Discussion
I'm watching a program on telly now about jet cars - there were some really cool models in the 60s! What would the legalities of driving one of those on the public highway?
I can imagine insurance would be a nightmare, but that would all pale into insignificance compared to how much fun it would be whizzing down the motorway to the sound of a jet engine!
I can imagine insurance would be a nightmare, but that would all pale into insignificance compared to how much fun it would be whizzing down the motorway to the sound of a jet engine!
Its the original GM Firebird concept car which is turbine powered. You can't stand behind it, but it sounds amazing. The top car is the Chrysler turbine car which was street legal but only loaned to a number of customers for a year as a test. Almost all of them were scrapped at the end of the test. I think 3 survive, one owned by Jay Leno.
As I recall, the likes of Rover and other companies who experimented with small gas turbines wanted to use them to power their cars in the same way as a regular gasoline engine.
Unfortunatley, this isn't very practical as gas turbines work best at constant speeds, so increasing and decreasing the engine speed to speed up and slow down the car in traffic, as you would with a conventional engine, really isn't practical.
However, if you used the gas turbine to power a generator that could supply motors and batteries/capacitors, you may well be onto a winner. Though you have to take into account, weight, complexity, noise, fuel consumption, cooling etc.
I'd love the idea of owning a gas turbine powered car, it would sound pretty awesome!
Unfortunatley, this isn't very practical as gas turbines work best at constant speeds, so increasing and decreasing the engine speed to speed up and slow down the car in traffic, as you would with a conventional engine, really isn't practical.
However, if you used the gas turbine to power a generator that could supply motors and batteries/capacitors, you may well be onto a winner. Though you have to take into account, weight, complexity, noise, fuel consumption, cooling etc.
I'd love the idea of owning a gas turbine powered car, it would sound pretty awesome!
This may be not quite what the OP intended, but I love watching vids of Sammy Miller. This guy went on to drive Vanishing Point to a record run of 3.58 seconds 1/4 mile, at a terminal speed of 386mph. Apparently, such g-forces were involved that Sammy would be bleeding from his nose and ears after each run!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlVVH8ecm5c&fea...
Poor fella was killed in 2002 in an accident at work, how ironic.
Also, here is Nick Mann's car, which is the one referred to above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11687nVdzdk
Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlVVH8ecm5c&fea...
Poor fella was killed in 2002 in an accident at work, how ironic.
Also, here is Nick Mann's car, which is the one referred to above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11687nVdzdk
Enjoy.
There was a turbine car on display in the Style et Luxe section of the FoS a few years ago, think it was a Rover. Cool as hell to my geeky engineer self. I may have photos will need to check at home.
I think cost would be the major limiting factor in using a Turbine-generator in a series hybrid at the moment.
I think cost would be the major limiting factor in using a Turbine-generator in a series hybrid at the moment.
Snoop Bagg said:
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