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tree power
By kimbo, Section Homebrewed Electricity Posted on Tue Feb 17, 2004 at 05:44:06 PM MST
need some help... (please)... new to this

hi i've just found this board and think it's about the most usfull resorce i've seen of late.
anyhow i'm trying to work out some numbers on power generated by wind via trees and i cant seem to find any info elswere on the web... so... can any of you guys point me in the right direction? i cant belive noone else is using power from bending trees!?
thanks in advance kimbo:-) (newbie)

tree power | 8 comments (8 topical)

Re: tree power (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by mrneal on Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 10:07:35 PM MST

I made power from trees about 14 years ago. Didnt have power inverters then. well, I didnt have one. I was only 15. Was fun to run 12v. ligt in club house. I had like 5 differnt ways. angle from tree to fixed stack with extra slack. Motion from slack being taken out. to what I have seen here a pulley with weight and tension. But I did do some things different. One, you need to change the gear ratio. Two, get energy from both directions. When the cable came from the tree, it went to a riding lawn mower transmision. Theres some of the gear ratio. Then, you have two out puts (both axles) At that time all I had was bicycle rims that would free spin. So, I mounted one in one direction, one in the other on the axles.. When the axles turned from the sway of the trees, one tire would move according the the direction. The other would spin free, back and forth. Then I used some worn out pump motors from a air compresser. took the valves out so they would spin more free.went from the wheels to the pumps. That changed the gear ratio more. Put one on each wheel. Altenator on each motor and you have 12v coming from each altenator. Depending on wind and travel distance of tree. Not sure of the math. Tree distance by rpm. But it works! Know with power inverters and smaller gear boxes it is even easier. If you dought there is enough energy. Put a rope or cable, what ever, in a tall pine tree. Try by hand, to pull the tree the same distance as the wind does and see how hard it is. Then wait for a windy day, then see how hard it is to try and hold the tree back! The tree has the weight and the leverage.
cool, I can do that!

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#1)
by rhud on Tue Feb 17, 2004 at 06:45:00 PM MST

Hello,

i remember seeing some book full of handdrawn sketches with hand written notes on newspaper print back in the early 70's, (whole earth catalogue?) that had the idea sketched out. it envolved a cable from the tops of trees to a ratchet/pawl input device to a gear-up system depected as a set of pullies with the output driving a generator. haven't i seen the idea in some movie in the past couple of years,,, or is that my imagination?

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#2)
by DonG on Tue Feb 17, 2004 at 06:54:05 PM MST

The only info I've ever seen was an article by David Stabb copyright 1972 in Survival Scrapbook #3 Energy, author Stefan A. Szczelkun. It just showed how to set them up using a collar on the tree with three ground pulleys equally spaced around the tree and then transfered to more pulleys and counterweights and a ratcheting system on the shaft of what was driven.

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#3)
by Radomike on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 02:38:17 AM MST

Hey rhud,
If memory serves, E.T. used this to power his phone home, with a circular saw blade as a ratchet...

[ Parent ]

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#4)
by zbotrobot on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 06:46:57 AM MST

There is a toy thats got string and a disk, the string is twisted up and tension from opposite directions spins the disk, the disk then winds up the string in the opposite direction - same as a yo yo. The idea is to use cables between mighty pines. Its a good idea would take some experimenting to develop effective method, please share results!

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#5)
by hvirtane on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 11:54:12 AM MST

I think that this idea will work.
I've seen an idea picture of this earlier.

I will look for it and tell, when I found it.

- Hannu

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#6)
by kimbo on Thu Feb 19, 2004 at 03:45:38 PM MST

thanks for all your comments..
my idea is to rig up four sets of pullies at a ratio of around 32:1 to a 4" hub on a genny... assuming the period of sway of the tree is two seconds and approximatly 5" at the point of connection then i calculate an approximate rotational speed of 2,500 rpm at the genny... not bad hey for a palm tree swaying in the breeze?...

thanks again ... kimbo:)

ps keep me informed...

[ Parent ]

Re: tree power (none / 0) (#7)
by hvirtane on Fri Feb 20, 2004 at 12:47:32 PM MST

My reference seems to be for the same.
But anyway.

I think that there is something in it.
A flywheel ratchets... , pulleys, cables,
a generator or maybe a pump as was the idea
by David Stabb?

- Hannu

tree power | 8 comments (8 topical)

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