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Pedal Power Project
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:22 pm
by ToolUsingAnimal
Hey druids,
So I'll be coming back to Bristol soon, do a bit of work with Kebele and the Permacultists. But I want to build a bike generator, and document it for posterity. The idea is to video it all, so as to make a DVD of useful skills...
Anyone interested?
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:26 pm
by Andy Hamilton
Yep I would be up for that if I have time. Give me a shout if you want me to join.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:58 pm
by ToolUsingAnimal
Ace. Cheers boss.
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:39 am
by Ellendra
I've been wanting to build a bike generator for a while. I'd seen demonstration models, but they always had such low resistance they couldn't possibly be capturing the amount of energy possible. I'd love to see what you come up with.
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:14 am
by grahoom
I've been looking into pedal powered stuff for a while, but it seems that for a hell of a lot of work not much energy is produced - which I am sure isn't strictly true, so would be interested in trying to make one - just to see it working myself (personally I have limited space for such tinkerings).
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:18 am
by ina
This idea has been on SSIsh a few times - I remember I started a thread years ago - am still hoping to have a pedal power computer one of these days!
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:46 pm
by DominicJ
1 horse power is about 750 watts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_powe ... sepower.22
A person can do 0.1hp for sustained periods, so 75 watts, not exactly bad, but not great either
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:44 am
by Wombat
Yup, I tried to commit suicide on one years ago........
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:01 pm
by John Headstrong
quite right there DominicJ
One of the things you should be aware of before you start is the energy output of an average person. Although some athletes can produce amazing power outputs for short periods, the maximum continuous output you can get from an average person is an eighth of a horsepower or a bit less than 100 Watts. (Makes you think about making a horse powered generator doesn't it). Not only that, 100 Watts of mechanical energy translates to maybe 60 W or so of electrical by the time it's been converted.
taken from
http://www.c-realevents.demon.co.uk/alt ... pedgen.htm
also
http://www.pedalpa.org.uk/
has some info
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:08 pm
by The Prehistorian
average person is an eighth of a horsepower or a bit less than 100 Watts.
I think that might be under reading a little.....even back when I was suffering from PVFS I could put out around 200W for sustained periods. OK, I do ride a bike a lot but no more than would be possible for the average person - I don't train or race etc just pootle around. I think that initially power output for the average person would be low but after a while they'd see it ramp up a fair bit, it's all about geting the muscles used tot he bike.
Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:41 pm
by Tom Thumb
ahh this is something I wanted to ask about.
I've been thinking of hooking up and old bike to some sort of dynamo, which goes through some sort of charge regulator and charges a 12 volt battery.
I want to do it as cheaply as possible, so probably with some sort of recondition motor as the dynamo. would this work? and can anyone recommend from what type of machine or appliance I met get something suitable?
Re:
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:25 pm
by Big Al
Tom Thumb wrote:ahh this is something I wanted to ask about.
I've been thinking of hooking up and old bike to some sort of dynamo, which goes through some sort of charge regulator and charges a 12 volt battery.
I want to do it as cheaply as possible, so probably with some sort of recondition motor as the dynamo. would this work? and can anyone recommend from what type of machine or appliance I met get something suitable?
Could you not rig up some type of svonious rotor but instead of having the "fan" bit to spin round over the coils you have the metal washers stuck to the to the back wheel and have the coils static ??