When driving along at highway speeds, the majority of the car's power output is lost to aerodynamic drag. Driving into a headwind will make the situation worse, requiring more fuel for a given speed. Conversely, a healthy tailwind will cut the fuel consumption of every vehicle travelling in that direction. Strong side winds can be annoying to car drivers, but in high-sided vehicles this can be a real danger.

Some highways have barriers, these serve a few functions, mostly noise attenuation and to mitigate snow accumulation. In the central reservation between directions, there are also occasionally sight barriers, as people looking at one accident frequently cause another.

So, lets have the barriers do some work. Installed in the central reservation are vertical poles which will act as supports and pivots. A curved aerodynamic guide vane will be attached to this such that wind from the side will be redirected through ~90 to generate a slight tailwind on one carriageway. Should the wind change to the opposite direction, the guide vane will self pivot so that now it guides the wind to give a gentle tailwind to the other carriageway. As a side benefit, you will not be able to see much of the other carriageway and so, head lights will be less of an annoyance.

Fixed guide vanes on either side will also work, but I like the pivoting central version for neatness.
-- bs0u0155, Dec 08 2021

Traffic Powered Wind Turbine https://www.altener...wind-turbines/31030
[xaviergisz, Dec 09 2021]

Stand by to jibe!
-- pertinax, Dec 09 2021


You so smart, bs0u0155.
-- blissmiss, Dec 09 2021



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