Wind-powered vehicles have low forward resistance and can thus travel at speeds greater than the wind. By transferring power between the rotor and the wheels via a drive train, some rotor-powered examples have demonstrated ground speeds more than double that of the wind – both directly into and directly downwind of the wind. Rotor-powered vehicles are those that run on rotors rather than sails. However, it is a wind-powered vehicle with a sail (dubbed Greenbird) that holds the top speed record: 202.9 kilometers per hour (126.1 mph)!
Wind-powered vehicles are propelled by sails, kites, or rotors and travel on wheels that may be connected to a wind-powered rotor or runners. Whether powered by sail, kite, or rotor, these vehicles all have one thing in common: as the vehicle accelerates, the advancing airfoil encounters an increasing apparent wind at a smaller angle of attack. At the same time, when compared to traditional sailing craft, such vehicles have relatively low forward resistance. As a result, such vehicles can frequently exceed the speed of the wind.
Wind and solar energy have grown in popularity as sources of renewable energy for our power supply. Solar, more than wind, has been used extensively on automobiles and airplanes. Nonetheless, some people have speculated over the years that wind power could be one of the solutions to the environmental problems associated with transportation.
By transferring power through a drive train between the rotor and the wheels, rotor-powered examples have demonstrated ground speeds that exceed those of the wind, both directly into the wind and directly downwind. Greenbird, a vehicle with a sail on it, holds the wind-powered speed record, with a top speed of 202.9 kilometers per hour (126.1 mph).
Sailing vessels that travel on water, as well as balloons and sailplanes that travel in the air, are examples of wind-powered conveyances. Wind power, like solar power, has grown in popularity as a source of renewable energy. Transportation, and what powers it, has long been a source of contention. There are concerns about what fuel it should use and which would be the most efficient. Some people believed that a wind-powered car could be the solution to transportation problems and pollution.
Wind-powered cars are undoubtedly a possibility in the future, even if they are hybrids that use electric power as a backup. Large steps in renewable energy are being taken on a regular basis, and with electric cars already on the market, there is no reason why we cannot have cars that use, or even run entirely on, wind power. When it comes to transportation powered by renewable energy, the future looks extremely promising.
