parallel lock next to the existing ones that can remain in use. It's even possible to upgrade a lock while in use, you just add new inlets and outlets for the new archimedes screw system, an unused archimedes screw or inlet/outlet is just a differently shaped boundary wall... Even in 1881 all the necessary physics was already known, but I'm less surprised less informed people could rise to the top that easily back then. I'm more surprised by the post-war 60's when physics and engineering became a lot more democratized, less elite...

evil-olive 23d ago
> you just construct a parallel lock next to the existing ones that can remain in use. are you aware that they did that already? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project and that it took almost 10 years to complete? if they had put you in charge instead, do you think you could have gotten it done faster?
- DoctorOetker 23d ago
  Do you read the URL's you submit yourself? The very first sentence says: > The Panama Canal expansion project (Spanish: ampliación del Canal de Panamá), also called the Third Set of Locks Project, doubled the capacity of the Panama Canal by adding a new traffic lane, enabling more ships to transit the waterway, and increasing the width and depth of the lanes and locks, allowing larger ships to pass. Of course widening and deepening not just the short length locks but especially the long length shipping lanes will take a lot of time. It's not about who's in charge, its about reading carefully what people state, and the goals ogled. The expansion project you posted was about increasing capacity: wider, deeper lanes enabling larger ships to pass. Now go up the thread, you will see none of us discuss that. We were discussing the absolute waste of fresh water (if assuming BBC reporting to be correct), which yes, can be ugraded without interrupting shipping, in a short time frame. It's different types of upgrade... pro tip: if you don't understand a word that appears, and it turns out to be physics jargon, perhaps take a step back and consider the person may actually know what they are talking about.
  - evil-olive 23d ago
    > pro tip: if you don't understand a word that appears, and it turns out to be physics jargon, perhaps take a step back and consider the person may actually know what they are talking about. if you're going to be condescending like this, and then on top of that imply that you have some expertise or qualifications that I lack... go ahead. tell me what that expertise is. don't be shy. PhD in marine engineering from the University of Panama? Six Sigma Black Belt certified in water pump maintenance & repair?
    - DoctorOetker 23d ago
      it's not condescending, it's physics.