the suitcase of power

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by tiama, Jan 11, 2010.

  1. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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  3. Uno Hoo Registered Senior Member

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    I have extensive familiarity with model airplane motors in general and specifically Cox. Cox are exemplary of types that are designed to be high powered per size, not to be fuel efficient. For example, their preferred fuel is about 20% lubricant, which produces no energy during combustion. The two stroke genre, naturally aspirated, is notoriously inefficient because a considerable amount of fuel passes unburned out of the exhaust ports. The compression ratio, suitable for the glow plug ignition, is much less than the diesel type, giving lower efficiency.

    In short, you would have to pack much more fuel than if you carried a generator designed for its purpose, plus its smaller amount of fuel. I have not done exact calculations, but it is entirely possible that you would carry twice as much fuel for a Cox based generator than a Honda.

    Your inventiveness is admirable. Keep on strokin.
     
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  5. Blindman Valued Senior Member

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    Wind generator. I created one from an old dome tent and the tent material, geared the output up into windscreen wiper motor. 12 volt motor bike battery. My friend did the electronics and I use it to charge laptop, phone, LED lighting, and radio via a cigarette lighter part from old car. All secondhand parts and relatively light. With a span of 2 meters, 4 blades, it starts to produce power in about a 5km wind (not to good in high winds >50km). Whole thing collapes into a 1.25m long bag and is less then 5 KG. Total cost was $45au for a new bike battery the rest was salvaged from a car wreak and old dome tent.

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  7. Grim_Reaper I Am Death Destroyer of Worlds Registered Senior Member

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    I realize what the op wants just cannot fathom why when there is another proven way of doing this that is likely to coast far less then what they want to do. And I all so realize that this is their hobby but WOW there are far cheaper and far safer hobbies then creating a power source that may or may not blow up in your Face ....
     
  8. MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    Because it's fun to build stuff. There really isn't any danger of it blowing up in your face...it's just a small motor, a generator, and a simple charging circuit.
     
  9. Grim_Reaper I Am Death Destroyer of Worlds Registered Senior Member

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    I was speak to the Steam engine that was suggested LOL and yes I know it is fun to build stuff I guess I am show age when I say why build something when t=you can buy something that will do the same thing for minimum costs LOL.
     
  10. MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    Your right about the steam engine. I would be a little wary. That COULD definiately blow up in your face.

    It probably would be easer to carry an extra car battery with you camping, and just run the laptop off that...it would probably run for a very long time before you would have to attach it to your car for recharging.
     
  11. Uno Hoo Registered Senior Member

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    Anybody who just can't resist the urge to build something when a better thing can be bought at the store (been there, done that) might want to consider building a Faraday generator to be powered by one of their spare Cox motors.

    A Faraday generator is renowned for its inherent ability to self-regulate its voltage output.

    Research: Faraday disk, Faraday generator, Unipolar generator, Homopolar generator.

    Good reference book: The Homopolar Handbook, author Thomas Valone. Has simple math formulas to engineer a generator for a desired voltage output. Forget about exotic liquid metal brushes and use less efficient (but much more convenient) metal or graphite brushes or other form of slip ring.
     
  12. steponit Registered Senior Member

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    Perhaps you can buy one of those hand generating flash lights and direct the voltage into the laptop; I usually use hand grips anyway when i'm on the phone.Thats the cheapest way to go.
     
  13. Montec Registered Senior Member

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    Solar powered Stirling engine might do the trick.

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  14. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    All electronic devices need energy to run. As they develop, they need more and more electricity to remain operational. The battery life is a very important parameter for gadgets, knowing it will make you able to say, how long your gadget will help you without recharging. When in a city, where outlets are almost everywhere, this is not a huge problem, but when you are left with no power in the middle of the forest or field - it becomes a huge problem indeed. There are ways to solve this problem: to carry some additional batteries for the most important devices or to have some special tools that will help to charge your portable electronics with some other methods than from outlet. One of them is this gadget.


    Weza, as this device is called, looks like a foot-powered pump often used by drivers. It has a small generator inside, which collects energy from lever and transforms it into electricity. It has a battery inside, so power produced will charge the internal battery at a 40-watt rate, which then can power up almost any electronic device. Its output is 12V, so it will be enough to start an engine if your car battery is completely discharged.


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    http://www.ccrane.com/more-categori...y-freecharge-weza-portable-energy-source.aspx

    Not to big and cheap as well.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2010
  15. Uno Hoo Registered Senior Member

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    "Not too big and...." And "discontinued" as of five minutes ago when I netted over there to the site.

    But, first, in my humbling opinion, such a device, referring to its cited site information, was vastly overpriced. Pretty, though, in a plain functional way.
     

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