Windbelt / Humdinger to generate power
 

Sorry as this will be slightly off tread... it is about drag and utilizing it to get better mpg though. Has anyone heard of the windbelt (humdinger)? I was thinking that it might be possible to utilize a windbelt on the back end of your car in an area of turbulence to supplement a hybrids electrical power. I got the idea while watching the myth busters mpg show with the ford trucks with the tail gates down episode. As they demonstrated a circular airflow in the bed of the truck. if such an airflow could be utilized to power 5 windbelts and gain a 5w output per windbelt for a total of 25w what would that equate to in terms of mpg for the car? i suppose its an incremental change really...

Watts
 

Those watts have to come from somewhere, and since the car is moving,
making wind as it were.. Those belts will add drag.

Will that drag on the ICE be equal to the wattage gained?
Nope, the conversion losses will eat it up some.

Want some free power, add an aerodynamic solar PV panel.. :)

Hello & welcome to EM,

25watts is not worth trying for -- you could save more than that by changing out the lightbulbs for LED's. Anything that adds to drag will still be a net loss, because any wind generator is less than 100% efficient. Otherwise, you would have invented a perpetual motion machine -- which we both know is impossible...

Maybe he's on to something. He's talking about extracting energy from the turbulence, not the airstream

Much of the air flowing around the car is going to be turbulent.

But, it really doesn't make much difference if it's smooth air
or turbulent air, if you stick something (an object) into a place
where fast moving air is going to hit it, so it can pick up wind energy,
that device is going to product extra drag.

But following that logic, a spoiler that protrudes into vortices to smooth airflow would create more drag just by having air hit it, which isn't the case

"so it can pick up wind energy".. By that I mean something that converts
the air flow into electrical power measured in watts used.
Those watts are coming from the ICE.

I didn't really mean to imply that a stationary airfoil would be a big drag. ;)

However, a spoiler airfoil does have drag. It can cause more fuel to
be burned, if it's not the right size, installed in the right location, at the right angle etc..

If you had a car with a real good cd and started installing big spoilers on it,
that might work out real well..


My guess is, many spoilers are just fuel wasters.. But they look really cool.. :cool: