Out of "The Box" ideas

Not really off topic but I thought I would put it here anyways. This might be silly (probably stupid) but I had an idea. Just curious to see what some other out of the box ideas might be out there.

Ok, here is the idea: magnets on the bottom of the car. What I think it could accomplish: using the force of a magnet to push the car up offsetting the weight of the car making it easier on tires, engines, and gas mileage. I know it sounds silly especially since magnets won't really work on the road surface and the force necessary to actually push a car up would probably be offset by the weight of the magnets themselves.

Like I said, out of the box. Curious to hear what other ideas the board had thought of but hadn't posted. If nothing else, you can ignore this thread.

So earthworms digest earth and stuff right? I would imagine they eat through other malleable and digestible materials too...food scrap, organic material etc...so why not dump lots of earthworms or other similar insects onto trash dumps and landfills?...i think it might work...maybe?

Rangeball, I'd turn your magnets over. Magnetic downforce!

ummm wouldn't magnets large enough to displace that kind of weight be kinda on the hefty side?

Tommy Suddard wrote:

That is hilarious!

How about we fill our tires with helium to make our rotational mass lighter?

deny the "box" even exists

be a real rebel, go "in" the box, as "out" has been done to death

Did you just tell him to "go" in the box?

Bolt on the front and rear sub frames from a Miata onto a box. Preferably a sturdy box.

Like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_levitation_train

MAGLEV train:

ODU project: http://www.physics.odu.edu/~weinstei/srhr/maglev-1/talberts.htm

Wally wrote: Like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_levitation_train

I read through that wikipedia page. The economics of the magnetic train are staggering. The costs just don't justify the means though.

This reminds me of another idea my Dad had. Since the costs to build train tracks are absurd, why not use part of the existing highway system to build an elevated train system. Use the magnet trains there. Heck, even have stations where you can load your car onto the train and take a cross country trip, with your car!

Taking that last idea further; use the magnetic train tracks as a conductor of electricity from city to city. I.e. make the train track like a power cable...

Sorry, these are rambles in my brain. I am tired of doing financial and cost accounting hw.

I think we should put minimum security inmates to work by having them sort through dumps and pull out recyclables.

Keith wrote: Rangeball, I'd turn your magnets over. Magnetic downforce!

Or have it be selectable... or progressive! Have it provide a neutralizing force on the highway, but as you turn the wheel it progressively polarizes to pull downward the more you turn.

The problem I have with adding upforce on the highway is stability. Cars are designed for a slight downforce to keep the tires planted. Anyone who has driven a Tercel or a Tempo at 90 mph knows the white-knuckle experience of driving a car with upforce.

Making a car partially levitate with magnets won't help fuel economy or engine wear at all; those things are caused by the mass of the car which doesn't change regardless of its "weight."

I like the magnetic downforce idea though. When I was a kid I had some toy cars with magnets in the bottom that could sit on metal walls or ceilings. That would be pretty sweet in a real car; need a hell of a magnet to do it though!

J

procker wrote: So earthworms digest earth and stuff right? I would imagine they eat through other malleable and digestible materials too...food scrap, organic material etc...so why not dump lots of earthworms or other similar insects onto trash dumps and landfills?...i think it might work...maybe?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bio_Remediation

Also when I was a kid my mom always had a compost pile in the back yard that she would keep stocked with earth worms. It's true I was a little embarrassed to be the only one of my friends who's family threw their food trash in their back yard.

procker wrote: So earthworms digest earth and stuff right? I would imagine they eat through other malleable and digestible materials too...food scrap, organic material etc...so why not dump lots of earthworms or other similar insects onto trash dumps and landfills?...i think it might work...maybe?

Oh it works. They did an experiment at Wright Pat AFB a while ago.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p0t8xmm88045j222/

From the rumour I heard it worked much better than they thought it would.

Mu idea was a modified MAGLEV train but instead of building the track up high build it so that the train runs in a canal with a retractable top, the train is bullet shaped front and rear and the retactable roof sections run up along the sides of the train to allow the train to travel with a low CG and keep the tracks free of livestock/vehicles/whatnot as the train passes through the section is tosses impediments off the cover. To stop children and livestock from attempting to play "jump to the moon" an electrical pulse will be employed if more than X lbs is applied to any individual section of the cover for more than enough time to cross over safely. The train would be solar powered with geothermal powering the trackside supply.

How about this: a self propelled car made using lightweight wood, kinex wheels and a battery pack. please give me some more suggestions because as of now, thats all ive got.

I got this idea for something called a "Langston Field..."

You could be describing a maglev train, which isn't a bad idea...but it's not a car and it needs a very special and expensive track.

A non-rectifier sacrificial anode bank in the trunk to stop rust.

Put the magnet on the front bumper, so you stick to the car in front of you.