Newton’s First strives for efficiency and simplicity, so, any chance we see to increase the inherent efficiency of a product, we jump right into it. We saw a tremendous waste of energy in the high-speed winds cars encounter daily. Not only must cars overcome these strong winds, they implement no function to take advantage of the huge amounts of energy this wind carries. Therefore, we here at Newton’s First have decided to take on the daunting task of creating a solution to harvest the wind power that surrounds our cars, and regenerate energy that the car can then, in turn, use. One of the most exciting facets of this venture is that every car experiences this phenomenon, and a solution could be implemented into a wide variety of cars. Increasing the efficiency of a car is no easy task, however, it is one crucial as we advance towards a more environmentally conscious society.
As the automotive industry continues to improve the efficiency of their vehicles through the design of more aerodynamic bodies and efficient engines, there still is a gap in the regenerative capabilities of cars. Strictly stated, cars do not take advantage of the wind energy around them. Using the wind for regenerative power could increase the inherent efficiency of the car. A solution to a car's low efficiency would be implemented by the car industry manufacturers. The product this project is aiming to create would be integrated into the design of a car by automobile companies such as Tesla, General Motors, or any other hybrid/electric vehicle manufacturer.
The final product created by Newton’s First is dubbed a wind diverting integrated generator turbine. Essentially, this unique turbine integrates an electric generator into the casing of the turbine to eliminate turbulent effects associated with a coaxial generator. Additionally, due to the nature of the environment where this turbine will be used, drag effects are taken as a top priority. The unique design of the turbine casing also minimizes any increased drag effects by diverting the air at the outlets in a way that is not perpendicular to the car. This design will have the least effect on the aerodynamics of a car when implemented. The final cost of this first iteration prototype design was $194.17. This however, does not reflect the true cost of a final product as much of the prototype was 3-D printed, a manufacturing option which is not viable for true production.