PV Gap

Darryl Said:

Alternative energy?

We Answered:

The extra drag you would create by towing a windmill would use at least as much energy as you would use by connecting the alternator to the wheels of the trailer, or connecting a cable from your car battery. You might need to add a couple extra batteries to use the power while stationary.

Using photovoltaics mounted on car, on trailer as roof, and possibly extras to be mounted on the sides would allow you to gain extra power.

Extra problems with windmill. You can not exceed a blade width of 8 feet when the blade is facing the wind you create. The highest that you can have the total structure is about 13 feet.
As long as your wind machine faces forward, you could hold it rigidly enough so that it can not get free, even with wind speeds of 140 km/h.

But lots of luck finding a wind machine that can use even 100 km/h (expressway speed limit) wind. Wind machines are not usually build to produce useful power above about 70 km/h. If they do , they will be extremely inefficient.

I think that with a headwind of 50 km/h and forward speed of 100 km/h, most all of them will have to be furled.

Next problem you would face is gusts of wind off other vehicles, and side winds.
Side winds would make it impractical in the extreme, as you lose the benefit of your forward motion, and the tires on the trailer must be running at one awful angle to the road. The effect would be that gusty side winds would make the trailer totally unstable.

Windmills may be a good idea in a fixed location, but this idea should be shot to death!

Stacy Said:

Photoelectric effect...?

We Answered:

c) the ejections of electrons by a metal when struck by light