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Slot car freeway

EV charging using crash barrier mounted rails to extend EV range
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Why not use the proven principles of high speed electric trains to enable smaller, lighter electric cars to go long distance? With shrouded charging strips mounted in the armco/crash barrier and simple sprung mounted arms with connectors fixed to the side of each car:

(1) cars could enter and leaving the "charging lane" as they please - without any automatic guidance system required.

(2) retrofitting the solution to existing barriers would significantly reduce infrastructure costs.

senake, Jun 18 2010

Blog entry with pictures here http://preview.tiny...om/SlotCarMotorways
[senake, Jun 18 2010]

really_20big_20slot_20cars [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 18 2010]

Slot_20Car_20Traffic [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 18 2010]

Electric Highways http://home.earthli...t/~fradella/car.htm
[MisterQED, Jun 18 2010]

[link]






       Welcome.
Apparently you've been hanging out for four years already, but welcome anyway. There are several big slot car ideas posted here now making this idea redundant.
  

       Sorry, I will link a couple of them.   

       As a motorcycle rider, the prospect of Armco carrying 300V doesn't appeal.   

       Quite apart from that, how would any such system cope with rain, snow, pedestrians, wet leaves or vandalism?   

       To transmit any appreciable power, you need to run either low voltage (safer) at very high current (needs heavy conductors and pickup system, which will be expensive) or high voltage (dangerous) to keep the current down.
Twizz, Jun 18 2010
  

       Hi there,   

       2 fries shy of a happy meal - it's good to be back! I've been working on a new way to help innovators commercialise their idea without money - check out Pie Finance if you have time.   

       With rgard to the two postings listed, they are not at all like what I'm proposing...which is probably my fault for calling it a 'slot'...yes, I suffer from the problem of expecting people to be telepathic :-).   

       What I'm proposing is that one lane - most probably the outside lane has an armco or crash barrier with two slots in it, into which spring loaded electrical pick ups go. To use the current, a vehicle would just move into the lane and the pick ups would connect and conduct electricity.   

       Twizz - to answer your question, the two conductive channels would be shrouded by a non-conductive surface. My G-Wiz runs at 12V, but I would say something nearer to 240V transformed down would be better to minimise conductive losses.   

       What do you think?
senake, Jun 18 2010
  

       Sorry, the ideas are attempting to be baked as we speak. Google "electric highway" and you'll see a bunch of stuff. See my link and what you are mentioning is pictured on the left. (link)
MisterQED, Jun 18 2010
  

       Hi MrQED,   

       Thanks for the link. I've and a look at it and the first could of pages Googled for 'electric highway'. The main difference between my idea is that I'm advocating the use of the crash barrier with shrouded charging strips so:   

       (1) the infrastructure and vehicle costs are both a lot less.   

       (2) the vehicles can join and leave the charging lane at will - no automated guidance systems are required.
senake, Jun 18 2010
  

       //I'm advocating the use of the crash barrier with shrouded charging strips //   

       And from the link...   

       Or the power strips may be installed in a center divider (see fig. at left). Your EV would read this information from bar-code on the highway. So it would instead extend its two power contacts at its side, to make contact with the power strips. In either case, the power strips are recessed within insulation, to prevent inadvertent contact with people or animals on the freeway (who are at far greater risk of collision with conventional vehicles), or wayward conventional vehicles (which may be out of control or involved in accidents).
MisterQED, Jun 18 2010
  

       MisterQED...you're absolutely right. It's definately baked.   

       Still, it would be great to see in happen.   

       Thanks for the feedback.
senake, Jun 18 2010
  
      
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