| Author |
Message |
    
Pine
flint knapper
Username: Pine
Post Number: 1079
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 12:38 am: |     |
Shoe Leather As A Renewable Resource: Penn Biologists Invent Power-Generating Backpack
quote:The Suspended-load Backpack is based on a rigid frame pack, much like the type familiar to hikers everywhere; however, rather than being rigidly attached to the frame, the sack carrying the load is suspended from the frame by vertically oriented springs. It is the vertical movement of the backpack contents that provides the mechanical energy to drive a small generator mounted on the frame.
Previous efforts to solve dilemma of the over-burdened soldier incorporated devices placed in the heels of boots. According to Rome, however, little mechanical work is actually done at the point where the boots hit the ground.
"As humans walk, they vault over their extended leg, causing the hip to rise 5-7 centimeters on each step. Since the backpack is connected to the hip, it to must be lifted 5-7 centimeters," Rome said. "It is this vertical movement of the backpack that ultimately powers electricity generation."
The amount of power generated depends on how much weight is in the pack and how fast the wearer walks. The Penn researchers tested packs with loads of 40 to 80 pounds and found that the wearer could constantly generate as much as 7.4 Watts while moving at a steady clip. Typically, cell phones or even night vision goggles require less than one Watt to power.
Contrary to what might be expected, wearing the Suspended-load Backpack does not use up much more metabolic energy than walking while wearing a conventional backpack of the same weight. According to Rome and his colleagues, it is likely that wearers can change their stride to compensate for movement of the load, which makes walking more efficient.
"We have something offensive for everyone. If nothing that we own offends you, please complain." - sign in a library. |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1078
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 3:51 am: | |
Something like my Seiko, the movement of my hand (when I wear it) recharges the battery.
Recharge the GPS or satellite batteries on an extended walk!
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Catfriend
bear cub
Username: Catfriend
Post Number: 8
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 9:16 am: | |
My friend told me of a car-type where the brakes are power-generators, so that when the car slows down, energy is produced. Of course, the car has also the conventional motor, but the additional power-source is quite efficient (particularly on long, straight higways requiring no special engine effort).
One Ring to rule them all
One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the Darkness bind them! |
Miisa
flint knapper
Username: Miisa
Post Number: 728
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 12:43 pm: | |
I'm just surprised we let so much energy just go to waste, everywhere. I understand that it might not be realistic to think that everyone could be self-suffiecient with their own windmill or anything, but wouldn't it make sense to harness as much as we can from lots of small sources? Houses could have solar panels and windmills for when the suitable weather prevails, and in the meantime have a boiler attached to the fireplace, a dynamo on the exercise bike, and what about that hamster wheel, huh? Also composts generate a lot of heat. These are not a lot in themselves, but combined...
And, of course stay on the grid or use (also) "conventional" fuel whenever there isn't enough.
I understand that the major problem is storage of energy, but surely there are ways? |
Catfriend
bear cub
Username: Catfriend
Post Number: 11
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 12:55 pm: | |
For small windmills and the like, the storage isn't such a big problem. I think the reason why such local, small-scale energy-sources aren't used is that people don't want to spend additional money, to install something private.
Perhaps a good idea would be to encourage somehow (economically, educationally etc.) the production and usage of such installations.
One Ring to rule them all
One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the Darkness bind them! |
Ted
hunter
Username: Ted
Post Number: 351
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 03, 2005 - 8:48 pm: | |
Miisa, you appear to be assuming zero setup costs for the alternative energy sources.
In Oz, it is easy enough to set up your house to be passive solar, with no great additional cost. Windows facing north, set the eaves the right width so sun comes in in winter but not summer, good insulation in the roof, that sort of thing. But it pretty much only works in the daytime. It gets pretty cool here at night, minus five is not unusual, followed by a ten degree celsius day. On a sunny day, the house warms up beautifully, and australians are people who spend a lot of time outdoors in any case.
I know those temps are laughable for someone in the middle of Canada or northern europe, but our houses are cheaper to build than yours because we don't have to have super insulation, well sealed against air leaks, double or triple glazed windows, a decent heating system, and so on.
Many australians live healthy, happy lives with nothing more complicated than a 2 kilowatt electric heater as their sole form of house heating.
And most australians don't have air conditioning, either, even if they live in very hot areas. In the state of Queensland, they build their houses on stilts to help cool the place down, and spend a lot of time on their verandahs.
Beer helps.
The obvious thing is solar hot water. But when you can get offpeak electricity easily and cheaply, and there is such a big differential between a solar collector and an off the shelf grid powered hot water system (HWS), it's hard to justify the extra upfront cost. Especially when you need the more expensive frost proof version.
Over the long term, you *may* save money, but only if nothing falls over in the solar water heater, which inevitably is a more complicated system - a grid powered HWS is not much more than a big electric kettle.
When our thirty year old electric HWS falls over, as it must soon, we will get a solar system, but only because we can afford the considerable extra expense, and to indulge ourselves in the idea of solar energy.
Photovoltaics are not even in the race, unless supply from the grid is prohibitively expensive, as can happen in far rural Oz. But for those with access to the grid, it is definitely not economic. That may change, as solar panels come down in price, but that still leaves the centuries old lead acid battery, in which there is little prospect of improvement, as your power storage device.
A dynamo on the exercise bike is never going to do more than boil a cup of coffee a day, unless you are a very serious exercise freak. And the associated gear to pump it into your house grid is expensive.
If you have the land and the time and the chain saw, as I do, solar heating in the form of home grown wood works extremely well. There is a cost in terms of time and convenience in terms of getting the fire going when you get home, but it's worth it to us.
We've not bought wood since coming here to a three hectare block thirty years ago. But still we use an electric fan heater on winter mornings to keep our toes warm at breakfast before setting out to do battle with the education system.
Ted
Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Benjamin Disraeli: "The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll." |
Miisa
flint knapper
Username: Miisa
Post Number: 729
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, December 04, 2005 - 10:01 am: | |
I am not suggesting that everyone goes out and invests separately on all this stuff, but rather that this is something that, surely, mankind and societies have to be gradually leaning towards ASAP. The entire household, or entire human realm for that matter, could be engineered with the very purpose of minimal energy waste, with stray energy collectors. If you are going to be working out on the exercise bike anyway, doesn't it make sense to gather up that energy to be produced, not for something specific (as you say, it can barely boil a cup of water), but into a "general energy pool" that the household takes its power from. Combined with other strays, I presume each household could reach a point where they would have to buy a lot less energy than we do now.
During a hot, sunny day you take solar energy and use it it to power your fridge, radio or AC, or save it for a rainy day, as it were. Same with wind or whatever other major sources you have, plus the minor ones.
Like recycling; we aim to waste as little as possible, even though each individual act of recycling is rather minimal they mount up together.
Ok, my holiday in Utopia has come to an end, it was a fun trip while it lasted.  |
Catfriend
bear cub
Username: Catfriend
Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, December 04, 2005 - 12:51 pm: | |
As a general idea - might be good. However, in real life, it doesn't hold water..
Bicycles with dynamo are nice - but more expensive. Adding solar cells is excellent - but where do they give us a free one?
As said above, if it becomes a target all humanity strives for, such problems can be removed, at least partially. For now, changing the world is troublesome, so going for educational value-changes seems the best way.
One Ring to rule them all
One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the Darkness bind them! |
Ted
hunter
Username: Ted
Post Number: 381
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 11:15 am: | |
I pooh-poohed Miisa's wish to see a generator in every home - but a recent article in New Scientist agrees with her.
quote:Article Preview
Editorial: A generator in every home
21 January 2006
Magazine issue 2535
As countries suffer competing demands for energy, rising gas and oil prices, and carbon emissions, one strategy seems to have been overlooked
AS countries navigate around competing demands for energy, rising gas and oil prices, security of supply and carbon emissions, one strategy seems to have been overlooked. A house turned into a power plant by fitting photovoltaic panels, a small wind turbine or a gas boiler that also generates electricity may seem trivial next to a giant hydroelectric dam. But looks can be deceiving. A recent UK government report estimates that such microgeneration could supply 25 per cent of the country's electricity by 2050.
If you doubt the power of small-scale investment, think computer power. Thirty years ago computers were mainframes and home use was non-existent. Today there is vastly more computing power in people's homes than in large installations.
Microgeneration is starting to take off, and government help could turn the trickle into a torrent. Building generators in their hundreds is costly, just as home computers were in 1980. Building generators in their hundreds is costly, just as home computers were in 1980. Building them in hundreds of thousands is cheap. A rooftop wind turbine will pay for itself in 12 years. That's too long for most home owners, but halve the payback time and investment becomes more attractive.
Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Benjamin Disraeli: "The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll." |
Ted
hunter
Username: Ted
Post Number: 382
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 11:28 am: | |
And just for the record, while I'm correcting my errors, a recent report (from memory) says that well over 50% of Oz households have airconditioning, not the tiny percentage I thought had it. Air condtioning is now a highly significant drain on the Oz power supply.
Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Benjamin Disraeli: "The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll." |
Miisa
flint knapper
Username: Miisa
Post Number: 750
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 6:38 pm: | |
Thanks for that article, Ted, I knew I couldn't be the only one.
I am actually disgusted by the laissez faire attitude in this country towards energy conservation and ecological fuel and energy policies. I hear constant news about how advanced Sweden is in this regard, and although some of the things they are proposing are somewhat idealistic, at least they are doing something instead of just assuming/hoping that everything will always continue to be as it is now. While Finland vows to tax the hell out of also ecological varieties of fuel, Sweden is planning on converting all unused farm land for growing vegetable oils to be made into bio-fuel, hoping to make themselves independent of fossil fuels, perhaps even by 2020. I don't know how realistic it is, but it is a fab idea (Article). We have no incentives for buying hybrid cars, and the handful of gas car owners we have still have a helluva time finding anywhere to refuel, not exactly an incentive for people to get cars like that.
Why aren't we using garbage and sewage to generate and harvest methanol? For that matter, why doesn't anyone make a kinetic-energy body suit to put on cats? I bet I could boil a kettle of water with what my two would generate during their daily tumble sessions. And just image how much you could get out of kids!  Ok, that is a joke, but it just frustrates me how much energy is wasted, all the time and everywhere. |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1226
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 4:57 am: | |
I understand the same is true here, even in this cold country, though not 50%.
I have several friends that are "off the grid" and produce 90% of their own power through various ways, even in the Pacific Northwest, where solar wouldn't have occurred to me to be a first choice.
I have a solar recharger for my computer even. I agree with the article.
Agreed Miisa, it is depressing. Canada has a worse record I think.
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Anatla
bear cub
Username: Anatla
Post Number: 4
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 - 11:03 pm: | |
Net Metering
Engineers are the early adopters of alternative energy technologies, because only they really know how to shop for and maintain, for example, a net metering setup. They are also the early adopters because "It's neat and I can do it". The rest of us still have the fears of being bilked.
Over here we were thinking about the real reasons people don't all do net metering. Here's a family in NJ who does it.
http://msmith.typepad.com/smithelectricco/
With tax rebates it would take about ten years to pay for itself. Without, about 20! Who lives in one house for that long anymore?
Industrial buildings are leased out to tenants who don't really want the premium rent that would accompany an installation. So here in NJ municipal buildings typically do it. |
Cavebear
cave painter
Username: Cavebear
Post Number: 2595
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 1:24 am: | |
When I selected the lot for my current house 20 years ago, I chose one that provided the best passive cooling (the shade of mature trees on the house mid-day and afternoon). As the trees were deciduous, I received nearly full sunlight in Winter, so I chose black roof shingles. It was a good idea at the time.
However, I now rather envy a neighbor who has full sunlight on his roof all day, and has a number of solar panels on the roof.
The other thing is that I have a heat pump. When it died 15 years ago, I had to replace it. I came very close to installing a geo-thermal (below ground) heat pump then, and I very much regret my timidity. Had I done that, I would have nearly free heating and air conditioning now!
Machiavelli was pretty devious. For a guy... |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1335
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 4:04 am: | |
I have friends in the Pacific Northwest who put in solar three years ago and expect a 7 year payback - they sell electricity back to the grid. I was stunned because I wouldn't have thought that the Seattle area would get enough solar to make such a short payback time. As electricity prices go up, the payback will get much shorter.
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Rhi
hunter
Username: Rhi
Post Number: 436
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:52 am: | |
 It doesn't rain as much here as everyone thinks it does.
Mostly Harmless
A Knock on the Duir "If ye don't be belaving innything what fun are ye going to get out av life?" Judy Plum, LM Montgomery |
Ted
hunter
Username: Ted
Post Number: 421
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 3:17 am: | |
I guess you've heard these, but..........
**********************************
A newcomer to Seattle arrives on a rainy day. She gets up the next day and it's raining. It also rains the day after that, and the day after that. She goes out to lunch and sees a young kid and, out of despair, asks, "Hey, kid, does it ever stop raining around here?" The kid says, "How do I know? I'm only 6."
*****************************************
"I can't believe it," said the tourist. "I've been here an entire week and it's done nothing but rain. When do you have summer here?" "Well, that's hard to say," replied the local. "Last year, it was on a Wednesday."
*****************************
And this one, my favourite Seattle joke:
A curious fellow died one day and found himself in limbo waiting in a long, long line for judgment. As he stood there, he noticed that some souls were allowed to march right through the gates of heaven. Others were led over to Satan, who threw them into a lake of fire. Every so often, instead of hurling a poor soul into the fire, Satan would toss him or her to one side.
After watching Satan do this several times, the fellow's curiosity got the better of him. He strolled over and tapped the devil on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, there, Your Darkness," he said. "I'm waiting in line for judgment, and I couldn't help wondering why you are tossing some people aside instead of flinging them into the fires of hell with the others?"
"Ah," Satan said with a grin. "Those are from Seattle. They're too wet to burn."
*****************************
Do not go gentle into that good night...Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Benjamin Disraeli: "The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll." |
Thales
gatherer
Username: Thales
Post Number: 95
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 1:09 pm: | |
"They're too wet to burn."
LOL. I didn't see that one coming.
Heisenberg was here ... or over there ... well, maybe somwhere else ... |
Pine
flint knapper
Username: Pine
Post Number: 1182
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 2:58 pm: | |
It actually gets wetter when you cross the city line northwards.
Cohen's Law: 'Unless you fail at more than 10% of the things you try, you aren't trying enough things.' |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1342
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 4:54 pm: | |
Yeah and go a wee bit north west to Whidbey and it gets drier. Seattle gets 36 inches a year and Whidbey gets 18 inches (mid-island).
Astoundingly, New York city gets more rain than Seattle.
I think the Olympics cause a rain shadow effect there, and as you move north, that is lost.
Scott
PS: Thanks for the jokes Ted. I think some of us should move to Seattle then - we might *need* to, for our very salvation!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Cavebear
cave painter
Username: Cavebear
Post Number: 2604
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 01, 2006 - 6:10 pm: | |
(Scott) "Astoundingly, New York city gets more rain than Seattle"
I was surprised to learn that New York City gets 45 inches of rainfall per year. And, in fact, I discovered that my county (near Washington DC) receives an average of 42 inches of rainfall per year. But it does show that it isn't the amount of rainfall, it's the frequency!
Machiavelli was pretty devious. For a guy... |
Pine
flint knapper
Username: Pine
Post Number: 1185
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 - 9:19 pm: | |
Yes, Tel Aviv and London have very similar annual rainfall. Distribution over the year is very different.
Cohen's Law: 'Unless you fail at more than 10% of the things you try, you aren't trying enough things.' |
|
Science Lab