So I have not updated this page in the past week because I’ve been furiously staring at a series of glowing rectangles and writing all of my graduate school essays. Before I trek off to another set of adventures, and until I get a chance to sit down with some parts and start actually tinkering with a better version of a bike alternator (or dynamo, could be either), I’ll totally define the idea and explain the social enterprise aspects of it. That is, of course, the major motivation behind developing this project.
By the way, unplug your phone charger. Right now. It’s using energy even when your phone is in your pocket. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Ok…
So environmentally friendly renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind, are generally unreliable. Unlike natural gas and oil, solar and wind cannot be stored and converted into electricity based on demand. Until we develop a storage system for renewable energy that we can tap into as needed, we must “use it or lose it” and rely, at least in part, on carbon-based fuels.
This leads to my idea for a battery storage system for renewable energy at the local level. If we apply the hybrid car model to residential power, we can make better use of available sustainable energy technology, develop new sources of energy to harvest, cut some waste out of the infrastructure, and extend energy access to underserved communities.
Here are some examples of how my idea for storing and reclaiming energy can be applied: Kinetic energy in the form of rainfall, which we already direct through gutters most houses, can be used as a source of electricity if the water turns a generator and the energy is stored in a battery, hence the project below. We could also apply this concept to every source of flowing water in a house or apartment building, or in cities with gray water runoff systems. Swinging or revolving doors can be retrofitted with small resistance motors instead of springs. Heat generated by lamps, refrigerators, and coffee machines can be partially reclaimed once we have the capacity to store the energy.
A system for locally producing and storing electricity could also reduce the cost of providing electricity in places without modern infrastructure. Mobile phone technology found its most creative applications in areas without existing landlines. An efficient DC platform, either self-contained or operating in hybrid with AC, can transform people’s access to electricity in rural and underdeveloped areas. It may even enable people to transition into the middle class without the environmental impact that has occurred elsewhere. As an additional benefit, consider the effect that local energy systems might have in the wake of a natural disaster or widespread power failure.
So now, for your viewing pleasure, here is a sketch of the circuit I have in mind for the energy from rain harvester. It’s pretty simple, but it’s also been a while since I studied transistor theory so bear with me.
The input from the alternator (or dynamo, which might save me some parts if its more efficient) goes through a simple bridge rectifier. C1 helps regulate the voltage and stores a charge to maintain stability with L1 as the wheel slows down. R1 shunts a little of the output voltage to bias T1, which will ground the output if the voltage gets too big. This is unlikely, since we can also mechanically regulate the alternator’s output by passing the water through a reservoir before directing it to the Swiss Family Robinson wheel.
So, it slowly charges the batteries when it rains. The batteries themselves help regulate the voltage and output to the MintyBoost circuit when you need the power. Or turn on a light. Or whatever. Electricity is universal currency. To increase the amount of power we could put two pairs of AAs in parralel, keeping the voltage the same but doubling the storage capacity and mAh.
The values for the components are not included, because they are all contingent on the input from the alternator. Most bike charging dynamos and alternators are designed to reclaim a little bit of juice without slowing you down too much. This device doesn’t need to move so the magnets can be considerably more powerful. That might mean we need to step the voltage down, or even better, use a bigger battery. Unfortunately I don’t have the time or the equipment to test out the mechanical side of things before I go to Borneo, so my loyal followers will have to wait until the new year for that.
It’s not exactly rocket science, we’ve had the pieces to do this for years. My goal is to design a system which makes using renewable energy affordable for consumers.
Lastly, here’s something to consider: Google. When I search for things with metric values, I want my capitalization to count for something. 22 MegaWatts is not the same as 22 milliWatts. Off to Borneo.
