Posted on 10/03/2016 4:48:39 PM PDT by aquila48
Aerovelo’s human-powered vehicle “Eta” has broken the world record for fastest human-powered vehicle, reaching 89.59 mph/144.18 kph at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada. This record breaks the previous world record, also held by Aerovelo’s Eta of 86.65mph / 139.45kph, set last September.
Analysis of the vehicle performance showed that Eta requires less than 198 watts of pedal power at 90 km/h, which translates to a 9,544 MPGe highway fuel efficiency. According to Aerovelo, this is the highest per-passenger MPGe of any existing transportation technology at this speed.
“The efficiency of this vehicle seems impossibly high: it’s a powerful example of the massive change we can achieve with existing technology in the near future,” said Aerovelo co-founder Cameron Robertson. “Eta’s performance is a testament to the passion and engineering the team devoted to this endeavour, and showcases what can be achieved when we seek to do more with less.”
Aerovelo cofounder Todd Reichert used Eta to set 2 consecutive human-powered world records this September. Reichert achieved 88.26 mph/142.04 kph on September 14th, 2016 and 89.59 mph/144.18 kph on September 18th, 2016.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be riding in something that efficient,” said Reichert. “It cuts through the air with such little resistance, and before you know it, you’re cruising at highway speeds on nothing more than your own power. When you realize that this is the same amount of power it takes to light up a few light bulbs, it’s truly mind blowing.”
(Excerpt) Read more at engineering.com ...
The bikes aren’t the limitation anymore, as elite bikes now only weigh about 5lbs or something like that. It’s the human being that is the limitation in how fast humans can go. We’re just not aerodynamic and we aren’t that strong.
Yeah, lots of stuff comes from this kind of R&D. I'd be really interested in knowing what his gearing ratios were, and the size of his sprockets.
I always got a chuckle when I saw someone carrying a lucky rabbit’s foot. It wasn’t very lucky for the rabbit that used to own it....LOL!
What Matt Weaver started doing with the video camera system, and extensive laminar flow really just took the speed close to its limit. He and Sam Whittingham were battling it out years ago. Sam probably could have taken Matt’s bikes faster because the designs were that and good he was arguably a more powerful rider.
"I'm ok..." LOL!
Pretty cool video, a bunch of engineering geeks having the time of their lives........
I hadn’t heard that, but if they do, I’d like to join them.
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