Engineering Question for you smart guys.

[Cash Bar]

A Hybrid(Prius,etc) uses a small gas motor to replenish the batteries? Correct?

Why couldn't a similar car be designed with a set of modified windmills, like a paddleboat fan, at the spoiler area? Would this not allow the car to extend it's range by using it's own aerodynamics to push the fans blades to regenerate it's own energy?

I realize I am but one small idiot in a world full, but this is something I was curious about.

If anyone thinks this will work I expect royalties, like a cool MTI built to resemble the car. :sifone:

 

[Ted]

That would regenerate power when you slowed down, but would require the use of any power they generated while running to push them through the air. Adding in the inefficiency of the generator/wiring, it would actually use more power than it produced in order to push the blades through the air.

 

[planetwarmer]

Perpetual motion:

The term perpetual motion, taken literally, refers to movement that goes on forever. However, the term more generally refers to any closed system that produces more energy than it consumes. Such a device or system would be in violation of the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy can never be created or destroyed. The most conventional type of perpetual motion machine is a mechanical system which (supposedly) sustains motion despite losing energy to friction and air resistance, or while avoiding losing energy to friction and air resistance.

Thats why you can do it.

 

[BBB725]

If the car always runs down hill it will work:biggrinjester:

 

[Offshoredrillin]

remember the old bike lights that had a little generator that ran off the tire when you rode, got bright and then dimmer as you slowed. what about if a car had conducters in the axle housings to produce electric...feasable? give my royalties to Greg too he needs them more than I do.

 

[cigdaze]

Power in = Power out

Period. No way around it.

And because nothing is 100% efficient, The energy necessary to generate the power will exceed the power yield, and you will more than pay for it via the drag that's consumed in producing it.

The only reason braking power generation works is because your consuming existing inertial energy which would otherwise be discarded in heating the brakes. Of course, the energy yielded is far less than what was required to achieve that kinetic state in the first place, but capturing it is better than wasting it.

 

[Audiofn]

remember the old bike lights that had a little generator that ran off the tire when you rode, got bright and then dimmer as you slowed. what about if a car had conducters in the axle housings to produce electric...feasable? give my royalties to Greg too he needs them more than I do.

You mean like the way a Hybrid works right?

 

[Audiofn]

Hybrids work not because of how far you can go on the battery. They work becasue they take the unused power from the engine and store it for when it can be used (accelerating...). So when you decelerate, run down hill, brake, or even at times the motor has reserve power it is making so it will direct that power to the battery.

 

[jmeng]

Was going to respond but Cig Daze and Planetwarmer covered it pretty good. Can't get around the laws of physics...

 

[Uncle Dave]

Perpetual motion:

The term perpetual motion, taken literally, refers to movement that goes on forever. However, the term more generally refers to any closed system that produces more energy than it consumes. Such a device or system would be in violation of the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy can never be created or destroyed. The most conventional type of perpetual motion machine is a mechanical system which (supposedly) sustains motion despite losing energy to friction and air resistance, or while avoiding losing energy to friction and air resistance.

Thats why you can do it.

Actually there are a very few extremely well made devices that can run forever barring normal maintenance that generate more power than they use. They are expensive, and aren't near as useful as a car, but the one I own is a very useful device and a marvel of modern engineering.

the Jeager Lecoultre atmos clock can literally run forever- it is powered by small changes in air temperature that occurs in every environment, and a 2 degree change in ambient temp is enough to power the clock for 48 hours. It has a 25 year maintenance cycle and mine measures hours, moon phase, month, and year - the dial goes to the year 3000.

Its been continuously operating for three years now - its not quartz so it isnt nuclear accurate, but it I set it t run a tiny bit fast and shut it off a few minutes every 6 months or so- given its incredible scale of measurement Im quite impressed with it as an engineering piece.

some reference material-

http://www.atmosadam.com/

Uncle Dave

 

[clayinaustin]

remember the old bike lights that had a little generator that ran off the tire when you rode, got bright and then dimmer as you slowed. what about if a car had conducters in the axle housings to produce electric...feasable? give my royalties to Greg too he needs them more than I do.

that would only work in a car if you were pedalling

 

[Airpacker]

Hybrids work not because of how far you can go on the battery. They work becasue they take the unused power from the engine and store it for when it can be used (accelerating...). So when you decelerate, run down hill, brake, or even at times the motor has reserve power it is making so it will direct that power to the battery.

That all depends on which hybrid system is employed. series or parallel. A series hybrid always uses the IC engine to move the vehicle just as a non hybrid does. It utilizes the electric motor to assist in acceleration only. A true parallel system will run solely on electric motor power until load demand( acceleration demand) out strips the electric systems capability OR, the battery gets low. Then the IC engine comes on line and generates mechanical power to move the vehicle and electrical power to both move the vehicle and recharge the battery.

A plug in Hybric will operate as an electric vehicle until the battery level is depleted to such a point as the IC engine starts up to recharge the batteries.
There is NO mechanical connection between the IC engine and the drive wheels.

As to the original question, it has been tried. The added drag of the wind turbines consumes more power than they create. Better would be to make the entire skin of the car out of a photo voltaic material so the batteries are always being recharged while the vehicle is in daylight or under artificial light.

 

[Cash Bar]

Okay, now I can sleep at night.

I'm not an idiot, but I won't be expecting a 44' MTI to just appear in my yard either.

 

[03darkshadow]

Power in = Power out

Period. No way around it.

And because nothing is 100% efficient, The energy necessary to generate the power will exceed the power yield, and you will more than pay for it via the drag that's consumed in producing it.

The only reason braking power generation works is because your consuming existing inertial energy which would otherwise be discarded in heating the brakes. Of course, the energy yielded is far less than what was required to achieve that kinetic state in the first place, but capturing it is better than wasting it.

yep, power in= power out and heat. but you already said that, nothing is 100% efficient.

 

[BBB725]

yep, power in= power out and heat. but you already said that, nothing is 100% efficient.

My horses are, 20 lbs of feed in = 40 lbs of manure out:biggrinjester:

 

[MarylandMark]

I realize I am but one small idiot

I'm not an idiot

Can we get a poll on this?

 

[BBB725]

Can we get a poll on this?

MM the responses were only for smart guys, not smart a$$es:biggrinjester:

Sorry couldn't resist busting your chops