Whoa! That's a huge load of great information!<div><br></div><div>Have you read the blog at: <a href="http://canadianenergyissues.com/">http://canadianenergyissues.com/</a>?</div><div><br></div><div>It's on energy.</div>
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<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 11:44 PM, Richard Guy Briggs <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rgb@tricolour.net">rgb@tricolour.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class="im">On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 08:45:46PM -0500, Darcy Whyte wrote:<br>
> Yeah, I think a stepper can be a good generator. But the problem I'm trying<br>
> to solve is what size of stepper or electric motor would make a good<br>
> generator for capturing electricity from a human. Apparently a human can<br>
> average about .1hp. But can put out more power in bursts. So I was figuring<br>
> that stepper might be too small.<br>
><br>
> Do you think a couple of NEMA 34 motors is enough to capture energy that a<br>
> person can generate?<br>
<br>
</div>I have no idea about the efficiencies of a stepper. I'm even surprised<br>
it would work since I didn't think the armature was magnetized.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> I think a car alternator is out since it needs electricity to generate<br>
> electricity. I'm not sure their so efficient.<br>
<br>
</div>You are right on both counts.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> Yeah, I figured for the toaster application we'd need more than a hp. I'm<br>
> wondering if a NEMA 34 would be enough. Or perhaps a team of them (what size<br>
> team?)<br>
<br>
</div>Most resistive electric appliances (and microwaves) such as toasters,<br>
kettles, toaster ovens, electric frying pans, hair dryers, etc. draw<br>
900-1800W, which is 1 up to 2.5 HP.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> Your numbers agree with mine on the number of people it would take. And<br>
> that's part of the message in this art piece. The average person doesn't<br>
> have a sense of how much electricity we use in terms of the work it's<br>
> equivalent to (in terms we understand).<br>
><br>
> So if it turns out it's 2 NEMA-34s to extract power from a human, I may need<br>
> to look at about 10 of them in the toaster application. (So people can team<br>
> up to push the generators to make the toast.<br>
><br>
> The page you made on human generators looks awesome. I'll go through those<br>
> links and information.<br>
<br>
</div>I probably have some other links and information elsewhere since I have<br>
looked this up before.<br>
<br>
Here is one goldmine of info... Past issues of "Home Power":<br>
<a href="http://tricolour.net/home_power/Home%2520Power%2520Index%2520%2523001-109.pdf" target="_blank">http://tricolour.net/home_power/Home%2520Power%2520Index%2520%2523001-109.pdf</a><br>
<a href="http://tricolour.net/home_power/" target="_blank">http://tricolour.net/home_power/</a><br>
Please be gentle on my bandwidth. The first link is the index.<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
> On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 6:12 PM, Richard Guy Briggs <<a href="mailto:rgb@tricolour.net">rgb@tricolour.net</a>>wrote:<br>
> > On Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 07:14:29AM -0500, Darcy Whyte wrote:<br>
> > > I would like to make a human powered generator for an art project.<br>
> ><br>
> > I've been wanting to build one for a while now...<br>
> ><br>
> > > I am curious if a couple of NEMA 34 motors is large enough to capture all<br>
> > > the power that a human can generate.<br>
> ><br>
> > My understanding is that a stepper is not the kind of motor that can be<br>
> > used as a generator. Wait! I stand corrected!<br>
> > <a href="http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/assemblyMini3.asp" target="_blank">http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/assemblyMini3.asp</a><br>
> ><br>
> > What is most commonly used to generate DC is a commutated DC motor.<br>
> ><br>
> > A car alternator will also work. It is an AC generator with a<br>
> > rectifier, but they tend to be a lot less efficient. It also needs a<br>
> > power supply bias to get started (say, a car battery under charge) since<br>
> > there are no permanent magnets and it uses a field coil.<br>
> ><br>
> > My understanding is that motors are typically 80% efficient, while<br>
> > dynamos closer to 50%.<br>
> ><br>
> > Do you have a link for your NEMA 34 motor specs? I've seen anywhere<br>
> > from 50W up to 500, so it sounds like those might work!<br>
> ><br>
> > > I'm looking at a couple of applications.<br>
> > ><br>
> > > 1) To run a 120V toaster. I suspect this might need as many as 5 people<br>
> > to<br>
> > > peddle. Also to run a 60W incandescence bulb.<br>
> ><br>
> > A toaster is going to need 3 top athletes (400W ea) or about 8 fit<br>
> > adults (150w ea) to run. For kids (50w ea), it is going to be more like<br>
> > 25...<br>
> ><br>
> > > 2) To charge a 12V battery.<br>
> ><br>
> > One will work here, it'll just take longer...<br>
> ><br>
> > I wanted to power a TV, or at least to power the "on" circuit. Other<br>
> > ideas we had was to use a human powered generator to power parade float<br>
> > lights or moving parts.<br>
> ><br>
> > > I'm suspecting that a stepper motor is a good candidate to make the<br>
> > > electricity. I think the first part of the project is to make up some<br>
> > BOMs<br>
> > > that show what motor to use, the RPM that it would require and parts for<br>
> > a<br>
> > > rectifier and whatever else is necessary to operate in these<br>
> > applications.<br>
> ><br>
> > I've got lots of small ones, so I can try some tests and see. I<br>
> > wouldn't have thought they would work because the rotor I thought was<br>
> > unmagnetized steel.<br>
> ><br>
> > > Does anybody know of any existing projects or have any recommendations?<br>
> ><br>
> > There are lots out there that I have tripped upon in the past... I<br>
> > threw together this page to summarize:<br>
> > <a href="http://tricolour.net/bicycle-generator.html" target="_blank">http://tricolour.net/bicycle-generator.html</a><br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > I just tripped on this site that may be of interest too:<br>
> > <a href="http://www.thebackshed.com/" target="_blank">http://www.thebackshed.com/</a><br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > slainte mhath, RGB<br>
> ><br>
> > --<br>
> > Richard Guy Briggs -- ~\ -- ~\ <<br>
> > <a href="http://hpv.tricolour.net" target="_blank">hpv.tricolour.net</a>><br>
> > <<a href="http://www.TriColour.net" target="_blank">www.TriColour.net</a>> -- \___ o \@ @ Ride yer<br>
> > bike!<br>
> > Ottawa, ON, CANADA -- Lo_>__M__\\/\%__\\/\%<br>
> > Vote! -- <<a href="http://greenparty.ca" target="_blank">greenparty.ca</a><br>
> > >_____GTVS6#790__(*)__(*)________(*)(*)_________________<br>
> ><br>
<br>
slainte mhath, RGB<br>
<br>
--<br>
Richard Guy Briggs -- ~\ -- ~\ <<a href="http://hpv.tricolour.net" target="_blank">hpv.tricolour.net</a>><br>
<<a href="http://www.TriColour.net" target="_blank">www.TriColour.net</a>> -- \___ o \@ @ Ride yer bike!<br>
Ottawa, ON, CANADA -- Lo_>__M__\\/\%__\\/\%<br>
Vote! -- <<a href="http://greenparty.ca" target="_blank">greenparty.ca</a>>_____GTVS6#790__(*)__(*)________(*)(*)_________________<br>
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