GROUND EFFECT

[HO229]

Has the idea of a ground effect vehical ever been explored in the automotive world? Is the concept of operating a vehical a few inches off the ground viable? & would it be cost effective? My thinking is a vehical that when the brake is applied returns to the pavement for conventional braking.
Something that may incorporate a spoiler/airbrake system to expidite the retun to the ground for a conventional auto braking system.
Would the vehical be efficent?

 

[IRstuff]

Aside from the coolness factor, why would you want to do it? If it's cool, it needs no other justification.

You've got a perfectly good medium for holding up a vehicle, i.e., the ground. It's nice and hard and if something breaks, you're not going to drop 2ft onto a hard pavement.

A car waiting for a traffic light draws very little power, while a GEV must still maintain itself off the ground. If you let it ground itself, you have to lift off to get going, which costs even more energy as well as slowing down traffic at each light.

TTFN

 

[bubb375]

HO229-

I heard rumors that the USSR produced a ground transport that used ground effect over water. I haven't heard of an automotive equivalent.

Brian

 

[GregLocock]

Air assisted support has been prototyped a few times over the past few decades - my lab partner at uni designed and built a wheeled hovercraft for spraying crops, for example.

Basically, unless the wheels are in contact with the road at all times you will not be allowed on the road, and it is difficult to dump lift fast enough to get acceptable emergency braking.



Cheers

Greg Locock