h a l f b a k e r yWe are investigating the problem and will update you shortly.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
Centrifuge Racing is nearly identical to normal circle track racing. The key difference is that instead of the car going around the track, the track and stadium goes around the cars.
The entire race track and grandstand are mounted on a huge Lazy Susan bearing that is powered by electric motors.
A control system matches the speed of the stadium to the speed of the fastest car on the track such that the fastest car does not move in relation to the ground.
The cars race as normal.
Rolling Road
http://tinyurl.com/3bgwmo
The race car usually makes this same ground disappear in a hurry as it rolls. [skinflaps, May 22 2007]
[link]
|
| |
would you ever have a winner if they were all on the same track? |
|
| |
I think spinning the stadium around the track would be a lot more fun |
|
| |
Po, Go back and read the idea again as that is exactly what I am proposing(//The entire race track and grandstand are mounted on a huge Lazy Susan//). |
|
| |
The cars race as normal except in relation to the parking lot they hardly move at all, to the fans the race would look the same. |
|
| |
I edited first section to perhaps make it more clear. |
|
| |
so everything stands still relative to everything else except the ice-cream man outside with the quizzical look on his face. |
|
| |
/the ice-cream man outside/ dodging people's ice-creams, flung off at a tangential speed approaching 300mph (stands are at a greater radius than track, so move faster). |
|
| |
As the lead car reaches maximum speed, spectators hang on desperately to their hats, hair and even seats in an ultimately vain attempt to avoid the same fate as their ice-creams. [+] |
|
| |
So what would the G-forces be like in these seats? And what effect would it have on the halter-topped or wifebeater wearing masses in those seats? |
|
| |
// so everything stands still relative to everything else except the ice-cream man outside with the quizzical look on his face.// |
|
| |
Not quite. If the icecream man were in a helicopter then he would see the stadium spinning around while the cars on the track slowly moved from side to side and in relation to each other but in general they will sit in one place. |
|
| |
To Larry the redneck in seat 127B the the helicopter would spin round and round in the sky over his head and the cars on the track would appear to move much as they do on any normal race day the sound would be the same as well(doppler shift and all) He would notably be pushed back into his seat but other than that just a day at the races. |
|
| |
Best I can figure the people at the outer edge of a 1 mile track with a 200 foot deep grandstand would be traveling about 190 MPH(for a max race speed of 150 that is)rotating about the cars at about 2 RPMs, and would be experiencing about 1.5 or 1.6 times normal gravity. But this is just some rough estimates. |
|
| |
/The entire race track and grandstand are mounted on a huge Lazy Susan/ |
|
| |
I can understand the track, but why the grandstand? |
|
| |
Thats what makes it fun, otherwise just a bunch of cars sitting in one place. |
|
| |
You had me with the ice creams, [+]. |
|
| |
//the fastest car does not move in relation to the fans//
That would require the track to stay still relative to the carpark, but the stands rotate to keep up with the cars - cars are not still relative to the carpark.
<aside> Circle track racing sounds almost more boring than oval track racing. </a> |
|
| |
No, the ice-cream man (Mr Zippy who does a neat 99) is just situated on the road OUTSIDE of the stadium. |
|
| |
for some reason this reminds me of the loo-paper inside flipping or outside debate. |
|
| |
um, something beginning with B. |
|
| |
... and what exactly causes the side to side motion? |
|
| |
Thanks for pointing out my error, I have edited to correct the misstatement. The cars will not movie relative to the ground below the track(ie the parking lot) but to the fans they would be traveling about the track as they do at a normal race track. |
|
| |
When you say "carpark" are you referring to the place where the cars are parked or to the stadium and grandstands that surround the track. |
|
| |
// ... and what exactly causes the side to side motion// |
|
| |
The cars steering from side to side to pass each other or to correct their direction of travel. |
|
| |
This brings an interesting question as to the way in which race car drivers would drive on such a course. The normal driver is always shifting position to obtain an optimal aerodynamic and positional advantage over the other cars on the track, in theory there would be no aerodynamic issues here and no centripetal force issues causing the cars to slide up the track(hence the banking). |
|
| |
but the cars are not moving? |
|
| |
sheesh, I'm going to bed. |
|
| |
[Jhom] I was about to tackle the wind resistance issue, but it seems you've had a stab already. Unfortunately, seeing as everything inside the stadium is rotating except for the cars, viscous forces will result in a velocity gradient in the air inside the stadium. I'd have to run the numbers, but you'd end up with some kind of vortex, with the air in contact with and immediately adjacent to the track surface (sans cars) having zero relative velocity to the track. However as you measure airspeed up through the air colmn, you'd get a parabolic gradient back towards the normal atmospheric wind velocity outside the stadium. |
|
| |
To further complicate this, the stadium, being a semi-enclosure would form it's own horribly complex microclimate, complete with already mentioned vortex effect, and I'm certain, many other interesting and mathmatically challenging phenomena. |
|
| |
So, the wind resistance the cars would see would be significantly less than normal, but to which degree, I'd have to go look up some reynold's numbers. |
|
| |
Lastly, has anyone looked at the issue of centripetal forces affecting the behaviour of the vehicles. This is a relativity issue, and looks to me to be dependant on your point of reference. My hunch is that the cars would experience none of the normal cornering forces as they are essentially stationary. This would effect handling, allow them to go much faster, allow more efficeint, less tractive tyres. |
|
| |
Thanks [Custardguts] now if I could get someone to explain why all the bones this would be fun. I'm beginning to wonder if I have a clic of haters that just bone cause its me cause none of them will explain why they boned. How am I supposed to improve the quality of the idea with no feedback? |
|
| |
As to cornering force i suspect that the need to turn in against the curve might actually behave in a similar manner to normal cornering force as the cars will tend to want to slip to the outside of the disc so perhaps some banking would be needed to offset these forces. One G on a skid pad is pretty good performance for a sports car. |
|
| |
Use the cars to spin the track. Keep the infield and grandstands stationary. Makes slowing down *very* interesting. |
|
| |
[jhomrighaus] - The bones may well be from non-Americans who can't picture how this works. I believe in the US you tend to race in a circle pretty much (NASCAR?) but this isn't done elsewhere. Your scheme, good though it is, simply wouldn't work at Silverstone. |
|
| |
I'm a non-American, and I don't see a problem with this. Well, apart from collossal waste of energy. I mean, you're achieving two differences from normal race-going aren't you? (1) The cars experience less head-wind, so they go slightly faster, relative to the track. (2) The spectators experience the headwind, instead, so they're getting a sort of fairground ride, including a slightly enhanced physical connection to events on the track. |
|
| |
If the fastest moving car experiences sudden deceleration (hits something), I suppose the audience get a jolt, but only a jolt down to the speed of the next fastest car (maybe a couple of mph)? |
|
| |
Anyhow, interesting enough, so [+]. |
|
| |
I am pretty sure NASCAR races on ovals. |
|
| |
This reminds me of the parabolic pool
table. If you made the stands into a
parabola, maybe you could have the
spectators feel no difference once the
stadium got up to speed. Of course, it'd be
really weird for the people in the
nosebleeds who's seats are nearly
horizontal until the thing got up to speed. |
|
| |
Last one to overheat, wins. |
|
| |
Beer - new and used - collects in the back rows. Hurling, indeed. |
|
| |
Greatly reduced cleaning cost for the Motorpark. |
|
| |
Okay you all are confused! The grandstands are supposed to be stationary! The track is the only thing that must rotate! This means that the cars that are racing will have very low relative velocity to the spectators, so everyone can clearly observe the cars' positions. Therefore, everyone will have the best seat in the house, and never miss a bit of action! |
|
| |
Idea text: "The entire race track and grandstand are mounted on a huge Lazy Susan bearing that is powered by electric motors." |
|
| |
Annotation: "The grandstands are supposed to be stationary!" |
|
| |
Well, which is it? If you intend the seats not to move,
then edit your idea description to say so - right now, it claims the opposite. |
|
| |
I think not spinning the audience is probably a good idea - otherwise I'll have to insist on front row seats in order to not be hit by vomit from the people in front of me. |
|
| |
[jutta]
the annotator in question
[thisispeterstanley] is not in any way affiliated with the creation of this idea and any opinions expressed by said user are strictly those of that user and not those of the author of this idea, the other annotators of this idea, the moderators, creators and other members of the Halfbakery, the internet(Mr. Gore?), the personal computer, the integrated circuit, mathematics or language. |
|
| |
As to the vomit discussion it should be recalled that this thing is only spinning at like 2 RPMs so will be like riding a slow merry-go-round. With all internal references also spinning there would be no visual cues to lead to illness(just don't look up). |
|
| |
Dont get me wrong LT the outer row as stated would be moving at like 200mph, but that is realtive to a stationary point (ie the icecream man in the parking lot) |
|
| |
Inside its like a merry go round(not a particularly fast one either) |
|
| |
With the grandstand standing still relative to the cars, i'd love it. Otherwise it is just like a normal race, but with hurricane-level winds in the spectators. |
|
| |
//With the grandstand standing still relative to the cars, i'd love it. Otherwise it is just like a normal race, but with hurricane-level winds in the spectators.
— loonquawl, Apr 21 2009// |
|
| |
No there really wouldnt be huge winds as the air within the track would also be spinning (kind of like the cloths in your washer during the spin cycle) there would be a breeze i am sure but no huricane winds. |
|
| |