Is a Self-Sufficient Car Possible with Extra Wheels?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mcdanko
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Automobile Self
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
1 reply · 2K views
mcdanko
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Okay I'm probably way out of my league here because in only 17 and this is my first post, but I was wondering about a self-sufficient car. I know putting a wind turbine on an automobile adds resistance which negates effect. However, a wind turbine builds energy just by spinning, and an automobile has 4 spinning wheels (2 axles). What if we could use the same mechanics of a wind turbine on any "extra wheels" which would build up energy without adding air resistance. And if we could design a car with many extra wheels it could build up enough energy to self sustain. I'm sure there's probably some obvious rule that doesn't let you do this but I've just been wondering about it for quite some time.
 

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
mcdanko said:
Okay I'm probably way out of my league here because in only 17 and this is my first post, but I was wondering about a self-sufficient car. I know putting a wind turbine on an automobile adds resistance which negates effect. However, a wind turbine builds energy just by spinning, and an automobile has 4 spinning wheels (2 axles). What if we could use the same mechanics of a wind turbine on any "extra wheels" which would build up energy without adding air resistance. And if we could design a car with many extra wheels it could build up enough energy to self sustain. I'm sure there's probably some obvious rule that doesn't let you do this but I've just been wondering about it for quite some time.

Welcome to the PF.

What you are asking about is a perpetual motion machine (PMM) or over-unity mechanism. They do not exist, and the PF rules do not allow discussions about them (even to debunk them) because it is a waste of time. The quote below from the PF Rules Forbidden Topics gives you some links you can follow to learn why they cannot exist:

PF Forbidden Topics said:
Pseudoscience, such as (but not limited to):

Perpetual motion and "free energy" discussions
http://wiki.4hv.org/index.php/Free_Energy_Debunking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion
http://www.skepdic.com/freeenergy.html
http://www.skepdic.com/perpetual.html

I learned that PMMs cannot work when my dad explained it to me when I was about 12. I was starting to build an unpowered jet turbine engine where the exhaust fan powered the intake fan. Okay dad, I get it now... :smile: