Maybe I'm just nuts...but does anyone think it's possible on one of our electric scooters...to capture the wind that is hitting you while riding...and using it to turn a small fan (windmill if you will) attached to some kind of small generator to get at least a small amount of charging power back to the batteries??? Is that just simply not a possibility? Or would it just be negligible even if you could devise something like that.
I'm talking about something like catching the air through an opening so it's concentrated and having a small fan...think like a wind tunnel of sorts...to turn a small generator. I'm supposing that even if you devised it...it would be something like one of those old bike to tire generators that might light up a very small light...but not have enough power to make any difference to the batteries.
Ok...I just needed to ask...
Gushar
I can't blame you for asking, but...
Adding more wind resistance (via a power-generating fan) will put an additional load on the battery.
There is a thread here somewhere about "what is the best generator for making a series hybrid" and the "real-world" results are that it takes twice the Kw in generation to power a given Kw of motor. VERY bad efficiency and investment of dollars, as every dollar invested will cost you two dollars.
Batteries wear out, and need to occasionally be replaced. But, a fairing and capacitors only need to be bought once (they can even be recycled onto another vehicle years down the road)
By reducing wind resistance (especially over 20 MPH) and by adding capacitors to the battery/controller, you will add a "real-world" benefit to your dollars, top speed, and range.
http://www.aerorider.com/
If you put together something like this, put the door on the LEFT so you can get a frappachino (topped with whipped cream, and just a "hint" of cinnamon) from the drive-through window...
"the coldest winter I ever experienced, was a summer in San Francisco" -Mark Twain
How many capacitors and of what value? How far can they extend your range? Is this a common practice in Electric vehichles?
Thanks
I agree with spinningmagnets that increasing drag would be a bad thing, but possibly this could be done without increasing drag. How so? There is a certain amount of air that's going to hit you and the bike and cause drag anyway. Presumably you could mess around with this air a bit and not increase your drag. I don't think fans would be feasible, though. I'm picturing a lot of little fans covering your jacket. It sure would be pretty.
Aren't there some piezoelectric materials that turn wind pressure into electricity? They might work.
I'm going to stop now that I am in completely over my head...
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"