[Lab] Introduction and question

[tonyelwood at telus.blackberry.net]

Hi Richard,

The easiest way to make a treadmill workstation would be to take a small treadmill and remove the console mast while relocating the console near the workstation. However building the whole thing from scrap may be more fun.

Some bikes, ellipticals and steppers are self generating and use the generated electricity to drive the console and an electromagnet on the flywheel to create resistance. I think they are inefficient because they are designed to waste energy but they make 300 volts (3 phase I think). Stairmasters use an alternator, which is better, then dump the energy into a big resister to load the alternator. I have tossed these before but don't have any around right now.  

Manual treadmills are at a high incline to overcome the friction between the deck and belt. I don't think you would get much energy after overcoming friction, and you would be continuously at a 10-15% grade. 

Now realizing how awkward the crackberry email client is
-Tony
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry