Wind powered car

[ConnClark]

But what makes the one-seater special is the turbine on its nose.

When the car reaches 40mph (64kph), the blades spring into action and begin generating pollution-free power.

"It works just like a windmill," said Tang, who claims the turbine gives his vehicle three times the battery life of other electric cars.

Chinese farmer invents 'wind-powered' car | Fox News

China takes the lead in perpetual motion!

[Daox]

What ever happened to fact checking?

[NachtRitter]

"scientific innovation" ??? Good grief.

[redorchestra]

there were more electric vehicles in China than I have ever seen anywhere else. if electric inovation is coming, I would put my money on China.

[galahs]

An interesting university project we conducted back in 2000, was to see if you could make a model car, drive directly forward into a wind source (industrial fan) using only the wind as a power source.

So could the car not only overcome its own drag, but utilise that drag to generate enough energy to move it forward.

People (including myself) at first were very skeptical that it would work...

...but in the end it was proven to be quite simple to achieve.

Some students made electric vehicles that did it, I made a few mechanical vehicles of which some were really quite simple in design.

[ballo]

Originally Posted by galahs

...to see if you could make a model car, drive directly forward into a wind source (industrial fan) using only the wind as a power source...

Admittedly the story linked in the first post looks like pure bull - but there's been full scale test projects that have been successful, though a lot of work would be needed to come even close to production/consumer use.

This page has the most on it of any I've found so far
Racing AEOLUS 2011

[galahs]

Wow, that video is excellent.
For my own satisfaction it is nice to see what we were testing as a proof of concept in a larger scale.

The biggest problem is still overcoming the drag turbines create, however if electrical/drag efficiencies could be achieved if the turbine was only exposed to airflow for (regenerating) braking.

[ecomodded]

A sail car would be doing about 50 mph in that wind. If one was to combine the two, with the sail acting as a air funnel, directing the vacating sail air into the generator blades a dual thrust effect could incur. ?
A hybrid wind mobile, blade and sail.

[Josh8loop]

This and other variations(electric generator/motor setup) has been proven to work. Capable of traversing directly against the oncoming wind, but powered by the wind itself-not fast, but it does actually work. Really neat stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNbNN...feature=relmfu

[whostean]

Sorry to bring this thread back from the grave, but I was under the impression this guy's car only used the wind turbine to recharge his battery?

"It runs on batteries and electric generators that are recharged by a fan at the front of the vehicle and two ‘solar energy wings’ on the back that sustain electricity generation"