Gravity Generator with weights (like an old style clock)

[curiouscarbon]

Check out quint builds water pumped experiment

they go over some good stuff

gravity pulley generator storage energy density is relatively low compared to what one might expect at first

reliability can be fairly nice, timekeeping devices often require relatively little power, so that's a nice match!

there's at least one project that used weights to generate electricity for basic lighting, where recharging is just lifting a bag of rocks or something. low power but decent runtime and ease of use in the absence of electrochemical cells

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Back in the day, I talk way back WW2...

Occupied territory (Europe) many places lacked electricity and if you are a bit interested in history on how the people survived....
So much possibilities that haven't changed much in say 80- 85 years.

Except perhaps a lot higher efficiency, both in generation electricity and the consumption side.

I know you can buy for a few bucks a hand phone charger


Actually $1.75

Or combination with power bank.
Sorry, you get a radio for free also.

Not even $20.



Some minor adjustments to make the cranking work with the pulleys or other mechanical movement..

Bob's your uncle

 

[SamDeleted]

Do you urinate for 1 second?

My personal best is 1 minute 32 seconds

 

[CoolWill]

My personal best is 1 minute 32 seconds

Many beers sacrificed themselves on that day.

 

[timselectric]

Back on topic.
Years ago, I had an idea for a gravity generator.
Two driveways...... one goes up and one goes down in elevation. They meet at the top and bottom of a large elevator. When you get home from work you pull the truck into the elevator at the top.
The weight of the truck and elevator fall slowly, turning a generator.
In the morning, the truck is at the bottom. After you leave, the elevator is raised back up.
Negligible extra fuel used by the truck. And it takes much less energy to raise the empty elevator, than you produce.
Just need to find a really good deal on a used vehicle elevator.

 

[Hedges]

Forget elevator. Just replace motor on winch with generator. Truck rolls down the driveway spinning generator.

 

[SamDeleted]

Forget elevator. Just replace motor on winch with generator. Truck rolls down the driveway spinning generator.

It'd have to be a good big slope ...

 

[SamDeleted]

Back on topic.
Years ago, I had an idea for a gravity generator.
Two driveways...... one goes up and one goes down in elevation. They meet at the top and bottom of a large elevator. When you get home from work you pull the truck into the elevator at the top.
The weight of the truck and elevator fall slowly, turning a generator.
In the morning, the truck is at the bottom. After you leave, the elevator is raised back up.
Negligible extra fuel used by the truck. And it takes much less energy to raise the empty elevator, than you produce.
Just need to find a really good deal on a used vehicle elevator.

Now I am no mathematician , but I think there's a problem with at the root off this idea , maybe I am wrong?


You can't make energy out of nowhere , the only actually power you're putting into this system would be gas through your engine to get you up the slope and onto the elevator at the top. Burning like a shot glass full of gas ?

So surely , it would be more efficient to just burn that gas in a generator

Both cars and generators are about 30% efficient ... So that's equal

BUT that's before we start talking about the inefficiencies of your elevator generator contraption, including (but not limited to) friction and drag, having to lift the empty side, and generator inefficiency



I think all in all itd be better just to run your geno

 

[wattmatters]

Nah, he missed the time factor. That's 118 millijoules, not watts.

Suggest you re-read my calculation:

0.012 kg.s⁻¹ x 1 m x 9.8 m.s⁻² ~= 118 mW

Note the units of the first term. That includes the time factor.

If you do the dimension unit analysis (ignore the numbers) you'll see it comes out as

kg.s⁻¹ x m x m.s⁻² = kg.m².s⁻³

which is power in watts expressed in SI base units.

The numbers are 0.012 x 1 x 9.8 = 0.1176 W, hence 118 mW.

 

[wattmatters]

Do you urinate for 1 second?

The question was about power, not energy. How much energy is then a function of how long you urinate for.

 

[timselectric]

Now I am no mathematician , but I think there's a problem with at the root off this idea , maybe I am wrong?


You can't make energy out of nowhere , the only actually power you're putting into this system would be gas through your engine to get you up the slope and onto the elevator at the top. Burning like a shot glass full of gas ?

So surely , it would be more efficient to just burn that gas in a generator

Both cars and generators are about 30% efficient ... So that's equal

BUT that's before we start talking about the inefficiencies of your elevator generator contraption, including (but not limited to) friction and drag, having to lift the empty side, and generator inefficiency



I think all in all itd be better just to run your geno

It would be a gradual slope. No extra fuel used.
Lifting the empty elevator would be nothing. Compared to having the 5-ton truck on it.
Wouldn't be hardly any friction, it's a vertical movement.
It's really a simple design. Maybe you are over thinking it.

 

[timselectric]

Forget elevator. Just replace motor on winch with generator. Truck rolls down the driveway spinning generator.

Need more weight applied. Can't leave it all sitting on the pavement.

 

[Hedges]

It'd have to be a good big slope ...

Pretty much all that matters is the rise. A decent slope is good enough.

Although, slope relates to length of cable needed, strength, and wattage of generator.
Could be 200# fishing line, or 2000# cable, depending on slope (and weight of truck).

 

[wattmatters]

Pretty much all that matters is the rise. A decent slope is good enough.

Although, slope relates to length of cable needed, strength, and wattage of generator.

And/or a change in mass. e.g.:

Australian ‘Infinity Train’ uses gravity to recharge batteries

A train on batteries that regenerate automatically sounds futuristic, but is exactly what Australian mining company Fortescue and UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) are currently developing. The gravitational energy from the heavy iron ore load will be used to regenerate the batteries...

www.railtech.com

The full load of iron ore loses height on the way to the port and on the way charges batteries using the available gravitational potential energy. The empty train is then powered by the batteries for the return journey.

 

[CoolWill]

The question was about power, not energy. How much energy is then a function of how long you urinate for.

Yeah, I can see how what I said could be interpreted to seem like I was referencing total energy. But I was thinking along the lines of the flow rate will constantly be decreasing so that the average power would be less than 118 mW. My B. My B, yo.

 

[Hedges]

You guys always pushing trains.
Some of us like to drive our own vehicles.

This Huge Electric Dump Truck Never Needs to Plug In

Called the eDumper, the massive truck relies on regenerative braking to recover some of its energy as it slows down. Let's break down the physics.

www.wired.com