Homemade Wind Powered Electric Vehicle Generates Almost 1 KW
Don’t laugh.
This started as just another ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, zero emissions, homemade solar powered EV.
But, sensibly, noting the enormous contribution of the wind turbine in the “snout” 400 watts at 28 MPH, night or day! Joe Rush, the inventor plans on adding a second wind turbine! This would bring the total on-board electricity supply to nearly 1 KW. Well, at least when it’s traveling at 28 mph, it would.
Perhaps following the findings of that Federal study which recently found that wind power is the second most cost-effective investment for Federal renewable energy dollars, right behind geothermal power Joe Rush is simply utilizing the free energy generated by simply being a moving vehicle: wind, from which he creates the first wind powered EV.
Unfettered by the slow-moving decision-making procedures of giant auto companies (some of which will no doubt still be trying to sell us gas guzzlers even while our poor planet enters it’s second Eocene) Joe is able to nimbly head back to the drawing board for this radical revision. A second wind turbine will be added.But where?
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Given the tiny size of the vehicle, I’d suggest discarding the relatively meager solar contribution altogether (as there’s only enough space for 75 Watts worth of panels) to make some room for the second “snout” to sniff up more wind.
Or perhaps, in the interests of traditional auto styling; the two wind “snouts” could be in the two spots that are usually reserved for headlights. I see this vehicle is unencumbered by headlights, unless… is that a lightbulb on the roof?
Like so many backyard inventors, Joe provides us far more detailed specs than the average auto company provides: for instance we find that the motor is half the weight of the entire car and that when empty, the car weighs 1,200 lbs, but with two people, it weighs 1,570 lbs.
“Specications for Solar Car;
4-speed tanaxle vw
300 amp 24 volt DC motor 600lbs.
Batteries 4-6volt 320lbs.
Wheels 100lbs.
Body + Frame 200lbs.
Weight empty 1200lbs.
Two passagers 350lbs
Tolal weight 1570lbs.
Average load 110amps at 30mph
Top speed 50mph
Grade per Load N/A”
Here’s his original plan:
I guess it’s back to the drawing board for the second wind turbine. If you have any suggestions, or if you’d like a job in design or engineering (or drawing?) at Joe’s zero emissions wind-powered electric vehicle startup; contact Mr. Joseph A. Rush, in Des Moines IA 50315 or by telephone at (515)256-8074
Very creative but ugly. I can not see this car meeting safety standards either. I wonder if a squirl cage fan off the back of the car would not serve as a better fan, and reduce drag at the same time if properly placed, and increasing aerodynamics on the front of the car at the same time.
Wow, so all he needs to do is add enough fans to cover the cost of moving (plus one) and then he’d be creating free energy! Maybe this is the solution to our energy problems!
What I would really like to know is the energy balance.
How much energy comes in at 28mph? How was this measured?
How much energy goes out (to the motor) at 28mph? How is it measured?
Thermodynamically, the energy coming in in such a system can never be more than the energy going out. And just saying that it generates 400W (which, by the way, is less than half of 1kW) means nothing, when we don’t know how much energy is spent in the process.
Who edits this website? Adding this wind power increased the wind resistance of the moving tractor because, quite obviously, addition of the turbines will interrupt the flow of the air of the moving tractor. “Real” wind systems tap the natural energy of the wind. Not the energy of the moving tractor (ie, driven with fossil fuels).
This is the equivalent of using an electric fan to turn a wind turbine. Sure it will generate “free” electricity…but only if you ignore the energy needed to drive the fan!
This is absurd and will not work as planned.
Adding a windmill to a car would cause more air friction. The extra effort to overcome this friction would be greater than the energy supplied by the windmill.
A basic law of physics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is just changed from one form to another.
Most of the energy required to keep a car going at a constant speed is used to overcome air friction. If you add air friction, you will burn more gasoline or use up your batteries faster.
Hi Susan - This more properly belongs on http://www.thereifixedit.com it is a joke,
No need to add more - you guys have labeled it correctly - a donkey in green clothing.
Steve - Uh-oh: the editor is on holiday.
All - I apologize for posting a non-serious car story. I’ll try to fly right.
I agree poster above. If this a wind power car it go very slow and only go into the wind.
Love that handbrake, Russ; thanks!
Very silly looking design, but a proof of concept and a good starting point. Looks like this guy’s done more work in his backyard than GM’s done in decades of spending billions on R&D. Replace the fan with a couple wind tunnels that run along the chassis; narrow the tunnels to create high pressure (like a water line) and run some high-powered turbines. Resistance will diminish as pressure increases, because air will tend to flow around the car. Then throw in some regenerative braking (electric motors/generators) on the wheels. Getting a concept vehicle up to 80% or 90% efficiency shouldn’t be hard in this manner (passengers excluded).