Emergency Hand Crank Generator

[nadja]

Well, I think I found something this morning that may interest a lot of you. I don't know much about it just yet, but still worth taking a look.


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hurricane-Wind-Power-Wind-Turbine-Technologies-LLC/146553008723813

[randallhilton]

Just remember: Watts is watts. Cranking a generator requires you to exert enough energy to a) produce the electrical watts plus overcome the mechanical resistance. In other words, you're converting bacon & eggs into electricity, which requires lots of bacon and eggs!

[DavidOH]

Maybe. 50 watts. I'd like to take a look inside it.
Till then.... I know this one works:
http://www.ccrane.com/more-categorie...gy-source.aspx

[Mad_Professor]

For that kind of money a high output junkyard 12V alternator (ca. 120 amp) hooked up to an old stationary bicycle frame w/pedals , Complete the system with several deep cycle batteries and power inverter.

[patience]

These devices would work okay for powering a radio and some LED lights in a camping situation, I think. For serious power, it would take a LOT of human effort to produce very much. I read somewhere that a world class cyclist can put out about 1/4 HP for a short time. One HP = 746 watts for an hour. So, 1/4 HP for an hour = 186 watt/hours.

That is enough to run my 60 watt flat screen TV, my 30 watt notebook computer, and a few CFL lights for an hour. I would think you'd be pretty pooped after doing that power generation, too. I vote for a solar panel and a battery.

[nadja]

Originally Posted by patience

These devices would work okay for powering a radio and some LED lights in a camping situation, I think. For serious power, it would take a LOT of human effort to produce very much. I read somewhere that a world class cyclist can put out about 1/4 HP for a short time. One HP = 746 watts for an hour. So, 1/4 HP for an hour = 186 watt/hours.

That is enough to run my 60 watt flat screen TV, my 30 watt notebook computer, and a few CFL lights for an hour. I would think you'd be pretty pooped after doing that power generation, too. I vote for a solar panel and a battery.

But, if you backed up an old 10-speed bike to it, added a pully to the shaft , then you could go through the gears on the bike and you would most likely put out some amazing power. Gear ratio would help you atain that I should think

[J R Adams]

Originally Posted by nadja

But, if you backed up an old 10-speed bike to it, added a pully to the shaft , then you could go through the gears on the bike and you would most likely put out some amazing power. Gear ratio would help you atain that I should think

A bicycle would just transfer your out put from your arms to your legs. Legs are generally stronger so you could generate more power longer with the legs.

HP = (torque X rpm) / 5252

You would input torque and rpm through the pedals and sprocket. Changing the gear ratio will change the torque - RPM relationship but will not magnify the HP input you are generating.

[grumble]

Good point, JR. Another thing to consider is that pedal powering a generator doesn't develop momentum, so there'd be no shifting through the gears, the load would be constant. To get momentum, a big flywheel would have to be added to the contraption.

[txplowgirl]

That makes me exhausted just thinkin about it.

[Mitch]

Hummmm, I built one once with a $2 bicycle and an old 36V DC motor off a satellite dish drive arm (dumster dived) and a cheapo volt meter to monitor output. All you got to do then is add one 10 year old kid to crank it

Mitch

[cuppajoe]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Hummmm, I built one once with a $2 bicycle and an old 36V DC motor off a satellite dish drive arm (dumster dived) and a cheapo volt meter to monitor output. All you got to do then is add one 10 year old kid to crank it

Mitch

Thats the ticket....get a 10 yr old hopped up on Halloween candy