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K2 (and probably others) use embedded piezo electronic damping thingies which, according to the sales literature, absorb shock and transform the shock energy (board flexing) of the snowboard into heat and light. Currently (no pun intended) the energy is sent to LED annunciator lights which tell the rider
that the piezo-electric stuff is active.
Why not take it a step further and use the derived energy to heat the edges of the board, or ski? Would not this slight heating provide for faster, better turning boards and skis?
Ice Engineering
http://engineering....earch/ice-engg.html
Some folks at Dartmouth are researching this. [krelnik, Oct 16 2002]
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Annotation:
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Piezo electric circuits do not generate much power at all, whereas heating elements take a large amount of power. It's unlikely that you could generate enough power from piezo-electric dampers to heat the edges of a snowboard or even a ski. |
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Battery packs might work, however. |
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I did say "slight heating." :-) |
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But require replacement and attention to whether they're charged or not. |
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How about a little wheel that hangs off the back? |
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Honestly, heating the edges may slow you down. If the desired effect is to heat the snow through contact with the edge, it would create drag similar to riding in sticky snow, but only at the contact point of the edge. So, all heat-efficiency and technique arguments aside, it may not be that heat is a desirable energy conversion from shock. As a matter of fact, I believe heat and friction energy are what the designers of this dampening system were explicitly trying to avoid. |
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I think bristolz was trying to say that the slight drag at the edge is an advantage -increased "cut" whilst making turns and all that. [back to fix spelling] |
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Yup, that was what I was trying to say. |
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I've boarded a few times and I can quite honestly say the melting the snow is the stupidest idea imagineable. You are better boarding on solid ice then slushy snow, which is a boarders nightmare. By melting the snow your going to remove a great deal of friction from the conrtol surfaces. You are also going to slow down boarders, as it is well known but completely un explained that slush slows us down more than anything (apart from skiiers). |
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A sno-board goes as it does 'cos as it passes over the sno, it DOES heat it and melt a Very fine top layer of the sno. You are effectivly sno boarding on water. The melted snow freezes as soon as you've passed over it so you don't see loads of water slopping around the place. I think it only starts to happen at "planing speed", its a bit like surfing. Once you've paddled yer ring off and got the thing moving, and then stand up, (sounds easy? try it) it skims the surface of the water on a cushion of low density water and micro-bubbles. Wich is why fins and tiny differences in shape and rocker make such large differences. Snow boarding on ice??? Horrible. Give me some slushy snow any day.As far as electric snowboards go...silly idea. And pointless. They go well fast, and if yours doesn't turn, sharpen (dress) your edges. PS. If any of you fancy trying the above out, try NZ. Surfing in the morning and snowboarding in the afternoon is a daily reality here at the mo'. |
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I saw a bit on a techie TV show about snowboards that did just this. Ironically, it can actually be used to SLOW DOWN as well, depending on how fast you melt the snow. I can't find the link to the actual product, but I did find a link to folks who are researching this. |
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