Would a small windmill generator placed in a truck bed produce enough energy to power the truck (if electric)?
Image by Dominic’s pics
A windmill used to generate electricity for the Brighton Earthship. In the background is a composting toilet.
The windmill is made by Whisper / Southwest Windpower
An image taken at or near the Brighton Earthship located near Stanmer Park, Brighton, East Sussex.
The Earthship – the first built in the UK – is an experimental sustainable development which includes the following features: photovoltaic solar cells, collection of rainwater from the roof, a windmill, using the thermal storage property of the ground (by building "hobbit like" into a hillside), reuse of rubber tires as a building material for the walls.
No one lives here, but regular tours are available by arrangement.
Further information:
Low Carbon Trust
Brighton Earthship Project
Sustainable Development Commission
The UK Earth Centre Network
Question by somebody: Would a small windmill generator placed in a truck bed produce enough energy to power the truck (if electric)?
If placed in the truck bed it would take drag out of the question and would have wind conditions ideal for its designs. would it be enough to power the truck?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
10 Responses to Would a small windmill generator placed in a truck bed produce enough energy to power the truck (if electric)?
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It would not produce enough energy. However you could use your idea as long as you had other methods combined with it.
Dee
November 12, 2011 at 3:03 pm
You could get about a half horsepower or so out of a truck-mounted wind turbine. That might be enough to drive it 1 or 2 mph. Hardly seems worth the trouble!
Geezer
November 12, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Perhaps you can put a sail on the truck.
sysengineer67
November 12, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Are you suggesting that the windmill generator would be efficient enough to start a perpetual motion cycle?
sleepyjoe256
November 12, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Yes – Perpetual Motion is the new power of the future!
Dr Jello
November 12, 2011 at 5:15 pm
noo
Mr.wilson
November 12, 2011 at 6:07 pm
No, because, among other reasons, the force of the drag produced by the wind against the windmill will be greater than the amount of energy produced by the generator.
This would otherwise only work under laws of cartoon physics.
Paint Frog
November 12, 2011 at 6:49 pm
You have to strategically place the windmill. Let me say, that just outside the doors of Congress, or maybe put it in view of the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port Ma. Another great place would be right in back of Al Gore jet when just before it takes off.
jcpnum4green@att.net
November 12, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Would never work.
caciannn
November 12, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Depends how much you drive the truck, vs. how much wind it gets while it’s sitting parked. Probably not enough though.
If you’re thinking you can get the windmill to run on wind gotten by driving, you need to research “over-unity”.
Wolf Harper
November 12, 2011 at 8:03 pm