Using a bike to charge batteries etc

[davem399]

A few years ago, I did some cycle tests at the sports science lab of the local university.

 

This involved riding my own bike on a rig that measured power. One of the tests was the ramp test (to determine your maximum power) where you pedal to keep the marker in the centre of a VDU . The resistance is slowly increased so that you have to pedal harder to keep the marker from dropping of the bottom of the screen. Eventually you reach your limit and end up sh@gged!. The maximum power I achieved was 330 Watts, but I was quite fit at the time and this was NOT an output I could be expected to maintain for more than a minute or two.

 

I also did a 10 mile time trial in the lab, and my output for the duration of about 26 minutes averaged about 175 Watts. Again I was cream crackered at the end.

 

I would suspect that a sustainable output for me for, say an hour or more, is likely considerably less, maybe only 100 Watts? Might be able to charge a mobile but unlikely to make much impact on a bank of domestic batteries

 

Dave

[billyb]

click here

Something like this, you mean?

 

That's the one.

Looks a bit pricey though, no doubt there'll be some home made plans on the internet somewhere.

 

:lol:

[twocvbloke]

That's the one.

Looks a bit pricey though, no doubt there'll be some home made plans on the internet somewhere.

 

:lol:

 

There are, and I have seen them, I just haven't a clue where!!!

[Whitewater]

I am suprised nobody has asked Bones, sounds like the next project

[EricMark]

Sizewell "B" power station had a bike in their visitors centre with 100W bulbs most could only light 2

[FadeToScarlet]

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/11/14/charge-an-ipod-with-an-onion/

 

Just half and onion, stick the charger into it, and put a half into a dish of Red Bull.

 

Simple.

[ourmaninbananas]

wow so much debate on electrics here...

 

a quick thought - are solar panals not suitable for the tops of narrow boats (for electricity and hot water) ?

 

thanks

Philip

[chris w]

wow so much debate on electrics here...

 

a quick thought - are solar panals not suitable for the tops of narrow boats (for electricity and hot water) ?

 

thanks

Philip

This has been debated on here many times. For a typical NB with a fridge etc, you will use around 100AH per day. You would need around 1KW of solar panels to effectively charge the batteries at that level of consumption. Trés expensive!

 

Chris