I envision building a vehicle that is powered by electrcity that would carry the whole team through some obsticle course.

Teams would have to build a generator that is human powered that would power a vehicle that would carry team, generator and all along some course.

Very cool and environmentally positive.

Thanks Kirk

-- Kirk Sides (kirk@compassnet.com), January 26, 2001

Answers

Umm.....that might just work. They've had steam powered cars Electric might be possible.....of course I have No idea what goes into making an electric car so I don't know if they can do it or not...I'd still like to see it

-- JunkMan (r1ddller@juno.com), January 26, 2001.

That could be a very slow race, since on a small scale it isn't all that efficient to convert kinetic energy into electricity, and then back to mechanical energy. On a smooth level surface, like a drag strip though, it may be workable, as the machines would have time to get up speed. That's how diesel electric locomotives work. The motor runs a generator which powers an electric motor to drive the wheels. The reason is that it allows the motor turn at a steady speed and electric generator output is easy to control to get the various speeds and torque needed to move a train.

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), January 27, 2001.

You will get about 50% efficiency in each energy conversion. In other words, you will have 25% of the power available over a direct drive/pedal vehicle.

I believe the reason they do it on locomotives is for easier speed control, and the fact that the electric engines can be directly coupled to the drive wheels, saving a lot of mechanical linkages and clutches.

-- Michael (Canadian P. Eng.) (michael@mks-tech.com), January 28, 2001.

Kirk: Something like that would be interesting, done with the electric motors that one would see in a junkyard. The big problem would be getting the R.P.M.s on the generator without having to get in to some pretty fantastic gearing to generate enough power for the motors. Maybe a wind generator providing power may be a viable answer. Micheal: The reason that railway locomotives use electric motors in their locomotives boils down to one basic word, Torque. With the loads that are pulled an electric motor can get the train moving with more efficiancy than any other type of motor or drive system. Speed control really isn't a factor.

-- Ernie (KVRNut@hotmail.com), February 05, 2001.