I'm trying to make a a Go-Kart running with solar panels and a wind generator. But i'm having problems trying to find a motor for it and i need one that would be fast. This would be used for a science project for my senior year in highschool and i'm trying to make something really good. Also i need some more i deas on how to make this.
You might want to just go with gas go-Kart that starts automatically when a photo diode is in the light. This way after graduation you will still have a fun go-kart for the summer. I don't mean to burst your bubble but do you have free solar panels, motors, and batteries?
A wind generator won't work, pushing the blades through the air uses 5 times more energy than it will produce. And it will look silly. Stick with DC, AC is too complicated. You will need a lot of electronics, so find someone to help you who knows a lot about that. You need to worry about batteries, battery charging, the DC motor, speed control of the motor, solar cell capacity and connections, a lot of stuff. .
The solar power is just for show, it would take weeks to charge the batteries. Of course, you don't have to mention that. For a motor use the starter motor from a car, and power it from the car battery via the starter solenoid. You do not need any electronics, just push the button for only a few seconds at a time and coast a lot. An ordinary car battery charger will charge it just fine. Use a Gilmers belt drive between the motor and the wheel, and pick a gear ratio to give a compromise between performance and battery life. You can probably get the battery, motor, and solenoid from a wreckers yard - it will be cheaper that way. Connect enough solar cells in series to make at least 14.6 volts, and only plug them in when the sun is shining or it will discharge the battery (you could also put a Schottky diode in series if you can withstand the 0.4 volt drop). If you leave them plugged in for too long it will eventually damage the battery, but this will take many weeks. Feature the solar cells prominently on the go-kart, of course. The Epcott center has some great Weasel Wording - A portion of the energy used by this building is derived from solar. You COULD use a wind generator to help charge the batteries while parked, but it would look kind of silly. It would also open you up to comments about perpetual motion machines and pseudoscience, which could seriously damage your reputation, WAY beyond high school. Plus it is difficult and expensive - I would just skip it.
Use an AC motor and a really, really long extension cord. Seriously, with AC you're going to need an inverter that will add weight and complexity. Go DC, use dry cell batteries (I use the backup for my phone/cable/isp router for bike accessories. light weight and decent capacity) The motor and controller are your big investments. Any rechargeable lawnmower motors that will work; you'd need a few? Good luck. I've been planning an electric trike for a while now.
