Asphalt is composed of petroleum byproducts - usually coal-like long chain alkanes and the like. This material is durable and well suited to road construction, with the result that long stretches of highway are paved with it. It can also be burned for fuel. Why not take advantage of this fact to power your car!?
The Asphalt Harvester is a picklike scoop which drags below the car, scraping up a curl of asphalt from the road below. The action is concealed by view, as some might disapprove of harvesting the road. Comprised of alkanes, the asphalt is dissolved in the fuel, adding extra material to burn. With judicious use of the Harvester, a car need fuel up only often enough to ensure there is enough solvent to liquefy the asphalt. When not in use, the Harvester draws up and is concealed in the body of the car.-- bungston, Sep 14 2005 (?) Asphalt as fuel. http://www.babcockp...com/pdf/rst-159.pdf [bungston, Sep 14 2005] Water Scoop http://jimquest.com...ins/pans/scoop2.htmSteam Engine water tender scoop [Coal Drag, Sep 14 2005] (?) Asphalt milling http://makmilling.com/Road grinder at work [Coal Drag, Sep 15 2005] (?) Gasoline thieves adopt a new drill http://www.star-tel...s/story/688574.htmlSomeone apparently read my anno... [ldischler, Jun 09 2008] Nope, don't see a single problem here.-- half, Sep 14 2005 It can be burned for fuel, but not in your car.-- DrCurry, Sep 14 2005 I can't see anything at all, due to the smog. [half], is that your voice I hear?-- RayfordSteele, Sep 14 2005 Half-baked - Bruce Sterling, 'Distraction'. One of my favourite books.-- moomintroll, Sep 14 2005 Is the water scoop on certain steam train tenders similar to this idea? Please see the link.-- Coal Drag, Sep 14 2005 this would take a large engine, but the bigger the truck the better the idea sounds.
bun gston schme likies-- schmendrick, Sep 14 2005 [Coal Drag] - if I understand the role of water in a steam engine, it is to facilitate transfer of power, not to generate power. Some water losses in a steam engine are inevitable (or at least on these old trains they were), so you need more. In this idea, the asphalt is burned for power.-- bungston, Sep 14 2005 An excellent idea. Though the gravel in the asphalt will probably wreck your harvester. Perhaps you could harvest the gas from parked automobiles? Simply park next to one, automatically drill through the thin sheet metal into the gas tank, and suck out what you need. They're not using it, after all. The supply is high quality, and almost infinite.-- ldischler, Sep 14 2005 I expect the gravel will hone the harvester, automatically sharpening it, and also heat the harvester, improving efficiency.
/They're not using it, after all/ - A triumph of applied reason, [ldischler].-- bungston, Sep 14 2005 without even reading it / just cos it's bung. + for the title.
anything to do with Terry Pratchett? cars with rocks-- po, Sep 14 2005 Watch it, po, there's someone around you'll make pretty darn mad, saying things like that.-- DrCurry, Sep 14 2005 I meant to ask whether your idea is similar to the water scoop on tenders or similar to the asphalt milling machine for road repair. See the link.-- Coal Drag, Sep 15 2005 Literally, an "asphalt-eating car?"
The idea of using asphalt as fuel seems a bit dubious, as does the "harvesting" method. I would think a suction device, such as found on those pickup trucks that clean parking lots, would serve at least as well, picking up already-loosened bits of asphalt- I would suggest one could drive around neighborhoods where the streets are less-well maintained.
I don't see any increase in efficiency (the reverse, actually) but, if universally applied, at least the streets would be nicer...-- whlanteigne, Sep 30 2006 "Aye, son... See these here muddy lanes? When I were a lad, they all used to be roads. 'Course, that were a while ago now - before ev'ryone got buying them 'Automobile Asphalt Harvesters'..."-- imaginality, Sep 30 2006 This idea is second only to Vagina Jam in wonderful hideousness. Bun.-- Voice, Oct 02 2007 random, halfbakery