We can generate electrical power with wind, water, fire, etc. Should'nt there be a way to harness the energy we use daily?
2006-06-22 09:21:12 · 9 answers · asked by davenarmy66 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It would actually be pretty easy to use a bike to generate electricity. You would need a bike, wire, magnets, and some resistors to get the right current and voltage. If you could find a way store to store the energy in some type of battery, that would be ideal. Otherwise, you could use it to power small appliances. Most people don't do it because they don't know it's possible, don't care, don't know how, or don't think about it. If you are interested in that, you should design something. It would take a lot of bike riding, but it would be possible (especially if you had a good transformer to step up the current, which would be easy to build as well).
2006-06-22 09:44:06 · answer #1 · answered by q2003 4 · 6⤊ 4⤋
If you use your exercise bicycle anyway, electricity could be a nice byproduct. Still, you have to buy the generator and the circuitry to hook it into your electrical system. Your entire family would have to work out pretty fanatically to break even.
But that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a way to harness the energy we use daily. A Stirling engine would be a very efficient way to provide supplemental or even total electrical power to your house.
Stirling engines rely on external heat to expand and contract a gas (air is fine) that moves a couple of pistons.
Your heater is a good source of external heat. Instead of just moving warm air around, make it do a little work along the way. The pistons can be hooked to a large flywheel (to maintain momentum) that is hooked to an electrical generator. Your heater is basically being used to power an electrical generator, with heat being a welcome byproduct.
The drawback is that the heater-engine will take up a lot of space (this isn't a big problem if your house has more space than you need). Another drawback is that it wouldn't be very efficient if you lived in a warm weather state. Instead of using fuel for two puposes simultaneously, you're using fuel for electrical generation at a higher cost than you could buy it from the local utility, plus creating a heat dispursal problem.
2006-06-22 17:14:39 · answer #2 · answered by Bob G 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of work for very little electricity. Thats the short answer. In a sunny area, you may be able to not only produce all your energy needs you may even be able to over produce and sell back to the energy company if you have a descent array of solar panels.
2006-06-22 16:27:39 · answer #3 · answered by ArchChef 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever tried to light a light bulb with a small generator connected to a bicycle? I have. It's really hard to keep the light lit more than 60 seconds without becoming completely exhausted.
People just have no concept of the energy, in the form of real work, it takes to power just one household. When you decide to give up your air conditioning, hair dryer, washer and dryer, electric stove, COMPUTER, etc, then we can talk solar panels and windmills.
2006-06-22 16:38:25 · answer #4 · answered by lunatic 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
a complete waste. the energy u would use bicycling would be greater than the energy you would generate.
2006-06-22 16:45:38 · answer #5 · answered by haribon 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
We Americans are too lazy, even if it was efficient!
2006-06-22 18:30:47 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm too lazy to get up and find the remote, and you want me to work up a sweat to power my tv...
Nuts!
2006-06-22 16:49:43 · answer #7 · answered by boter_99 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
or just use human powered appliances... more efficient... hand pumps, crank washing machine...
2006-06-22 16:25:25 · answer #8 · answered by Dan H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's human nature to be lazy.......
2006-06-22 18:32:17 · answer #9 · answered by Master Quark 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋