Home made electric generator?

Question

Anyone point me where to find help in building a electric generator, only something to charge a battery to light a bulb?
I have an old electric drill, maybe run it bacwords?

Answer 1

As you try various motors, you'll find MOST AC motors are not generators, however DC motors are. This is because electrical energy is generated when a coil moves through a magnetic field, and many AC motors do not use permanent magnet, instead use another coil to generate such magnetic field. This basically means you need an external power to start the motor.... so reverse is not necessary true.

You didn't give me much idea on SCALE of your project. How big of a battery and how big of a lamp? If on larger scale, yes, an automotive alternator will work, IF you can source enough energy to turn the shaft... on the smaller scale, a hobby motor will work fine as generator. You can easily turn it with your finger or a small windmill.

Not the generator in the same sense but photo voltaic panel will work just fine as well. You might want to consider it if you are not set on traditional generators.

Answer 2

pghmarty and Michelle are incorrect. An alternator won't work without a battery to excite the field coil and an induction motor will not generate electricity under any circumstances. You need a DC motor with magnets and brushes to generate electricity with. It won't put out much though. And you can run it either direction. You're wasting your time if you want to do anything useful with it. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

'Nuff said?

Answer 3

With conversation of Solar Energy thro. Photovoltaic system,you can generate D.C Power and that can be stored in batteries of good capacity and it can be drawn to light the Battery voltage rated bulb and run a D.C Fan of battery voltage.

To run higher voltage of A.C ( namely 120V/ 60Hz ) it need inverter
that is converting D.C ( Direct Current ) to A.C( Alternate Current)
later step up to required A.C Voltage so that than can light the bulb and run the fan till to the 60% consumption stored Electrically in the form chemically.

To Ultilise the Electrical drilkling Machine of A.C it requires natural Wind energy (Wind mill) coupling to drillingMachine and
neccessary modification required to generate A.C power.

That means permanent magnetic polesare neccessary.

All dreilling Machines are universalmotor circuit and both field and armature and connected electrically thro contact brushed tocomplete the circuit.So carring out modification is combursum.

Answer 4

Should work fine - the rectifier produces pulsed DC and the capacitors store power to absorb the peaks and fill in the bottoms - if over that range, it is very likely you will generate more than 1.5 volts average. Then you will have have to feed it to a voltage regulator set to 1.5 volts. No idea what current you might be able to draw, bouncing around like that, probably not much.

Answer 5

Google John Bedini. He's got a circuit that charges batteries using free energy.

Answer 6

If you live near a waterfall you can build a mini hydro electric plant. I think you will need turbines and other stuff.

Answer 7

Any motor IS a generator, if you can find a way to turn the shaft. You don't even need to run it backwards.

Answer 8

I have a charge in my pants when I am with your sister!

Try holding the light bulb in your hand in the shower and drop a blow dryer into the water.

Answer 9

That won't work
Try an alternator from a salvage yard

Answer 10

http://www.freesciencefairproject.com/projects/electric_generator.html


Doug