... At best you'd get the fuel consumption of a moped (which is pretty good (120 mpg?) - trading off air resistance and weight vs the reduction in rolling...
... Or use <> around it: <http://www.umeme.maine.edu/mick/Classes/Design2001-2002/Competition%20Info/ HPV/university_of_maine_human_powere.htm> or from...
... The big trouble with this approach is not the technology, or the legislation. The big problem is the other traffic. Gasoline is made out of dead dinosaurs...
... For the first couple of years of my life I was toted around in the sidecar of a Triumph Bonneville. For that matter I have seen an entire Nepalese family...
I love the image of puttering about with the entire family in motorcycle and sidecar! The safety issue is the biggie. One can't really use bike paths (or, one...
I like the late 80s Honda CRX for a sporty and economical to run design. My SO had one for many years and we were very pleased with all aspects of it's...
Paul I think The Netherlands approaches this with their bicycle tracks, and common use of bicycles and mopeds, but effective use is restricted to smaller urban...
www.therecord.com That is the remains of a solar car after it was T boned by a minivan in Canada last week. The solar car lost control (don't know why,...
The prototype is coming along. I've finished all my drawings and spec sheets and my father introduced me to a Vietnamese guy who has a degree in computer...
alternate news source: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/12/solar_crash040812.h tml Unfortunate, to say the least. Probably a 3-wheeled vehicle,...
Ah, they don't really know what caused it, that quote is just an off the cuff remark by the traffic cop. I don't know how many wheels the car had, generally...
Here's a novel engine that may have some virtues, although frankly I can't see why it would be better than diesel. It uses a Scotch Yoke arrangement for the...
I think it might be better than (conventional) diesel engines due to fewer moving parts (note all the valvetrain parts that aren't needed, aren't there, and...
I don't see the advantage of a Bourke engine over a 2-stroke turbodiesel. A Scotch yoke design seems to have a lot of sliding friction. Why not put a 2-cycle...
As I see it is a four cylinder engine with only two pistons... it uses the bottom of the pistons too... this gives two firings per stoke so it is more like a...
Howstuffworks tells me a two-stroke turbo- or supercharged diesel has poppet valves. Poppet valves are used for "uniflow scavenging" systems where the intake...
Wow -- this is good stuff to know! So, what might be your predictions on what amounts to an open exhaust port near the bottom of the stroke and a valved...
... Why not do this the other way around -- exhaust ports and intake valves? What's the advantage of the typical setup? Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT ...
I used to think I knew what the advantage of a double-acting piston was -- or even what it is -- but now I'm not sure. I posted a little animation of a...
Paul, " Why not do this the other way around -- exhaust ports and intake valves? What's the advantage of the typical setup?" ... I'm no engineer, but near as...
Hmmm... Looks like somebody is going to start importing Smart cars from europe to sell in the US. I hope these guys have a sturdy business plan - I'm a bit...
I'm not convinced of the safety of the things, either, much as the Adrain Lund guy quoted in the article isn't. I hope I've learned my lesson -- even if a...
I'm still working on the drawings and figurings and I've met some other people who are interested in the concept and who may be able to help me develop it,...
bluegoat -- Not to completely despair, yet: Have you tried to contact Capstone microturbine? Or Williams International? I think both have embarked on and...
Funding R&D is difficult, even if you have a semi proven idea. Venture capital people need a very high return on investment in order to justify a risk....
... Ed, you raise a good point. The problem I'm having is my infatuation with the number 90. I want the RFL Commuter 90 to be a subcompact two door two seat...
... infatuation ... I'd ... body ... Suppose you fit your drivetrain into a car that weighs 3600 lb (easy to do with ballast), and has 126% of the aerodynamic...
... and are small. Really? I had thought, for instance, our old '76 audi fox (VW Dasher) had about a 1600 lb curb weight, but I am now thinking I was nuts....
no way!!! here we go: http://www.thepaty.plus.com/8v/mk2_curb_weights/mk2_curb_weights.htm Seems to be a marked preference for VWs, but they tend to be...
