Anyone remember me saying "use bikes to make electricity!"??

[downfader]

Well it appears others are cottoning on.

http://www.mysun.co.uk/go/thread/view/88618/22954849/Pedal_Power

Excuse the fact its the currant bun (or should that be the current bun?)

 

[Yellow Fang]

Radios don't take much electricity. He'll be pedalling a long time if he wants to boil a kettle. Pedal for 20 minutes a day my arse.

 

[downfader]

Radios don't take much electricity. He'll be pedalling a long time if he wants to boil a kettle. Pedal for 20 minutes a day my arse.

Left a reply (under Hugostrange)

I think for a lot of little things it can work well.

Actually there might be a way to generate enough power for a kettle if you utilise gearing and flywheels and build up enough momentum. I'm no electrician/scientist though so cant justify it other than a thought.

 

[Davidc]

It takes 2 1/2 minutes for my part filled kettle to boil the water for 2 cups of tea. Thats roughly 6 kilowatt minutes.

If this guy wants a cup of tea, and can keep up 200w output, it's going to take him 30 minutes to boil the water for it. Presumably he'll have to charge a battery and then use it to run the kettle, so add a bit for inefficiencies.

Same calculation for a washerload of clothes (1 kwh in a low temperature high efficiency machine) says he's pedalling for 5 hours!

Does he use a tumble dryer?

 

[Davidc]

Left a reply (under Hugostrange)

I think for a lot of little things it can work well.

Actually there might be a way to generate enough power for a kettle if you utilise gearing and flywheels and build up enough momentum. I'm no electrician/scientist though so cant justify it other than a thought.

The most efficient way to boil water is probably to directly drive a paddle in the water, with very good insulation on the container. The losses would be lower than generating electricity. However the original proposal was specifically to generate electricity.

 

[HLaB]

Did any body see the Human Power Station on the BBC, all hell broke loose when somebody boiled a kettle but that wasn't as bad as a power shower ;-)

 

[downfader]

Did any body see the Human Power Station on the BBC, all hell broke loose when somebody boiled a kettle but that wasn't as bad as a power shower ;-)

remember that. Oh how I laughed. 80 "unfit cyclists" I heard it put.