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ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:32 pm
by Cyndi Kritzinger
HOWDY ALL.

SO I'M QUITE KEEN ON THE WHOLE SOLAR THING AND WILL BE FOLLOWING IT WITH INTEREST BUT FOR NJOW I WOULD LIKE SOME HELP/ADVICE WITH THE FOLLOWING:-

IF I SOMEHOW CONNECTED AN ALTERNATOR TO A BICYCLE COULD I RUN MY TV, DSTV DECODER AND PERHAPS AN LED LIGHT FROM IT AND HOW WOULD I HAVE TO CONNECT IT ALL UP?

IF YOU COULD DRAW ME A PICTURE THAT WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY.

THANKS
MARK

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:32 pm
by retrovan
What you wanting out of the alternator.

12 V dc ?

or you want to drive an inverter.??

Herman

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:25 pm
by Bugger
Where do you want to use this system for and where
Mobile or Static at home

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:51 am
by Tony Z
How fit are you?
Led light yes... tv and decoder, I highly doubt you will get any feasible results unless you are a professional athlete looking for an alternative form of training during lockdown

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:22 am
by retrovan
Should you want to drive direct from the bike, you will damage all your equipment.

So you will need a battery in line to smooth the voltage and power flow.

As a car alternator is in fact a 3 phase AC unit which uses diodes to bring it back to single phase and DC, it has the ablity to supply a great amount of power.

If you get a lot out, you need to put a lot in, and most have not got the stamina to keep this going.

So to make this a working option, use a battery, connect a Motor bike alternator to it, (as it puts out less power, so you need to put in less).

You also need the battery to excite the field and to show you are charging, so you need to connect the charge lamp into the circuit.

The wiring would be determined buy the alternator obtained, but best option will be the two terminal with built in rectification.

Can help with that once we know what parts you have accumulated.

Stay fit.

Herman

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:26 pm
by Tony Z
Instead of the whole alternator story Herman mentioned, get an old bicycle light generator that clicks onto the tyre and use that, but you’ll need some form of regulator to up the voltage so it is usable.
If you fit, then get 2 or 3 and see how it goes. Each one will likely only put out 20 or 30 watts

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:57 pm
by 73type2
Typical LED TV sizes 30"-50" consumes about 50-100W. No matter how big your bike dynamo/alernator/generator; output power is still a function of input power, meaning pedal power. Entropy holds - energy can't be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form into another.

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 6:49 pm
by retrovan
One has to look at facts, and yes it can be done, because I have seen it done.

Most pro cyclists produce about 200 to 300 watts on average during a four-hour tour stage. The recreational rider, on the other hand, might be only able to sustain this wattage during a 45-minute or hour-long spin class. (figures taken from the Tour de France)

Your average big bike alternator gives out between 150 and 200 watts.

So that means if you start with a full battery's and watch TV for 4 hours, and you peddle for 8 hours in a day, in short bursts , it can be done.

Mose bike charging systems are run in relay, with a short current usage.

I would however fill the tyre with water so as to add a flywheel effect minimizing effort once up to speed.

Here is a lay out.


Image

Herman

PS some history on this besides me making one when a appy;-
BBC even made a TV-programme in which an entire household was powered via these generators, with 80 cyclists generating up to 14 kW. These multi-person pedal power generators were pioneered in the 1970s by the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT).

If you calculate the number each biker generated = 175 watts which validates my calculations above.

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:04 pm
by Cyndi Kritzinger
WOW!
THANKS FOR THAT INPUT SO FAR.

MY IDEA IS TO GET READY FOR THE NEXT BOUT OF LOADSHEDDING ONCE THINGS RETURN TO NORMAL AND AT THE SAME TIME ACTUALLY USE THE OPPORTUNITY/EXCUSE TO DO SOME EXERCISE.
IT WILL BE A STATIC APPLICATION MOST LIKELY IN MY LOUNGE.
I'D LIKE IT TO BE AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
MY OTHER IDEA IS TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY USING A WINDMILL TYPE SETUP.

Re: ADVICE/HELP WITH ALTERNATIVE POWER PLEASE

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:38 am
by retrovan
Here you go...

How to build a wind turbine with an old ceiling fan.

Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApKFeaJ6xYE

Herman