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Bird Power
By Johnny Cool Pants, Section Homebrewed Electricity Posted on Sat May 10, 2003 at 03:12:04 AM MST
This is something I posted in a response but felt the idea was worth sharing on the main board.

Okay now I'm in your turf Ed, looks like anyway, ha ha, I'm gonna get it now huh? Oh well, I'd better take it if I can dish it, right?
Question: You've seen those flashlights that you shake for a few seconds and they light up a led for a minute, right? Some are clear so you can see inside a single magnet is going back and forth through a single coil.
Now I have this idea, don't laugh, okay you can laugh but try to refrain from "Can't"
What if I hook up magnets hanging from slinky toys, from a ten hole bird house, on a thin diving board style mounting? Our 10 hole birdhouse is full of birds, they move right in as soon as you put it up and there is always one landing or taking off, all day long.
The magnets would bob up and down through coils, say ten in a row. Slow, low, but free.
Can the Fancy Pants come up with them or what? huh? huh? huh?
My gift to the world, don't mention it.

Bird Power | 10 comments (10 topical)

bird power (none / 0) (#1)
by Old F on Sat May 10, 2003 at 05:58:12 AM MST

My uncle Rube Goldberg would be proud : ) Old F

Dangle some more! (none / 0) (#2)
by windstuffnow on Sat May 10, 2003 at 09:18:26 AM MST

Why not attatch linear generators to tree limbs... Don't miss any branches... when the wind blows all these generators will produce power.
I suppose there are simpler ways of doing it though but those with strict rules about wind turbines could use simple ideas like this.
Oh, buy the way, my birds live inside in cages, not real useful for driving slinkies. If I could harness the power of their screams at a certain time of the day we'd be in business.

Have Fun!
Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]

Bird Leashes and stuff (none / 0) (#5)
by Johnny Cool Pants on Sat May 10, 2003 at 01:46:06 PM MST

Dan was talking about trying to harness the energy from swaying tree limbs too and there must be a way.
So there is such a thing as linear generators? See I didn't know this. I'd like to see a picture of one of these things.

See now here is true relating, my wife has love birds in a cage. Personally I don't believe a bird should live in a cage, or in a house, but if I could harness their "Screams" I'd then chuck it out the #%^&ing window!

They cling to the edge of the cage like convicts in prison and scream at you, "Hey! Hey! Hey you! what are you watching, Hey! Hey! Big thing with legs, are we bugging you!"

By the way, what do you guys think of that "Earth Battery" page someone posted here? Even a little juice shows great possibilities in my opinion.

[ Parent ]

Wally Minto's Wonder Wheel (none / 0) (#3)
by DanB on Sat May 10, 2003 at 09:59:13 AM MST

Basicly the same idea as the bobbing bird, but a bit more practical since it rotates! (Same sort of thing though). The bird would surely work as you describe, of course it would have to be VERY large to get much usable power from it.

http://www.keelynet.com/energy/minto.htm

interesting... (none / 0) (#4)
by DanB on Sat May 10, 2003 at 10:15:39 AM MST

Before we get too excited about either the Bird, or the Minto wheel, we should checkout this interesting story! http://my.voyager.net/~jrrandall/MintoWheel.html

In building a large one, they seemed fairly dissapointed in the results. Neat idea though!

[ Parent ]

minto wheel (none / 0) (#6)
by Johnny Cool Pants on Sat May 10, 2003 at 01:54:01 PM MST

Minto Wheel, hmmmm? I don't know, but I want one.

[ Parent ]

Bobbing Bird (none / 0) (#8)
by Johnny Cool Pants on Sun May 11, 2003 at 08:31:15 PM MST

Good thing my Bobbing Slinky Toy Suspended Magnets hanging from a 10 hole birdhouse mounted on a thin flexi long board, diving board style, has nothig to do with the Mointo wheel or bobbing bird concepts. Appreciate the confusion though.

[ Parent ]

Minto's (none / 0) (#7)
by windstuffnow on Sat May 10, 2003 at 06:50:28 PM MST

Looks interesting, 8hp using propane as the fluid, I wonder how much total energy has to be used to make it operate. If it came in better than a gas or diesel engine it may be a reasonable investment. Cool stuff.

Having fun as usual

Ed

Have Fun! Windstuff Ed
[ Parent ]

Bird power (none / 0) (#9)
by ADMIN on Tue May 13, 2003 at 11:28:21 AM MST

But wouldn't extracting power from birds behavior result in an increase in bird food expenditures? They would need to eat more to make up for the power that you generate.

ADMIN

Oh Pleaes! (none / 0) (#10)
by Johnny Cool Pants on Thu May 15, 2003 at 04:00:56 PM MST

The birds that live in our bird house go catch bugs to eat all day long, or eat food out of the neighbor's bird feeders I guess. But they are coming and going all day long and the bird house on the pole is always swaying.

I will try to mount one on a real flexi diving board style set up. I don't want to move the one they're living in because they don't go for that this time of year (eggs) and the little dive bombers might jack me up.

DTT JCP

[ Parent ]

Bird Power | 10 comments (10 topical)

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