I think the most interesting part of hybrid cars is their ability to recapture the energy typically lost in breaking and redeploy it for useful purposes. When there is already an electrical subsystem in the car tied to the drive train, I think we can start to talk about other ways to capture energy into the battery. This energy can then also be used for motion, or the various interior comfort accessories.
The most obvious of these are replacing the upward facing surfaces with solar panels. It would then capture energy that the car is reflecting with very little differential cost. But, I think we can take this to the next level. It would also be nice if I could cover the windows of my car with some sort of solar capture device when I'm not driving. Typically this is when my car is parked. My biggest problem is that the car heats up because of the sun, and I usually end up cooling it quickly with the air conditioner. If there was a device capturing the energy while I was away it would serve two purposes: supplying power for the battery and removing energy from the sun that would otherwise heat up my car.
Another way to capture energy would be to replace the shock absorbers. If we think of them in an abstract sense they are trying to remove a vibrational energy that is put into the car by a bump in the road. This vibration is uncomfortable for the passengers so we suck it out and return everything to a comfortable equality. This vibration is energy. Instead of just getting rid of it we should try and capture it into the battery as well.
I'm not sure how much energy this would capture. I can say that I've driven in some cities where there were more potholes than road. I would hate to see this turn speed bumps into 'ecological devices.'
posted Aug 1, 2007 | permanent link
