Undergrad Water powered funicular with equal masses?

[Suekdccia]

TL;DR

Water powered funicular with equal masses?

I found a paper (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312123871_Introducing_a_Modified_Water_Powered_Funicular_Technology_and_its_Prospective_In_Nepal) where the authors design a funicular system powered by water but with a modification from traditional systems where apparently the funicular would work even if both "cars" or wagons (the one at the top and the one at the bottom) have the same mass.

Apparently, as the paper says, the physics was revised by Uday Raj Khanal which is a respected physicist in the authors' native country. But even then, could this funicular be built? Could it work?

 

[russ_watters]

Sure, I don't see a problem - it just oscillates. In practice though, the cars will be different masses, otherwise there'd be no point to it.

 

[hmmm27]

The funicular will start just fine, with equal masses. There's still friction : it won't complete the journey without some energy input. It's just a way of making it faster.

 

[Suekdccia]

The funicular will start just fine, with equal masses. There's still friction : it won't complete the journey without some energy input. It's just a way of making it faster.

But the authors seem to imply that even with the same mass, the whole route of the funicular could be completed, right?

 

[hmmm27]

But the authors seem to imply that even with the same mass, the whole route of the funicular could be completed, right?

I didn't give the paper more than a cursory glance, but I seriously doubt anybody who's "respected" would claim that.

The system probably works best if the loads are equal, but it isn't the dreaded "perpetual motion" by any stretch of the imagination : in fact there's a little bit more friction involved because of the longer tracks (mitigated - perhaps completely - by less regeneration involved in ac/decelerating the cars).

Maybe, cut and paste the section you have problems with ?