how heavy does a 20 ft shipping container weigh when it is empty? (2023)

how heavy does a 20 ft shipping container weigh when it is empty?
ChatGPT
A standard 20-foot shipping container typically weighs between 2.2 and 2.3 tons when empty. This translates to approximately 4,800 to 5,070 pounds. However, the exact weight can vary slightly depending on the specific design and materials used in the construction of the container. This weight is typically referred to as the container's tare weight.

Note: This is based on the standard 20-foot "dry" container. Some specialized containers, like refrigerated (reefer) containers or tank containers, may have different weights.

User
how many TEU per container?
ChatGPT
A standard 20-foot shipping container is defined as 1 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU). This is a measure that standardizes the comparison of containers of various sizes and describes their carrying capacity. A 40-foot container is often considered 2 TEUs because it's twice the length of a 20-foot container.

User
what is the metric tonnage of 1 teu?
ChatGPT
A TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) is a measure of volume in units of twenty-foot long containers. The weight a TEU can carry varies slightly depending on the specific construction of the container but a general average would be about 21.6 metric tons or 24 US tons (48,000 lbs).

This figure is the maximum gross weight, which includes the weight of the empty container (around 2.2 to 2.3 metric tons for a 20-foot container). Therefore, the actual maximum payload (the weight of the cargo itself) a TEU can typically carry would be around 18.6 to 19.4 metric tons.

Please note that these are averages and specific container weights and maximum payloads can vary. In addition, local laws and regulations, as well as safety considerations, can limit the weight a truck, train, or ship can carry, so in practice, a TEU might not always be loaded to its maximum weight.

User
so what is the average weight of 10 TEU?
ChatGPT
If we're considering the average weight of the cargo that 10 TEUs can carry, you would take the average maximum payload of a single TEU and multiply it by 10.

As previously mentioned, the average maximum payload a single TEU can typically carry is around 18.6 to 19.4 metric tons. So for 10 TEUs, the average maximum payload would be between 186 to 194 metric tons.

If you're including the tare weight (the weight of the empty container itself) in your calculation, a standard 20-foot container typically weighs between 2.2 and 2.3 tons when empty. For 10 TEUs, that would add an additional 22 to 23 metric tons to your total. So the total weight, including the containers and maximum payload, for 10 TEUs would be around 208 to 217 metric tons.

However, keep in mind these are just averages and the specific weights can vary based on the type and specific design of the containers, the nature of the cargo, and various other factors.

User
how many TEU can a Zeppelin carry at 10000ft?
ChatGPT
Zeppelins, or airships, typically have significantly less cargo capacity compared to sea or land freight. The cargo capacity depends heavily on the specific model and size of the airship.

As of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, even the largest concept designs for modern airships have cargo capacities measured in tens of tons. For instance, the Airlander 10, one of the largest modern airships in development, has a cargo capacity of up to 10 metric tons.

This means that zeppelins wouldn't typically have the capacity to carry standard 20-foot shipping containers (TEUs), which can have a maximum payload of up to 18.6 to 19.4 metric tons each, not counting the weight of the container itself. Therefore, under current technology, a zeppelin would not be able to carry a TEU at any altitude, let alone at 10,000 feet.

This might change in the future as airship technology advances, but as of 2021, zeppelins aren't viable for transporting standard shipping containers.

User
what is the lift equation for a Zeppelin?
ChatGPT
The lifting force of an airship, like a zeppelin, is determined by the principle of buoyancy. It's based on Archimedes' principle, which states that the buoyant (or lifting) force on an object submerged in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. For an airship, the "fluid" is the surrounding air.

The basic lift equation for an airship can be expressed as follows:

Lift = (AirDensity_outside - AirDensity_inside) * g * V

Where:

Lift is the buoyant force
AirDensity_outside is the density of the outside air
AirDensity_inside is the density of the gas inside the airship
g is the acceleration due to gravity
V is the volume of the airship
This equation assumes that the airship is a perfect sphere, which isn't the case for real airships, but it gives a close approximation. The difference in the densities of the air outside and the gas inside the airship is what provides the lift. In the case of an airship, the gas inside is typically helium, which has a lower density than air.

However, this equation gives the total potential lift of the airship. The useful lift, or payload capacity, is less than this because you also have to subtract the weight of the airship's structure and any propulsion systems.

It's also important to note that both the density of the outside air and the volume of the airship can change with altitude, temperature, and pressure, which can affect the lift.

User
is the Zeppelin approximately a prolate spheroid?
ChatGPT
Yes, you are correct. The shape of a Zeppelin or a typical airship is reasonably approximated as a prolate spheroid.

A prolate spheroid is a shape that is formed by rotating an ellipse around its major axis. This means that it's elongated along one axis, like a rugby ball or American football. This shape is a good approximation for the shape of an airship because it's aerodynamically efficient, providing both good lift and reasonable maneuverability.

However, keep in mind that while this is a useful approximation, real airships are not perfect prolate spheroids. They often have additional structures like control gondolas, fins, and propellers that aren't included in this simplified shape. Additionally, the body of the airship may not be perfectly symmetrical or might have some other design features that deviate from a perfect prolate spheroid.

User
what is the lift equation for a prolate spheroid?
ChatGPT
The lift equation for a prolate spheroid is not fundamentally different from the lift equation for any other shape, as buoyant force (which provides the lift in an airship) is derived from the displacement of a volume of air, and is not dependent on the shape of the object.

The lift equation would still be:

Lift = (AirDensity_outside - AirDensity_inside) * g * V

Where:

Lift is the buoyant force
AirDensity_outside is the density of the outside air
AirDensity_inside is the density of the gas inside the airship
g is the acceleration due to gravity
V is the volume of the airship
The difference in this case would be how you calculate the volume V, as it would need to be calculated using the formula for the volume of a prolate spheroid, which is:

V = 4/3 * π * a * b^2

Where:

a is the length of the major axis (along the direction of elongation)
b is the length of the minor axis
However, keep in mind that this would still be a simplification, as real airships are not perfect prolate spheroids and have additional structures and design features that can affect their volume and therefore their lift.

User
assume a is 1000m and b is 333m, the gas is hydrogen at 30 degrees Celsius. how much lift does it generate?
ChatGPT
To calculate the lift generated by the airship, you need the densities of both the outside air and the hydrogen inside the airship. At 30 degrees Celsius, the density of hydrogen is approximately 0.08988 kg/m^3.

The density of air at sea level and 20 degrees Celsius is approximately 1.2041 kg/m^3. However, air density decreases as temperature increases, so at 30 degrees Celsius, we can approximate it to be around 1.164 kg/m^3 (using the ideal gas law to adjust for temperature). Please note that this value could change depending on the altitude and weather conditions.

Now, using the formula for the volume of a prolate spheroid:

V = 4/3 * π * a * b^2

Substituting a = 1000m and b = 333m, we get:

V = 4/3 * π * 1000m * (333m)^2 ≈ 4.6 * 10^8 m^3.

Finally, substituting these values into the lift equation:

Lift = (AirDensity_outside - AirDensity_inside) * g * V
Lift = (1.164 kg/m^3 - 0.08988 kg/m^3) * 9.81 m/s^2 * 4.6 * 10^8 m^3 ≈ 4.85 * 10^9 N.

So, assuming an ideal situation and using these approximations, the airship would generate a lift of about 4.85 billion Newtons. This is the total lift, which includes the weight of the airship itself. To get the payload capacity (how much weight it can carry), you would need to subtract the weight of the airship structure and any other equipment from this number.

It's also important to note that hydrogen, while it provides more lift than helium due to its lower density, is also highly flammable and has not been commonly used in airships since the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. Modern airships generally use helium, which is nonflammable, even though it provides slightly less lift.

User
how many teu of lift is that?
ChatGPT
To convert this lift force to an equivalent number of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), we first need to convert the lift force from Newtons to metric tons.

1 metric ton is equivalent to approximately 9.81 kilonewtons (kN), so we need to divide the total lift force by 9.81*10^3 to convert it to metric tons.

4.85 * 10^9 N / (9.81 * 10^3 N/metric ton) ≈ 494,394 metric tons

As previously mentioned, a TEU can carry a maximum payload of around 18.6 to 19.4 metric tons. Let's take an average of these two values, which is approximately 19 metric tons per TEU.

So, to convert the lift capacity to TEUs, we divide the total lift capacity by the average weight per TEU:

494,394 metric tons / 19 metric tons/TEU ≈ 26,021 TEUs

So, under these idealized conditions and assumptions, this airship could theoretically lift the equivalent of around 26,021 TEUs. However, this is a gross overestimate, as it doesn't account for the weight of the airship itself or any other equipment on board, and it assumes that all of the lift can be used to lift payload, which isn't realistic. In a real-world scenario, the payload capacity would be significantly less than this.

This also assumes that the airship could structurally handle loading and carrying this much weight, which is unlikely. The loading and distribution of weight in an airship is a complex engineering problem that would need to be carefully considered.

Finally, keep in mind that this calculation assumes the use of hydrogen, which is not used in modern airships due to safety concerns. Using helium, which is safer but provides less lift, would result in a lower lift capacity.

User
how much does a Zeppelin weigh?
ChatGPT
The weight of a Zeppelin or any airship varies greatly based on its size, construction materials, and the type of equipment on board. As of my last training data in 2021, precise data on specific modern airships can be somewhat difficult to find, due to a variety of factors such as commercial sensitivity and the bespoke nature of airship construction.

To give you a rough idea, the LZ 129 Hindenburg, one of the largest airships ever built, had an empty weight (including the weight of the gas cells filled with hydrogen) of approximately 118 metric tons (or about 130 U.S. tons). This included the frame, the outer envelope, and the gas cells, but not the weight of the fuel or the payload.

Modern airships, however, tend to be smaller and lighter. For example, the Zeppelin NT, a modern semi-rigid airship built by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, has an empty weight of approximately 9.5 metric tons (or about 10.5 U.S. tons).

However, these are just examples, and the weight of a specific airship could be higher or lower depending on its design and the materials used in its construction.

User
and how long and how wide was the lz 129 Hindenburg?
ChatGPT
The LZ 129 Hindenburg was one of the largest airships ever constructed. Its length was approximately 245 meters (or about 803 feet), and its diameter was about 41 meters (or about 135 feet). These dimensions made it larger than most modern airships and even larger than the Boeing 747 airplane or the Titanic ship. Its large size allowed it to have a significant passenger and cargo capacity. However, its size and the use of hydrogen as a lifting gas also contributed to the challenges in its operation and its eventual disaster.

User
if you could guess based on the dimensions and weight of the lz 129 Hindenburg how much would our theoretical airship weigh in tons?
ChatGPT
Estimating the weight of an airship based on its dimensions can be a complex task, as the weight does not simply scale linearly with the size. Factors such as the construction materials used, the thickness of the hull, and the type of equipment installed can all affect the weight significantly.

However, if we were to make a simplistic estimate based on the Hindenburg's dimensions and weight, we can use the ratio of our theoretical airship's volume to the Hindenburg's volume as a scaling factor.

The volume V of a prolate spheroid (our airship's shape) can be calculated as V = 4/3 * π * a * b^2.

If we plug in the values for our theoretical airship, with a = 1000m and b = 333m, we get a volume of approximately 4.6 * 10^8 m^3.

For the Hindenburg, with an approximate length (major axis) of 245m and diameter (minor axis) of 41m, the volume is about 2 * 10^6 m^3.

Our theoretical airship is therefore about 230 times larger by volume than the Hindenburg.

The Hindenburg had an empty weight of about 118 metric tons. If we simply scale this up by the volume ratio, we would get an estimated weight of about 27,140 metric tons.

This is a very rough estimate and likely overstates the actual weight, as large structures often do not need to be as thick relative to their size as smaller ones (a principle known as the square-cube law). Moreover, advances in materials and technology might reduce the weight. For a more accurate estimate, a detailed engineering analysis would be required.

User
if we subtract that weight from our airships lift capacity what is the usable lift capacity?
ChatGPT
Our previous calculation estimated the theoretical lift capacity of the airship to be approximately 494,394 metric tons. If we subtract our estimated weight of the airship, about 27,140 metric tons, we get:

494,394 metric tons (total lift) - 27,140 metric tons (estimated airship weight) = 467,254 metric tons

So, under these highly idealized conditions, the usable lift capacity would be around 467,254 metric tons.

However, keep in mind that this is a simplistic and optimistic calculation that does not take into account many practical considerations, such as the distribution of weight, structural limitations of the airship, safety factors, or changes in air density with altitude and weather. In practice, the actual usable lift capacity would likely be much less. Also remember that using hydrogen for lift, as we did in this calculation, would pose significant safety risks.

User
what is that weight in teu please? don't worry about the hydrogen.
ChatGPT
To convert the usable lift capacity from metric tons to TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), we need to know the weight capacity of a single TEU. As previously stated, we'll use an average payload weight of about 19 metric tons per TEU.

Therefore, to calculate the TEU equivalent of the usable lift capacity, we divide the total usable lift capacity by the weight of a single TEU:

467,254 metric tons / 19 metric tons/TEU ≈ 24,592 TEUs

So, under these idealized conditions and assumptions, this airship could theoretically lift the equivalent of around 24,592 TEUs. This is a rough estimate, and the actual number could be significantly lower due to practical considerations and safety factors.

User
how does this capacity compare to the largest ocean faring cargo ship you know of? and based on average speed, how long would it take to go from uulaanbaatar mongolia to los angeles california for the airship and from Shanghai China to los Angeles California for the cargo ship?
ChatGPT
As of my training data cut-off in September 2021, the largest container ships in operation are the class of ships known as ULCVs (Ultra Large Container Vessels), with the HMM Algeciras currently holding the record for the highest container capacity. These massive vessels can carry over 23,964 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), a measurement standard for container capacity.

As for the comparison of time of travel:

For an airship, the speed can vary depending on the model and weather conditions. Historically, Zeppelins like the Hindenburg could achieve speeds of around 130 kilometers per hour (or about 80 miles per hour). Assuming an average speed of 130 km/h, the direct air distance from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to Los Angeles, California, is approximately 10,000 kilometers. So, the total travel time would be roughly 77 hours or just over 3 days.

For an ocean-going cargo ship, the speed also varies. A large container ship might average around 22-26 knots (or about 40-48 kilometers per hour). The distance from Shanghai, China, to Los Angeles, California, by sea is approximately 10,000 kilometers. At an average speed of 40 km/h, the total travel time would be roughly 250 hours or just over 10 days.

Please note that these are very rough estimates. The actual travel times could be significantly affected by a variety of factors, including weather conditions, routing, and loading/unloading times at the ports.

It's also important to point out that while airships have a significantly faster travel time, they also have significantly lower carrying capacity compared to ocean-going cargo ships. Moreover, the infrastructure required to support large airships (like the ones in our example) is not currently in place, whereas port facilities for large container ships are well established around the world.

User
what is the average teu per hour for both methods of travel? please make reasonable assumptions.
ChatGPT
The average TEU per hour for both methods of travel can be calculated by dividing the total TEU capacity by the total travel time in hours. This provides an estimate of the amount of cargo (in TEU) that can be transported per hour of travel.

For the airship:
The estimated TEU capacity of the airship is around 24,592 TEUs. If the total travel time from Ulaanbaatar to Los Angeles is approximately 77 hours, then the average TEU per hour would be:

24,592 TEUs / 77 hours ≈ 319 TEUs/hour

For the ocean-going cargo ship:
The TEU capacity of a large container ship like the HMM Algeciras is around 23,964 TEUs. If the total travel time from Shanghai to Los Angeles is approximately 250 hours, then the average TEU per hour would be:

23,964 TEUs / 250 hours ≈ 96 TEUs/hour

These calculations suggest that, on an hourly basis, the airship could transport more than three times as many TEUs as the cargo ship. However, these are very rough estimates and don't account for many practical considerations.

For example, the calculations assume that the airship and the ship are both traveling at constant speeds and are loaded to their maximum TEU capacity. In reality, travel speeds can vary, and vessels are often not loaded to their full capacity for a variety of reasons.

The calculations also don't account for loading and unloading times, which can be significant, especially for large vessels carrying many TEUs. And they don't consider the significant infrastructure that would be required to support such a large airship, or the fact that airships can't currently carry nearly as much cargo as large container ships.

User
how much does it cost to ship a container from China to the USA?
ChatGPT
As of my last training in 2021, the cost of shipping a container from China to the USA can vary significantly based on several factors, including:

The size of the container (20-foot, 40-foot, etc.)
The specific locations (port to port, door to door, etc.)
The time of year (shipping rates can fluctuate throughout the year)
The shipping company
The type of goods being shipped, which can affect insurance costs
Current global trade conditions
Typically, as of 2021, the cost could range from a few thousand dollars for a 20-foot container to several thousand for a 40-foot container. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent disruptions to global supply chains, shipping rates rose dramatically in 2020 and 2021, with some reports of costs reaching $10,000 to $20,000 per container or even higher.

Please note that these are only rough estimates, and the actual cost could be lower or higher based on the factors listed above. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it would be best to request a quote from a shipping company or freight forwarder.

User
based on a price of $2000 per teu from China to the USA and using 50% of our airships lift capacity with 10 airships flying constantly what is the total revenue generated per year?
ChatGPT
If we assume that each airship is using 50% of its lift capacity, which we previously estimated to be around 24,592 TEUs, then each airship would be carrying about 12,296 TEUs on each trip.

The revenue generated per trip would be the number of TEUs multiplied by the price per TEU, which in this case is $2000. So, the revenue per trip would be:

12,296 TEUs/trip * $2000/TEU = $24,592,000 per trip

If there are 10 airships, then the total revenue for all airships per trip would be:

$24,592,000/trip * 10 trips = $245,920,000

If each trip takes about 77 hours (or just over 3 days), then the number of trips each airship can make in a year would be approximately:

365 days/year / 3.2 days/trip ≈ 114 trips/year

So, the total revenue generated by all 10 airships in a year would be approximately:

$245,920,000/trip * 114 trips/year = $28,034,880,000

So, under these conditions and assumptions, the total revenue generated per year could be around $28 billion.

However, please note that this is a rough estimate that makes several simplifying assumptions, such as the airships always flying at half capacity and always being able to charge $2000 per TEU. The actual revenue could be significantly different. For instance, costs of operation, maintenance, ground infrastructure, insurance, and many other factors would have to be deducted from this revenue to obtain a net income figure.

User
how many containers are shipped every year from China to the USA?
ChatGPT
The number of containers shipped from China to the USA varies each year and depends on many factors, including economic conditions, trade policies, and consumer demand.

As of my last training data cut-off in September 2021, I don't have the precise numbers for recent years. However, in 2018, around 4.7 million TEUs were imported to the US West Coast ports alone from China.

It's important to note that this doesn't include containers imported to the East Coast ports, or containers transshipped through other countries. Therefore, the total number of containers shipped from China to the USA would be higher than this figure.

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, I would recommend checking with the United States Department of Transportation or Bureau of Transportation Statistics, or with a reliable industry research firm.

User
how many airships would I need to ship all of those container in a year assuming an even distribution of containers over time?
ChatGPT
Let's first determine how many TEUs one of your airships could transport in a year. As calculated previously, each airship carrying 50% of its lift capacity would be moving approximately 12,296 TEUs per trip. If each airship can make approximately 114 trips per year, then each airship would transport:

12,296 TEUs/trip * 114 trips/year = 1,401,744 TEUs/year

If we use the figure of 4.7 million TEUs as the number of containers shipped from China to the USA in a year (remember, this is a rough estimate and does not include all shipments), we can calculate the number of airships required to handle this volume as follows:

4,700,000 TEUs / 1,401,744 TEUs/airship ≈ 3.35 airships

This calculation suggests that you would need around 4 airships (since you can't have a fraction of an airship) to transport the equivalent of all containers shipped from China to the US West Coast ports in 2018 in one year.

However, this is a very simplistic calculation. In reality, things would likely be more complicated. For example, the airships might not always be able to fly at half capacity, there could be delays due to weather or maintenance, and the volume of containers needing to be shipped could fluctuate throughout the year. Also, this calculation does not consider the logistical challenges of loading and unloading a large number of containers at the airports, which could significantly impact the number of trips each airship can make in a year.

User
what about if the airships need to spend 1 day loading and 1 day unloading in a stationary position for every trip?
ChatGPT
If each airship needs to spend an additional day loading and another day unloading for every trip, the travel time per trip would increase to 5.2 days (3.2 days of flying and 2 days of loading/unloading). This means that each airship could make fewer trips in a year. Let's calculate the new number of trips:

365 days/year / 5.2 days/trip ≈ 70 trips/year

The total number of TEUs each airship could transport in a year would then be:

12,296 TEUs/trip * 70 trips/year = 860,720 TEUs/year

We can then calculate the number of airships needed to handle 4.7 million TEUs as follows:

4,700,000 TEUs / 860,720 TEUs/airship ≈ 5.46 airships

So, under these conditions, you would need around 6 airships (rounding up because you can't have a fraction of an airship) to transport the equivalent of all containers shipped from China to the US West Coast ports in 2018 in one year.

Again, please note that this calculation is quite simplified and does not account for a variety of practical considerations that could affect the actual number of airships needed.

User
how much did it cost to build the Hindenburg in 2020 dollars and how long did it take? based on that how long would it take and how much would it cost to build our airship? what about 6 of them? how long and how much does it cost to build a parking lot that's 1km long and 1km wide assuming free land?
ChatGPT
Building an airship like the Hindenburg or even larger is a complex process that would require a significant amount of resources. The Hindenburg, which was built in the 1930s, cost approximately $2.6 million at the time, which in today's money would be around $50 million when adjusted for inflation (using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator).

However, simply scaling up the cost based on size is unlikely to give an accurate estimate. There are many factors that can affect the cost of building an airship, including advances in technology, changes in labor costs, availability of materials, and the need to meet modern safety and regulatory standards. Without specific design plans and a detailed cost analysis, it's hard to say exactly how much it would cost to build such a large airship today.

For comparison, the development cost of the Aeroscraft, a planned heavy-lift cargo airship that was being developed by Aeros in the 2010s, was estimated to be around $3 billion, although this project faced many challenges and delays.

As for construction time, the Hindenburg took about 4 years to build. Given that our hypothetical airship is much larger than the Hindenburg, it would likely take at least this long, if not longer, to build, assuming all necessary resources and expertise are available. For six airships, you could potentially build them in parallel, depending on your production capacity, so the total time might still be in the range of several years, but the cost would be multiplied by six.

Regarding the parking lot: the cost of building a parking lot can vary widely depending on factors like the type of pavement used, local labor costs, and whether any additional features (like lighting or landscaping) are included. However, a rough estimate might be around $3 to $5 per square foot for a basic asphalt parking lot. A 1 km by 1 km parking lot is about 10.8 million square feet, so the cost could be in the range of $32 million to $54 million. As for time, a project of this size would likely take at least several months, depending on the conditions of the site and the resources available for construction.

User
what happened to the aeros airship?
ChatGPT
The Aeroscraft, developed by Aeros Corporation, was a heavy-lift cargo airship project that promised to revolutionize air transport by combining the capabilities of an airplane, a helicopter, and an airship. However, the project faced numerous challenges and delays.

A half-scale prototype, the Aeroscraft Dragon Dream, was built and completed its first tethered test flight in 2013. The Dragon Dream was a 266-foot-long rigid airship that could carry a 30-ton payload. It was designed with a number of innovative features, including a buoyancy control system that allowed it to hover and land without the need for external ballast or ground infrastructure.

However, funding for the project was a significant issue. The prototype was primarily funded by a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, but after the initial grant, further funding was not secured, and the project was put on hold.

The Dragon Dream prototype was damaged when the roof of the hangar it was housed in collapsed due to heavy rain in 2013. After the collapse, Aeros decided not to repair the prototype but instead focused on developing the full-scale Aeroscraft.

As of my last update in September 2021, the Aeroscraft project was still in development, with Aeros working to secure the necessary funding to build the full-scale version. However, I don't have any further updates since then. For the most current status of the Aeroscraft project, it would be best to check Aeros Corporation's official communications or news reports.

User
can you please put all of the calculations and reasoning into a spreadsheet for me to download? I would like it formatted and organized in a way that would work for an investor meeting
ChatGPT
As an AI developed by OpenAI, I'm unable to create and share a downloadable spreadsheet, but I can certainly guide you through creating one. Here's how you might organize the information:

Introduction

Brief description of the project: An airship for shipping containers from China to the USA.
Size and shape of the airship.
Airship Capacity

Calculation of the volume of the airship.
Calculation of the lift capacity of the airship.
Calculation of the TEU capacity of the airship.
Weight of the airship and usable lift capacity.
Usable TEU capacity of the airship.
Travel Time and Efficiency

Travel time from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Los Angeles, California for the airship.
Travel time from Shanghai, China to Los Angeles, California for an ocean-going cargo ship.
Calculation of average TEU per hour for both methods of travel.
Potential Revenue

Calculation of revenue per trip per airship.
Calculation of total revenue for 10 airships per trip.
Calculation of total revenue per year for 10 airships.
Number of airships needed to handle all shipments from China to USA.
Cost Estimation

Cost and construction time of the Hindenburg in today's dollars.
Cost and construction time estimation for our airship and for 6 airships, based on Hindenburg's data.
Cost and construction time for a 1km x 1km parking lot.
Summary and Conclusion

Summary of all calculations and estimations.
Pros and cons of using airships for shipping containers.
Next steps and potential challenges.
For each point, you would want to provide the relevant calculations and any assumptions you've made. Keep in mind that these are all rough estimates and the actual figures could vary significantly based on many factors. It's also worth noting that you should consult with a professional in the field, such as an engineer or an industry expert, to get a more accurate estimate and feasibility study.