Cars running on magnets?

[dstebbins]

Lots of scientists are racing to find ways to power cars without expensive fuels.

 

Some people suggesting having a car that runs on hydrogen, and then, funneling the water that was created back into the engine. Unfortunately, due to the law of science that says that no system can ever be 100% efficient, that wouldn't work.

 

However, what if cars ran on magnets? Public roads would be replaced with tracks that are made of north pole magnets. The tracks would look like metal T's protruding out of the ground, which would keep the cars (with north pole magnets on the bottom) from simply being lifted up into the air. Tracks, in this case, would have to go into each person's private garage, but at the same time, there's no more fuel to worry about!

 

The north pole magnets in the bottom of the car would be in the form of hundreds of poles. The poles would stick out diagonally towards the back of the car when you wanted to go forward. When you wanted to put on the breaks, half of the north pole magnets would point diagonally backwards, and half would point diagonally forwards, balancing the magnetic forces out, creating equilibrium and causing the car to remain stationary relative to the ground.

 

There's also some south pole magnets wrapping around the car like a belt, which would repel themselves against other south pole magnets wrapped around other cars, thus preventing a good number of collisions.

 

Turning, accelerating, and parking wouldn't need fuel. The re-adjusting of the north pole magnets and the direction they turn can be done completely using simple machines and muscle power!

 

The biggest problem, that I can see, is convincing entire cities to revamp their road systems.

 

Thoughts?

[Klaynos]

There's a few problems I see here without putting much thought in, the magnets would de-magnetise quite quickly and have you ever tried balancing two magnets on top of each other?

[swansont]

Turning, accelerating, and parking wouldn't need fuel. The re-adjusting of the north pole magnets and the direction they turn can be done completely using simple machines and muscle power!

 

Aye, there's the rub. All of the work done in the system has to come from turning the magnets. (Also, muscle power is fairly weak/inefficient as things go, which is why we invented machines)

[Xittenn]

(Also, muscle power is fairly weak/inefficient as things go, which is why we invented machines)

 

And power steering!

 

Currently similar technology is being used for mass transit, as I'm sure you are already aware. Maybe some of the quoted figures might be an indication as to why we don't make the sudden leap to maglev passenger vehicles. Tracks are a bit of an inconvenience as well.

 

My opinion on this is we're going to see a slow progression towards the use of mass transit by the greater global population. I'm personally sick and tired of seeing such a high percentage of my surrounding landscape allocated to roads and vehicles. The constant nagging world gloomy doomy is a bit much as well.

 

Assuming there is no move away from passenger vehicles there are a few things that will be addressed as you have attempted to do so. On-board intelligence systems will be coming into fashion over the next decade and has already begun with assisted parking. There is current investigation into charging electric vehicles through magnetic strips embedded in roadways. There are also a few dozen projects investigating maglev for passenger vehicles that doesn't require any sort of track, and so on . . . . I just read a concept of BMW's in where the car is grown from a seed --word-- !

[markus.dnd]

When I read the title I was thinking. BLDC motors. Technically all the electric cars are on magnets.

 

Also, Xittenn, I want to see that article about BMW seed concept. Sounds like awesome read!

[Xittenn]

It's just a concept car, it's called the Biome. How much effort they actually put into realizing something like this is, probably a well guarded secret if they are at all serious. There must be something behind the curtain though if they are actively showcasing the idea as a concept at trade shows.

[swansont]

I should add that what maglev buys you is a reduction in friction, so the work you have to do to move the car is a lot closer to its kinetic energy. But here's another problem with the repulsion as propulsion (of several): hills. You would have to be doing the manual work equivalent to lifting the car up a hill in addition to any kinetic energy you still have. And when you stop, you dissipate all that energy, and there's a question of how quickly you could stop, because friction helps you out there.

 

Even a small car with a mass of ~500 kg (including payload) going ~100 km/hr (60 mph) has a KE of 200,000 Joules. A good workout output for someone in average shape is a kiloWatt. Going "zero to 60" takes more than 3 minutes. Stopping would be similar.

[John Cuthber]

[CaptainPanic]

I should add that what maglev buys you is a reduction in friction, so the work you have to do to move the car is a lot closer to its kinetic energy. But here's another problem with the repulsion as propulsion (of several): hills. You would have to be doing the manual work equivalent to lifting the car up a hill in addition to any kinetic energy you still have. And when you stop, you dissipate all that energy, and there's a question of how quickly you could stop, because friction helps you out there.

 

Even a small car with a mass of ~500 kg (including payload) going ~100 km/hr (60 mph) has a KE of 200,000 Joules. A good workout output for someone in average shape is a kiloWatt. Going "zero to 60" takes more than 3 minutes. Stopping would be similar.

Excellent post.

 

I just want to add that we must remember that acceleration and topspeed are a matter of convenience. People might want to make a small sacrifice to make it either cheaper or more ecological.

 

Stopping a vehicle is a matter of safety, and different standards apply. All safety aspects just have to work, or it is not going to work. Ecology and economy always come second to safety. So, if you have a magnetically floating car which cannot safely stop when a child is crossing the road, this concept can go straight into the garbage bin. I am not saying this cannot work... I am only saying that we'd better solve this first before dreaming about a lower energy consumption.

[michel123456]

It's just a concept car, it's called the Biome. How much effort they actually put into realizing something like this is, probably a well guarded secret if they are at all serious. There must be something behind the curtain though if they are actively showcasing the idea as a concept at trade shows.

 

Not BMW but Mercedes-Benz.

 

From the link

The Biome isn't built the same way normal cars are. Instead, its bodywork is grown from two seeds -- one for the interior, one for the exterior -- that produce an ultralight 'BioFibre', which is then harvested and knitted together to form the car.

The german engineers discovered cotton.

Or flax (linen). Or bamboo.

Or wood, who knows?

 

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About the OP, IIRC there is some research into magnetic systems for frictionless binding between the wheel and the axis. It is probable that future electrical vehicles will have the generator in direct contact with the wheel, not to say upon the wheel: 4 wheels, 4 generators, contrasting with existing central power supply. There will be no (or much less) mechanical parts, less gears.

 

found this enterprise

And SKF

Edited November 7, 2011 by michel123456