What will R/C be like in 20 years?

[Arct1k]

Originally Posted by bl-is-future

there will always be loss of energy even with recharging while operating. I dont see limitless energy but im sure between solar power and battery technology our 1:1 cars will be very energy efficient. Also i have always thought of wind power. You go down the road and wind is created around the vehicle so why not put a generator in that creates energy from a spinning fan from the wind. Between the wind, solar, and battery power you could go a long ways on one charge

Newton 3rd law - Everything has an equal a opposite reaction - Most likely all this will do is increase the drag on the car...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_laws_of_motion

[bl-is-future]

yeah but so much that it cant create more energy than the drag? See that is the only thing i see wrong, if there is more drag than energy than no go, but if you can even get 10% energy over drag than it is helpful is it not? Obviously you can not create 100% efficiency over the drag.

[J3110]

Originally Posted by bl-is-future

yeah but so much that it cant create more energy than the drag? See that is the only thing i see wrong, if there is more drag than energy than no go, but if you can even get 10% energy over drag than it is helpful is it not? Obviously you can not create 100% efficiency over the drag.

You're adding weight as well. Regenerative braking is about all you can really scavenge without dtrimentally affecting drive efficiency.

[VintageMA]

Originally Posted by J3110

You're adding weight as well. Regenerative braking is about all you can really scavenge without dtrimentally affecting drive efficiency.

Which - if I recall properly from one of the CC threads the MMM has in it. Patrick was talking about the motor braking producing so much back current that there was no way the heatsink could dissipate it so the braking energy goes back into the battery.

[bl-is-future]

Originally Posted by VintageMA

Which - if I recall properly from one of the CC threads the MMM has in it. Patrick was talking about the motor braking producing so much back current that there was no way the heatsink could dissipate it so the braking energy goes back into the battery.

i remember this as well.

Originally Posted by VintageMA

Which - if I recall properly from one of the CC threads the MMM has in it. Patrick was talking about the motor braking producing so much back current that there was no way the heatsink could dissipate it so the braking energy goes back into the battery.

As components become more efficient you will be able reduce the amount of energy wasted as heat.

Solar will never be able to power a RC racing rehicle (high speed, fast acceleration) nor a full speed car.
They could be used to suplement them though.
I was toying around a few years ago at taking two rc bodies (would have used my T4 for it) and putting a layer of solar cells between them. It would not create enough electricity to run the vehicle, but if you started with a fresh battery the solar cells would increase your runtime. The problem (with it being done inexpensively by an amature (non Elec Eng) would be that if you stop the car, but leave it in the sun you might overcharge the batteries.
In terms of power creation, with present technology I would not expect you could fit more then ~500ma (or less) at 7.2 volts. How much current draw does a stock (brushless) motor draw?

[kulangflow]

Originally Posted by bl-is-future

yeah but so much that it cant create more energy than the drag? See that is the only thing i see wrong, if there is more drag than energy than no go, but if you can even get 10% energy over drag than it is helpful is it not? Obviously you can not create 100% efficiency over the drag.

Maybe you could just use your fan when you want to slow down, assuming it would create more energy than the braking would.

Good thoughts, btw, keep them coming!

[bl-is-future]

That is a good thought....^^^^^

So we have electric motors to power the car and solar panels to helps charge up the fuel cells at all times of DAY and little generators power by wind to help slow down and create energy to charge the fuel cells. You can have doors that automatically open when brakes are applied to allow wind to come through and power the fans and create drag. when brakes are disengaged the doors close to allow aerodynamics to take its course.

[gimpygolden]

Mini nuclear reactors and controlled by brain wave activity

[yuri]

Originally Posted by gimpygolden

Mini nuclear reactors and controlled by brain wave activity

I can't wait to see the new Mamba Chernobyl Max!!

BTW I think we will make more use of solar power...

[BrianG]

On the solar cell thing: it's really too bad solar cells are a max of around 15% efficient. If engineers could raise the efficiency, you would need fewer of them for the same output. And a lot of progress has been done on the cellophane style cells. These can be formed into whatever shape as opposed to the glass-backed one which are fragile and do not conform well.

I would like to see 1:1 cars with the shell made of solar cells that would supplement wall-charging, or perhaps able to solely recharge the car in 2 days or something. A lesser charge time is not reasonable yet with today's tech. Charging with solar takes a LOT of surface area and a really decent amount of direct sunlight as you go higher in voltage and/or current. Ever figure out how many cells you need for say 20v @ 1A? Try it, you'll be surprised how large (and don't use the OC V and CC A ). But the sun is "free" so why not use it?

[bl-is-future]

That is what i'm saying it may not "REPLACE" alternate fuel sources but it can definitely help recharge them. Like i said any energy you can get for "free" why not use it? It would have to be practical for the cost of the solar cells though.

[Arct1k]

Touch James Bond but I always thought the solar thermal route or geothermal was the way to go... Bunch of mirrors and lenses to create a super high power lazer than then use steam turbines...

Geothermal's even eaiser - just drill a hole...

[lutach]

I like the Nuclear Battery technology. I saw a few of them, but they were kind of big. Better materials that would allow us to run our brushless all day long without the worry that it'll burn. Do you guys remember when I asked Castle to make a program box that would allow the user to download any new firmware in the box and then transfer it to the ESC? Well, I told a couple other companies about it and it will be coming out soon. I'll let another idea go (It might have been thought about already), I would like to see everything wireless. What I mean is, the servo, ESC, transponder and other devices that plugs into the receiver be wireless.

Nuclear fusion (IE- the ITER reactor being built in France right now). Get a few of those bad boys to work and electricity production won't be a problem.