small, high speed buggies

halmot · 2002-12-04 08:26:16

Air inflated rubber tires will explode in the matian atmosphere.

Are you sure? Does anyone know if the shuttle landing gear compartments are pressurized? Anyway, there's no need for pneumatic tires. Solid rubber, or wire mesh would be better.

dicktice · 2002-12-04 18:41:28

I wonder if the obvious isn't being overlooked: a Segway-type stabilized literal pogostick!

Shaun Barrett · 2002-12-04 18:46:01

I can run the tyres on my car at 25 lbs/sq.in. (too soft) or at 40 lbs/sq.in. (too hard). Either way, the tyres will still function O.K.
The difference between 25 and 40 lbs/sq.in. is slightly more than 1 Earth atmosphere. So, theoretically, I could set my tyres at 25 lbs/sq.in. here on Earth, and drive my car out of the Hab cargo bay on Mars without the tyres exploding (ignoring a few other impediments of course! ).

I suppose one of the main problems with vulcanised rubber would be the temperature ... or would it?
Depending on the latitude, season, and garaging facilities, a vehicle's tyres might be subjected to temperatures as low as -100 deg.C.
Would a set of Goodyears stand up to that? :0

Byron · 2002-12-05 07:21:05

I suppose one of the main problems with vulcanised rubber would be the temperature ... or would it?
Depending on the latitude, season, and garaging facilities, a vehicle's tyres might be subjected to temperatures as low as -100 deg.C.
Would a set of Goodyears stand up to that? :0

It certainly would be a problem..as rubber becomes quite brittle at extremely low temperatures. I've heard stories of people in Siberia being able to smash tires to smithereens with a tap of a tire iron...so at -100 C, I doubt those Goodyears would be a suitable option!

On Mars, I think wire mesh wheels would be the way to go, unless a new type of pliable rubber can be developed that would be practical in bitter cold.

B

Palomar · 2002-12-05 09:35:23

I suppose one of the main problems with vulcanised rubber would be the temperature ... or would it?
Depending on the latitude, season, and garaging facilities, a vehicle's tyres might be subjected to temperatures as low as -100 deg.C.
Would a set of Goodyears stand up to that? :0
It certainly would be a problem..as rubber becomes quite brittle at extremely low temperatures. I've heard stories of people in Siberia being able to smash tires to smithereens with a tap of a tire iron...so at -100 C, I doubt those Goodyears would be a suitable option!
On Mars, I think wire mesh wheels would be the way to go, unless a new type of pliable rubber can be developed that would be practical in bitter cold.
B

*I saw on the news in the mid-1990s, when Alaska was experiencing a severe cold snap (actual temperatures in the -70 F range...unimaginable; the coldest actual temperature I've been in was -28 F, and that was terrible enough...and by actual temperature I mean SANS "wind chill factor") that tires on vehicles were shattering.

Hey Shaun, Aussies spell it "tyres," huh? Cool. I like these little differences, they're what make *uniqueness*.

--Cindy

Shaun Barrett · 2002-12-05 19:29:54

Yeah, Cindy!
Must be the British influence again ... like the driving-on-the-left-side-of-the-road thing!
I suppose it helps to distinguish 'a tyre' from the verb, 'to tire'. Not that there seems to be any confusion between the two in America, though!

orionblade · 2003-01-24 13:07:19

I was thinking about how to repair a cracked frame member or something in the field, and I had a fairly decent idea:

MIG WELDING ON MARS!!! hey, i just had a brain fart. Mig welding requires a CO2 buffer gas! Just make everything out of steel or whatever, and you can have a wire feed welder that's pretty easy to use. No modification necesary. You just don't have an internal gas tank to weld with, since the whole environment is the same buffer gas you'd use anyhow. On earth it keeps you from getting hydrogen and oxygen into the weld, causing embrittlement and premature oxidation.

Maybe we can handle welding with off the shelf stuff, we'd just have to have a couple hundred watts handy.

The other option is what they use to repair ship propellers in the field. You'd have a piece of tape with iron oxide powder in it, and another piece with aluminum powder, then you run a short pulse of electricity, fusing the tapes, and you have a weld. You put one piece of tape on one part, and one on the other. You can fix brass, bronze, iron/steel, and I believe aluminum. There are other thermite reactions involving zinc and copper oxide, and several others which may be more compatible with different metals. Anyone care to look into it more? I'm going to try some stuff with vynil tape and some metal powders and maybe use my friend's stick welder to provide the AC pulses for a few seconds, and see how it works on bar stock. OH yeah, the other thing is this works underwater, without oxygen, and in extreme cold, that's why they use it on ship propellers inthe field, since you can't really lift a fully loaded cargo ship into drydock.

Take it easy y'all
Rion

SpaceNut · 2018-11-25 17:08:36

bump

Artifacts fixed

we have had more recent discussions of how to heat if rubber and of the lunar style tires as well. These have been revisited by Nasa with a new look.

SpaceNut · 2019-02-16 17:49:37

This is a commuter vehicle for one and its electric..

Could it be altered for Mars?

At 120 inches long, the Solo is a bit longer than a Smart ForTwo, but sits much lower to the ground.
Electra Meccanica claims a drag coefficient of 0.24, and a curb weight of 992 pounds—thanks in part to composite bodywork, and aluminum drivetrain components.
A front trunk (what Tesla owners would call a "frunk") provides 10 cubic feet of cargo space, Electra Meccanica says.
The Solo is powered by an electric motor that sends 61 kilowatts (82 horsepower) and 140 pound-feet of torque to the single rear wheel.
It will do 0 to 62 mph in around 8.0 seconds, and reach a top speed of 80 mph, according to its maker.
A 16.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack provides when capacity for an estimated 100-mile range, the company says.
The Solo’s 8.6 kW, 82 hp lithium-ion electric motor produces 140 ft-lbs of torque from a standstill. It’s rated to provide a 160 km (100 mile) range and to accelerate from zero to 100 kph (62 mph) in 8 seconds. Top speed of the roughly 1,000-pound Solo is limited to 130 kph (80 mph). The Solo can be fully charged in 3 hours with 220V and 6 hours with an 110V connection.
In addition to 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels and all-wheel disc brakes, the Solo has an LCD digital instrument cluster; heater and defogger; remote keyless entry; power windows; AM/FM stereo with Bluetooth, CD, a USB connection, and a rearview backup camera.

https://electrameccanica.com/

SpaceNut · 2020-01-20 16:19:14

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=7387
Light weight rover for Mars

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3479
Running on Compressed Air?

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=4008
Hydrogen Car Powered by Expansion of Liquid H2

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3503
Fuel Cells - A viable power source?

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=8974
Fuel Cell Development, Application, Prospects

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=9230
Lithium used for batteries

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=6160
John Deere "Gator" Crossover Utility Vehicle

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=7527
Mars Cart

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3511
Land propulsion - Tracks, or tires?

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3504
Bikes on Mars? - Don't laugh!

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=6138
Bikes

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=3986
Quadracycles

SpaceNut · 2020-01-20 16:27:18

As meantion we are still in this same boat for mars for not only small quick use, for construction but for long duration distance use as well..
This applies to the lower mass of the new batteries which is a technology for mars that will need to be pushed.
ISS upgrade update
Spacewalking astronauts wrap up battery improvements

NASA gradually has been replacing the space station's 48 aging, original-style nickel-hydrogen batteries with new and more powerful lithium-ion batteries. Only half as many of the new batteries are needed. So far, 18 new batteries have been installed over the past three years and 36 old ones removed.
Another batch of six new batteries will be launched to the orbiting lab this spring to complete the power upgrade. The old batteries, meanwhile, will be discarded in a supply ship.
These oversized, boxy batteries keep all the space station's systems running when the outpost is on the night side of Earth, drawing power from the sprawling solar wings. They're not easy to handle: Each is about a yard, or a meter, tall and wide, with a mass of about 400 pounds (180 kilograms.)

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#26 2002-12-04 08:26:16

Re: small, high speed buggies

#27 2002-12-04 18:41:28

Re: small, high speed buggies

#28 2002-12-04 18:46:01

Re: small, high speed buggies

#29 2002-12-05 07:21:05

Re: small, high speed buggies

#30 2002-12-05 09:35:23

Re: small, high speed buggies

#31 2002-12-05 19:29:54

Re: small, high speed buggies

#32 2003-01-24 13:07:19

Re: small, high speed buggies

#33 2018-11-25 17:08:36

Re: small, high speed buggies

#34 2019-02-16 17:49:37

Re: small, high speed buggies

#35 2020-01-20 16:19:14

Re: small, high speed buggies

#36 2020-01-20 16:27:18

Re: small, high speed buggies

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