British Duo Challenge World Speed Record
Posted on: Thursday, 21 August 2008, 10:10 CDT
British eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince and engineer Richard Jenkins are trying to beat the wind-powered vehicle world land-speed record of 116mph.
Vince and his team are following in the footsteps of Donald Campbell who used several vehicles named Bluebird to break land speed records. The British duo has named their carbon-neutral vehicle Greenbird, in honor of Campbell’s feats.
"Campbell did it with the prevalent fuel of the day - we're doing it with the prevalent fuel of tomorrow," Vince said.
"Donald Campbell had his massive cubic capacity engines and energy dense fossil fuels - we have just the wind. But the wind will still be here in 50 or 100 years time - the age of renewables has been a long time coming but will endure."
The Greenbird relies on solid sails similar to aircraft wings, and resembles a yacht.
The vehicle uses airflow over the vertical sails to push the vehicle forward similar to the way an aircraft wing provides lift for a plane.
The force can enable Greenbird to travel between four to six times the wind speed, if surface traction is in a favorable condition.
Vince, who will pilot Greenbird, said he was 80% sure they could break the record.
Unseasonable weather has been delaying the Greenbird team as they test the vehicle in Australia.
"We need the weather to come right," said Vince. "The lake is wet at the moment and it should be dry this time of year and we need the wind window which is coming any day now," he said.
"The lake is 500 sq km and is a salt lake so it's very flat and we can sail in any direction. It has some good wind as well but it's really the space we need."
The team also hopes to challenge the Ice World Speed Record in their wind-powered vehicle.
Vince and his Greenbird team are also working on a wind-powered vehicle to be used on domestic journeys. They plan to have a prototype on the road in December.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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