To Wheel Or Not To Wheel ?

[All Darc]

Sorry if I'm going too fast, but I wonder how would be possible to find a way to easily relates CDA and top area for solar panels. I konw it would require many values, including solar cell efficience.

But for now I'm imaging a way to combine the low drag force and low CDA of a vehicle with small frontal area, with the principle of the horizontal plate cutting the air easilly.

Let take this vehicle for example :



Small frontal area, remambers a torpedo, two seats (wheels could be better but let's left it to another day talk). But the top it's narrow, poor for solar cells.
Instead of re-design a large frontal area and larger top area for the vehicle, to get better solar surface area, what about we just add a plates in horizontal, around the shell. The plate would have minimal drag force if it could preciselly follows the wind flow along the lateral sides of the shell, making probably some few wave curve in horizontal. The plate would also increase solar area to make solar cells available area more revelant.

The idea is to create a electric vehicle assisted by solar cells, able to cary two passangers, consuming less energy and having a better relation between energy consumed and energy produced (by solar cells) than Solarworld No.1



But keeping 2 wheels, manuever like this one bellowwould be a problem, malking the solar plates hit the ground.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by All Darc

The idea is to create a electric vehicle assisted by solar cells, able to cary two passangers, consuming less energy and having a better relation between energy consumed and energy produced (by solar cells) than Solarworld No.1

That is a beautiful design.

I'll share a little advice that someone told me back in 1982-ish, do two wheels in front and one in back (handling reasons).

EDIT:
This 2008 thread has some nice images as well.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...hape-3746.html

[All Darc]

Aptera problem was the tick wheel tires, and the tall extructure in the back to fit the rear wheel. All large extructures that even with stream lined covers added much drag, and probably created turbulence to the center air flow bellow the shell.

The Solarworld No.1 (yellow car) probably opted one wheel in front and two behing to reduce such problems, but make the car more prone to accidents, including one that happed in a competition, breaking a piece of the shell in lateral portion near the front wheel.

Maybe 4 small narrow wheels, leaving the center free to the air flow, woulf be better.

Originally Posted by kach22i

That is a beautiful design.

I'll share a little advise that someone told me back in 1982-ish, do two wheels in front and one in back (handling reasons).

EDIT:
This 2008 thread has some nice images as well.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...hape-3746.html

[freebeard]

13 posts in 24 hrs. Where to start?

Originally Posted by kach22i

That is a beautiful design.

I drew a design when I was in high school (may still have it) that was opposite. Enclosed wheels (and a split grille) in front and open wheels (and transaxle) in back.

Permalink #3:
R.B. Fuller's Omnidirectional Transport (the precursor to the Dymaxion Transport) had an air keel:


Also ME-262. I knew I had this squirreled away, but I see now it is by Ross Lovegrove (a very interesting person):



Here's his design for a car on a stick that doubles as a street-light, plus offstreet parking.


https://www.dezeen.com/2008/01/24/ca...oss-lovegrove/

The concept involves bubble-shaped cars that are powered by solar canopies on the roof. At night, the cars are stored atop telescopic poles, where they act as street lights and keep the ground level free of parked vehicles.

My own contribution: A stern-wheeler hovercraft with a blown nose:


Aptera suffered from interference drag between the nose and front wheels.

[All Darc]

Herbie (The Love Bug) got amputated...

The buble car it's elegant, but how can a such small solar panel move it with 4 people?
Only the verey developed countries. In countries in development it would be easy target of vandalism and thiefs.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Here's his design for a car on a stick that doubles as a street-light, plus offstreet parking.


https://www.dezeen.com/2008/01/24/ca...oss-lovegrove/


My own contribution: A stern-wheeler hovercraft with a blown nose:


Aptera suffered from interference drag between the nose and front wheels.

[freebeard]

What you do is called top-posting. Comment first and cite second. If you cite first it flows better. No offense?

Herbie (The Love Bug) got amputated... Photochopped

The Lovegrove design shows two on the road and one on the pole. Supposed the street were lined with them. The poles would be empty during the day while people go around their busyness. At night the street would be lined with street-lights. As long as utilization as a car was maybe 20%, they could trade charge locally for load balancing.

The back-to-back seating might be a deal killer. Who knows.

edit:
Possibly the bubble window is a see-through solar cell? No more fanciful than the rest.

[All Darc]

Very transparent solar cells, or see-through solar cell as you said, are only 5% efficient in present time. They will try to reach 15% in few years or so.

[freebeard]

Future Transportation - X-Frame All-Electric Vehicle Folds Up Vertically For Storage

I posted this in another thread. I would classify it as a squircular Morelli body. It consists of four curved edges that meet at an X at the stagnation point.

[All Darc]

Where it fit the batteries??
In the huge orange wheel??

Originally Posted by freebeard

Future Transportation - X-Frame All-Electric Vehicle Folds Up Vertically For Storage

I posted this in another thread. I would classify it as a squircular Morelli body. It consists of four curved edges that meet at an X at the stagnation point.

[freebeard]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The provided link (ecofriend.org) 404s. I searched on 'Nagoya Institute of Technology X-frame' and found a Spanish language site, but all it had was the same picture. I'd like to see that graphic that's on the wall behind it. There is an exploded diagram.