saving gas $ (Hinton, Clay: 2010, quality of life, sales tax)

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by Two-Rivers

Made the 38 mile trip to the farm today and kept track of how many miles I could coast on these WV hills. Had 12 miles total, coasting 50-70mph.

Check out the link below. Look for the 'fifth' wheel on this Honda Insight. I have a similar idea to use a wheel like that with an electric generator attached. The car in the link is using the fifth wheel with an electric motor to help move the car.

All I need is the swing arm and wheel from a shaft drive ATV or motorcycle, and a small hydraulic cylinder to raise/lower the fifth wheel. They told me it couldn't be done. But they said the same thing when I wanted to build a car that runs on air, now that's been done too. Oh well, here's the link:
Mikes Insight - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist Tour De Sol

If you're curious, here's a link to one of the air powered cars, Popular Mechanics said we may see them in showrooms by August 2008, but I don't know when they said it. The MDI air car has been "coming next Summer" for about seven years.
Air Car Factories - The Air Car

I'm loving these results, and thanks for sharing this link! I'm not following what this 5th wheel is needed for though- didn't make it into my brain yet.

Those popular mechanics teaser articles always annoyed me. I cancelled my subscription years ago. I'll just read over your shoulder now.

DK- america put a man on the moon. we can damn sure straight break free of oil tyranny when we put our minds to it. Go GO GO!

[Two-Rivers]

Originally Posted by harborlady

...I'm not following what this 5th wheel is needed for though- didn't make it into my brain yet.

The fifth wheel on Mike's Insight allows him to drive 23 miles in town on all electric, and his fifth wheel is recharged by solar. His Insight still has the original gas/electric hybrid setup.

My fifth wheel idea has the electric power running the usual drive wheels, and the fifth wheel turns a generator to power the motor or charge batteries.

[harborlady]

OHHH very clever!!! Yes, I always saw the kinetic energy already generated as an unclaimed resource somehow. My imagination seemed to lean toward getting benefit of aero dynamic harvesting wind power on a highway, but I like your idea much better. What would happen if you had multiple smaller wheels generating electric that was stepped up in series? Did you do the math on that (ratio's energy generated: cost of materials)? At one point it should depart from optimal harvest due to excess drag.

Newer batteries coming down in price are going to make your idea even more worthwhile. I know people see these pictures of unattractive clunky things and get turned off, but the workmans bench isn't about pretty, its functionality. Designers can re tool around function later on to make it user friendly for average folks.

KUDO'S two-rivers, and hip hip horay for american ingenuity. Very proud!

[Two-Rivers]

I've considered wind turbines. If you get a vehicle up to 50-75mph you can harvest a fair amount of power from a ducted fan set up with a generator. The design may end up looking like the modern Batmobile with it's turbine intake in the grille.

I haven't done much math on these ideas, I'm more of the 'try it and see' type. It was those mathematic types that talked me out of pursuing the air car.

Thanks for the kudos!
TR

[harborlady]

Yeah I hear ya. Last I heard they still couldn't scientifically explain why a helicopter is able to fly, but there it is just the same.

[David Kennedy]

Toyota announced a new car yesterday that has zero emissions...missed the name of it...these japanese have been doing their homework on auto technology...we will benefit from it all. And the pressure is on with this development to make the cars cheap...to market availability to the 3rd world emerging nations...solar powered Yugo, anyone?

[harborlady]

ACK! YUGO'S! no way man!
I'm glad its happening overall, I just wish american car mfg wouldn't have been so stuck in the past all this time- they've only steadily given others a market advantage. Seems they might be waking up now... we'll see.

[Retired Navy]

Originally Posted by harborlady

Yeah I hear ya. Last I heard they still couldn't scientifically explain why a helicopter is able to fly, but there it is just the same.

Hinton Bound needs to weigh in on this one but I believe Helo's fly because Bernoulli said they could. Because the air moves faster over the top of the spinning rotors than it does the bottom, more pressure is applied under the rotors than on top, creating lift. Same principle as applied to airplane wings. Now the Bumble Bee.....that's a different story....but not really . I'd hate to see rotors on automobiles!!! Can you imagine Walmart parking lot on a busy Saturday with 500 giant weed whackers vying for a parking spot??? Heads are gonna roll!!! LOL!!!

[Threerun]

My next 'green' mode of transportation will be a Tennessee Walker.

[harborlady]

retired do you recall seeing those model cars-- corvair? that had transmission buttons on the dashboard? I might have the name wrong because that carshow in toronto was huge and there was too much to see. I did the girlie thing, managed to pick out the 3 most expensive cars among 1,000's.
Whatever car it was well before my time but I was told that there aren't many left because people kept getting in accidents. stick with keep it simple stupid hahahaha. some can't operate a shopping cart without causing catastrophe.

Anyone has space in their prayers for the guy I bought my house from- he was in an accident 2 days ago with his son, they're both in critical care. His boy lost his spleen, gall bladder, and part of a kidney. Dad- both his lungs are punctured and everytime he comes to he tries ripping his tubes out in a panic. They have to knock him out so he doesn't hurt himself.