How many pounds of thrust to keep a bike moving?

I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

Bruce W.1 wrote:
I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
needed
to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
50
lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action he
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

Jeff

"Bruce W.1" writes:

I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
needed to maintain 20 mph?

About 5 lbsf.

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
50 lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

That one has 95N thrust. At 10m/s (22mph) that is 950 watts, quite a
bit more than any cyclist. Your duty is clear.

http://members.aye.net/~gharris/blog/shopmod07.jpg

It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action he
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

Jeff

My vote for best link of the day. Week. Month. Maybe year. This is better
than hamsterdance.com or whatever it is.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

On Wed, 04 May 2005 22:57:22 GMT, "Bruce W.1"
wrote:

I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

Dear Bruce,

At $2795 plus shipping plus tax plus earmuffs plus public
nuisance fine plus fuel at 11 ounces per minute, it will be
an expensive grin.

Slightly off-topic, but why do they come up with 24 pounds
as equal to 95 newtons? Everywhere that I looked, 95 newtons
converts to about 21.36 pounds (9% lower than the claimed 24
pounds), while 5 newtons ends up as 1.124 pounds (12% higher
than the claimed 1.0 pounds).

http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_all.htm

Are they using troy newtons, imperial pounds, nautical
thrust, or what? Am I just missing something obvious?

Persnicketily,

Carl Fogel

"Bruce W.1" wrote" (clip) How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
needed to maintain 20 mph? (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I assumed that 1/4 HP would do it. That's 550/4=137.5 ft lb/sec. 20 MPH =
29 ft/sec. Power = force x velocity, so the force comes out 137.5/29= under
5 lb thrust. A rider developing 1/4 HP has to provide the power train
losses, which the jet engine bypasses. OTOH, my figure of 1/4 HP is just a
wild-ass guess. I imagine there must be SOME combination of rider, bike,
clothing, riding position, etc, that would consume about that amount of
power at about that speed.

On Wed, 04 May 2005 22:57:22 GMT, "Bruce W.1"
wrote:

I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to 50
lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

Real jet-powered vehicle experimenters build their *own* engines.

http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/

And a gas turbine is useful for more than just generating thrust; it
can also cool your beer while making painful amounts of noise!

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/


--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

"Bruce W.1" wrote:

I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be needed
to maintain 20 mph?

I'm not sure, but I know it takes a lot more thrust that you get from
a medium-size leaf blower (gas powered). I expected to be pushed to
at least 5-6mph (8-10km/h) but alas, it barely moved me at all. All
noise, no thrust.

Now all I am left to do with it is to blow leaves. Harumph.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

JeffWills Wrote:
Bruce W.1 wrote:
I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
needed
to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
50
lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

It's been done. Vision Recumbents put a 15 pound thrust engine on the
back of one of their bikes, and it pushed the bike to 30 mph. Loud
mother, too. Pictures and movies of it in action he
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/vision/

Jeff

Any idea on what happenned to the Jet Sabre in the ATP-Vision auction?



Tim Arfons (son of Art Arfons) used this 90 hp JFS 100 13A turbine in
powering a bar stool over 40 mph powered
http://www.turbinegroup.com/page2.html to get into the Guiness book for
the fastest barstool. This company makes the race track dryers you see
at major oval/drag racing events.


Here is the jet powered Penny Farthing page:
http://www.pennyfarthing.dabsol.co.uk/pulse-je.htm

Bruce W.1 wrote:
I was thinking of putting a small turbine engine on my road bicycle,
just for grins. How many pounds of thrust do you think would be
needed to maintain 20 mph?

There's a bunch of tiny jet engines for RC airplanes with from 10 to
50 lbs of thrust. Here's one:
http://www.franktiano.com/t-750.htm

Here's a video of the mother of all RC airplanes:
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/Gian...52_flight2.wmv

A Several of years ago one Paul Ford fitted a jet engine to a Windcheetah
recumbent trike. 50 mph and 180 dB... Pic at:

URL:http://www.micro-jet.freeserve.co.uk/jetbike.htm

--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
Whatever it is, I'd like it in mango & passion fruit, please.