[Lab] Introduction and question

[Richard Guy Briggs]

On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 02:30:49AM +0000, tonyelwood at telus.blackberry.net wrote:
> Hi Richard,

Hi Tony,

> 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.  

This sounds interesting if one comes through your shop again...

I'm guessing that these may not be as suitable for my application since
you would be bouncing more and it would be harder to type and keep focus
on a screen?

> 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. 

I've heard this before...

I also understand that the home/consumer grade ones wear out on any kind
of regular use and that the industrial ones are intended to take a
higher duty cycle of use.  I have also heard that they don't wear out as
fast if they are used at a pace between 7-15km/h rather than 1-1.5km/h
since they have trouble dissipating heat at that slower speed.

Are there treadmills that have a bed of rollers rather than a deck so
that they move better?


I'm certainly grateful for your insight into this technology.  Thanks!

> -Tony

	slainte mhath, RGB

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