Quote:
Originally Posted by PhantomLord
Not to forget the combined diesel-electric propulsion for saving fuel on long journeys... that would be nice.
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You do not save fuel by running on electric power.
More fuel is required to charge the batteries and run on electric for 10 miles
than is required to run for 10 miles on diesel alone.
This is because some of the energy the diesel engines produce is lost when
they charge the batteries.
The only source of energy on the u-boat is the diesel fuel. You can convert
it to battery power, but that results in an overall energy loss. You can't get
'free' energy.
Electric cars save energy because they charge the batteries when there is
excess engine power and discharge when the engine would otherwise be at
it's least efficient. U-boats can't do this because their combustion engines
always run at speeds that are less efficacy when switched to electric and
there is never any spare engine power.