Spring driven car?

Contest - Create the Future



I saw an editorial cartoon the other day, which had a car with one of those toy keys in the back for windup.

I figured someone had come up with that idea already, but Wally told me something like that would take up too much space.
I just looked on the internet, and saw one of those sites with a contest for producing something of benefit to the world...below is the text.

I don't understand how the reciprocation of the piston can be maintained if the initial force that drives the piston down come from a solar powered 12 V battery. It say afterwards the motion of the piston is "regulated by the 12 V battery".

Would that mean an assist on every single stroke of the piston?

What about if the 12 V battery causes the piston to move downward, providing energy to the spring turning the crankshaft, then as the power of the spring raises the piston, that motion stores energy in a spring attached to the top of the piston.

When the piston reaches its high point, the stored energy of the spring above would drive it back down to the crankshaft spring.


Also, these contests to develope stuff to change the world? What do we use right now that is the product of one of the winners of these contents?

I am curious (Chai)



A FUEL-LESS ENGINE Category: Transportation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sanjeev kumar
M.I.T. INDIA
MUZAFFARPUR, IN Page Views: 326
Ranked: 15 / 178 Entered: 07/10/2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name of the project:A fuel less Engine, Principle :Spring energy generates power to rotate crank shaft. Working :Piston compresses the spring, due to compression of Spring coil, energy generates and this energy forces the Piston to move upward and again due to inertia of piston. Piston moves downward and compress the spring.Thus Reciprocation of Piston is maintained . Initial forced movement of Piston to compress the Spring and afterwrad motion of Piston is regulated by 12v Battery . This battery derives rotor .Rotor rotates the pully On crank shaft and consequently piston compress the Spring. When we required high power to be developed by engine. We Should compress the spring with high velocityof piston .The High velocity piston is obtained by giving high voltage through Battery. Mathematical calculation and comparision with conventional engine: ENERGY COMPARISION : Let us take a conventional engine of 1100 cc six cylinder with following Data : Power 40 kW at 4400r.p.m. Mean effective pressure = 1N/ mm2 (developed by explosion of petrol ) Hence Energy developed by one cylinder = 1100/6 x (100)3 x 106 N-m =183.33J Take WP 180J The Innovated engine with spring stiffness K=16N/mm and displacement of spring X=150mm develops the same energy Since Ws = 1/2 kx2 = ½ x16x1000x (0.15)2 Nm = 180J That means as much amount energy generated by explosion of petrol , the same energy Generated by compression of spring. FORCE COMPARISION Force developed within cylinder due to ignition of petrol = mean effective pressure x c/s area of cylinder Fp = Pe x 3.14/4 D2 Lets us take L = 1.3D For 1100cc six cylinder engine 1100/6 x (100)3 m3 = 3.14/4 D2 L D = 0.055 m = 55mm L = 70MM FP = 1x 3.14/4 (55)2 Fp = 2374N And force developed by Innovated engine. FS = K x = 16 x 150 = 2400N That means, force generated by explosion of petrol = 2374N And the nearly equal amount of force can be generated by compression of spring. Result :- The final result is that as much amount of energy and force generated by explosion of petrol , The nearly same amount of energy can be generated by compression of spring Note :- (1) Battery is charged by alternator or Solar Power battery can be used.