Racoon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 This has really stewed in my mind for a while... When you go to the gym, and you see everyone on a treadmill, bike, ellipse, rowing machine, whatever...like mice in wheels...couldn't that energy expended be used for electricity generation? like turning a dynamo! One of the guys at the gym said he rigged his TV to a treadmill, so when his housewife wanted to watch TV, she had to walk the treadmill to power it.(subsequently getting in better shape as a by-product) It seems to me that a substantial amount of energy could be produced. :hyper: Enough at least to power the gym and lighting, or whatever... Does anyone think this is a good idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boerseun Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Absolutely. But then again, humans being the silly creatures that they are, the moment gymming starts doing something productive, they'll stop doing it. In South Africa, some propellerhead designed a merry-go-round as a toy for kids, but which is actually a water-pump! So, as the kids play, they pump water for the town! I think its a great idea. Same with making power meters run in reverse for electricity generated at home, which is then 'sold' back to the power grid through making the meter run in reverse when you've got surplus energy at home (like solar panels, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Yaeh we can do all that.Energy is present in all places latent and hiding is this way, waiting for us to take for ourselves. But this can never be very useful. Such power sources will be erratic and unsustained.:( Further, there is a limit to useful work that can be extracted from any process. THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS, the law that I hate for it's power to waste us all.:( :hyper: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chacmool Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 :( When you go to the gym, and you see everyone on a treadmill, bike, ellipse, rowing machine, whatever...like mice in wheels...couldn't that energy expended be used for electricity generation?It seems to me that a substantial amount of energy could be produced. :hyper: Enough at least to power the gym and lighting, or whatever...Does anyone think this is a good idea?GREAT idea!! I wonder how much energy is actually going to waste in an average-sized gym each month? It's scandalous that we're not harnassing all the power we can in order to save our precious resources. And actually ALL television sets should be hooked up to a treadmill! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racoon Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 GREAT idea!! I wonder how much energy is actually going to waste in an average-sized gym each month? It's scandalous that we're not harnassing all the power we can in order to save our precious resources. And actually ALL television sets should be hooked up to a treadmill! :( Your TV will be next Chacmool :hihi: Theres no hiding. :hyper: motion creates emotion! Any advice/ideas on where to go looking for methods of installing dynamos into pre-existing cardio-machines?or how that would be implemented mechanically? I am not an electrical engineer by any stretch. :( But I'd love to learn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 hehe I thought the same thing when I was running on the treadmill at the gym last time - but man those things have nothing on *real* running :hyper: at the least the gym could save a few dollars on the bill, but they will still have to power it when there aint many people there or at night when extra lighting is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Your TV will be next Chacmool :( Theres no hiding. :hyper: motion creates emotion! Any advice/ideas on where to go looking for methods of installing dynamos into pre-existing cardio-machines?or how that would be implemented mechanically? I am not an electrical engineer by any stretch. :( But I'd love to learn...dynamo/generator even a motor hooked up and spun will produce a current, it just needs to be hooked up to the axel via some rig.. that will depend largely on the treadmill. Another option I can think of is having a kind of wheel that sits on the treadmill surface and spins, less trouble but could get in the way and also may cause extra friction for the runners to push against (not technically a bad thing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I've just had an idea on this. Why not make this method useful for charging batteries?! I mean connect the axle of a cycle to some dynamo through some tough gear system to increase rotation speed, then connect the dynamo to some dc current stabliser, then from there to the battery? Well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 possible - what you need is either a built in commutator, or run it through a full wave rectifier and then smooth it out with a capacitor placed in parrallel :hyper: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 You're a genius, JQ and I am working on your tip ASAP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boerseun Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 You're a genius, JQ and I am working on your tip ASAP!Sheesh, Ron - you shouldn't be working Jay's tip in public! You could be more discreet...:hyper: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 :( oh your a funny one Boerseun, seriously I was reading through a thread at uni - in the library and you made some hilarious comment I couldnt help but to burst out laughing, cant imagine what that would have looked like to the people sitting around me :hyper: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Sheesh, Ron - you shouldn't be working Jay's tip in public! You could be more discreet...:( Oh sorry, I got a little excited... WOOOOOOOOO! YAAAAAY!!! WHOOPEEEEEEEEEeeeee!!! ... Ahem. sorry. (Strighten tie, comb hair) Capacitor in parrallel: The missing link to my dc smoother, thanks a lot, JQ, I don't know why I did'nt think that for myself... Any way, I've begun work. The dc current is flowing fine with the setup i've made. Connecting and disconnecting a 9V battery quickly produces a decent flow of constant current. According to my calculations, I'm gonna take some time to fix the dynamo to my old and brokendown cycle. I'll be eager to try it on!:hyper: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Sorry, this post is a silly mistake i just made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 You want to charge a battery, so I am thinking you may benifit from a step down transformer up the current and make the voltage only maybe 3-4V above what the battery is rated at. If you really want to complete this you will also need a voltage regulator (with a heat sink) so that you dont blow the battery. Also what size capacitor are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Crap! double clicked again!How does one delete unwanted posts anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthepon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 You want to charge a battery, so I am thinking you may benifit from a step down transformer up the current and make the voltage only maybe 3-4V above what the battery is rated at. If you really want to complete this you will also need a voltage regulator (with a heat sink) so that you dont blow the battery. Also what size capacitor are you using?I need a battery charge voltage ofd around 12-13V and I guess that the dynamo is gonna make around that much. Can you believe it that the dynamo I found was made for cycle bulbs?No probs when it comes to voltage then. What do you suggest for the capacitator? Right now I'm using a pretty useless one for the job and it's never gonna hold out the energy needed. By the way, i'm trying a lead acid battery of 9V. It is quite well sized for this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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