I bet I am not the only person who is waiting for the video with the power meter. I am not a windmill. I do not know how windmills have much to do with make a human propelled vehicle go faster. I am not a sailboat although with a good tailwind I might think I am one. Read a tailwind makes me faster. Not a headwind and not a crosswind that is coming at me from my forward direction.
I might be impressed with the fan car if it had no engine and no batteries. Capacitors to store energy. All it shows is an electric car driving around on batteries. If they could demonstrate that they can go farther on a battery charge with the fans than without all that aerodynamic drag then the video might have some value.
Hello Jim,
Wind is a force but a windmill generates energy. We can use the energy to move the windmill up against the force. If it's a small mill on a big base it wont go very fast of course. But it's an energy harvesting device that has to overcome a force so eventually even the smallest mill can build up enough force to overcome the wind. It's just a bit of gearing. But the wind becomes much more intense from even the slightest acceleration.
I'm happy to announce that the drag generated by a vehicle may be used by a windmill as if it was wind. This of course creates extra drag but this drag is partially shared with the rider.
We thus have a free energy situation on our hands here. :-)
Drag is limited by the size of the vehicle. If any amount of this drag is turned into propulsion then that percentage (just) wont be available for slowing the vehicle down. It's not-there anymore.
"Unfortunately, Takahashi seems to think he can defy the laws of physics and get something for nothing: the energy generated will come at the expense of the extra aerodynamic drag caused by his roof- mounted apparatus. From issue 2161 of New Scientist magazine, 21 November 1998, page 11" http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16021611.600-windpowered-car.html
