the perplexing math problem?

Question

wow, I did not think so many people would
try to dissect the components.

forget, in this case, that the vehicle is
a train.

let's move the weight to the water and
make it a freight cargo ship.

the ship has a diesel engine, it also
has photo electric cells plastered all over it
and it has 6 monster sails.

ugly as sin ship. ok.

with just the sails, the ship will SAIL along
at 2 kilometers an hour in speed.

if we remove the sails and just have
the photo electric power, the ship will
travel at 4 kilometers per hour in speed.

if we remove the photo electric cells and
instead, install diesel engines, we can
travel 16 kilometers per hour speed.

in some situations in power, it is a good
idea to combine power resources.

the question then, is, if we were to combine
all 3; diesel engines, and
add the photo electric cells and
add the sails, would the ship only go
16 kilometers per hour speed--or would it go faster with the other two sources also working
concurrently?

Answer 1

If the wind is blowing fast enough it will go faster, but as others have mentioned chances are good the sails will slow you down.
If it takes a certain amount of power to go a given speed, adding power, even from different sources, will increase the speed. However, the power required is not linear, and with ships there is a relationship between the length of the ship (not given) and the efficient speed. You can not simply add the 2, 4, and 16 KPH and come up with 22, it will be slower than that, but higher than 16 (if the wind is suitable)

Answer 2

First, all three together would not even reach 16km/h. The sails would be dragging. If the other two were working concurrently, then yes, theoretically with more power you can make the ship go faster than 16km/h. But the feasibilty issues now arise. How are you going to supplement a diesel engine that makes mechanical power (torque) with electricity and combine it into a single drive system. Maybe instead two drive systems? Or use the solar derived electricity to power the ships electical needs and remove the generators that are being run off the diesel engine which frees up more power.

Answer 3

hummm good one.. let me know when you get the answer.. Although i think combining all power sources (in this case) is not a good idea. since the sails can only go as fast as the wind is blowing, perhaps they are useless in speed since the diesel engines go much faster than the wind... taking the sails away will lessen the weight and reduce the drag. For the photo electric sails, i don't think they will do much help since the they can only speed up 4 miles alone, considering the weight they might not be much help. So in conclusion the ship will probably go as fast as 16 kilometers per hours considering what was mentioned above (drag and weight).

Answer 4

If the no-load speed of any of the sources added (solar, wind etc) is faster than the existing then they will provide some increase. If the no load speed is less than they will detract from the speed.
If the wind is faster that the existing speed sails will add if it is slower putting them up will slow the ship.

Answer 5

The photocells and diesel can be rigged to be additive, but including the sails would impede the ship's motion with either or both of the other systems working.