Vehicle Accelerates Into the Wind
A cart sits on a runway with a wind turbine mounted on it and geared to its wheels, in such a way that when the wind turns the turbine, the wheels will move the cart forward into the wind. The ratio of angular velocity of the turbine to the wheels can be any ratio you choose.
As the wind velocity increases until the static coefficients of friction are overcome, what will the cart do?
Note: See this animation .
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1 solution
If it were possible for the wind turbine to produce enough force to accelerate the vehicle into the wind, it would also be possible for the same vehicle being pushed by a pickup truck on a windless day, at that same velocity as the original wind, creating the same relative wind to then accelerate the vehicle, leaving the pickup truck behind, thus achieving "perpetual motion."