Using an old SmartDrive motor in a hydroelectric project to make free power - a waterwheel will drive the generator!
UPDATE: Planning the water wheel
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Sunday, 27th of August
Sam and Stefan explored the area where the water wheel will go.
We are planning to make it out of plywood and PVC pipe which will be the center. We will then use our knowledge of electronics to make a 'dynamo', which will run electricity through wires to other uses such as a floodlight and chargers in their home. Sam's family currently uses a petrol generator which charges many of their 12V car/boat batteries to power their lights and other small appliances. We are also considering using a washing machine motor as our dynamo. The water wheel will have paddles to create resistance which turns the wheel fast. We are hoping to get up to 30 volts of electricity.
Area where wires could be dug underground - maybe power an LED floodlight
Wires could lead into caravan to charge devices, power lights, etc. as the generator is not always on
Difficult to charge devices when there is no power
An excellent blog Stefan and group, clear and easy to follow with good ideas and information. This is looking really great and is moving forward. Do not forget to link to sustainability issues.
Saturday and Sunday, 16th - 17th of September Stefan stayed over at Sam's house and they both had a very productive weekend. Summary: I won't talk about much this post as I have put together a fun video of our hydroelectric system. We cut and screwed together lots of wood for the water wheel and its stand/holder. We were also able to secure the SmartDrive in place with lots of tests and had a fun time in the creek with it. Some of it was tough, like trying to align the wheel perfectly, but we managed to get it working in the end. We tested our 300W inverter on a small lamp and it was great, we also managed to get the SmartDrive turning on full load in the creek which was really impressive, considering we haven't even built a proper flume to project the water more efficiently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video:
Stefan Stoove Sustainability - Our problem is that we cannot charge and power small appliances at Sam's house without the use of the generator. This can create issues such as not being able to do schoolwork on devices at home and insufficient lighting. For our project we will solve these issues while helping out their family and sustaining the environment. We will construct a hydroelectric system using an old washing machine motor which will produce sustainable, clean green energy. A budget of around $150 seems reasonable for this project. ISSUES: 1. Cost of petrol in generator - with a hydroelectric system, the load on the generator will decrease. 2. Pollutants - Petrol is combusted: bad for you and the environment since it is derived from fossil fuels. 3. Power isn't readily available - straight up , a small battery bank won't handle high wattage appliances for long. This means they will heavily rely on using the generator if they require ...
this is cool
ReplyDeleteAn excellent blog Stefan and group, clear and easy to follow with good ideas and information. This is looking really great and is moving forward. Do not forget to link to sustainability issues.
ReplyDelete