Yeah, I'm a dork

and I watch various of the "How do they do that" shows. Watching them install an immense engine in a tanker ship, and wondered how it related to computers...

Years ago, you would have one supercomputer; now the supercomputers have been replaced by warehouses full of computers like a laptop minus the screen.

That huge many-million-dollar engine has the power of 100 car engines. So maybe put in 100 car engines instead? Each could generate electricity to power a big motor to turn the propeller. It could have individual engines turn on and off as needed as more or less power was needed.