Swing power to run generator

[Norm]

  All summer long I've been working on a swing

glider finally decided to get plans and restarted

  It's been my thoughts to run numerous things

with the power of a pendulum and sufficient weight

( 200 lbs of me on a glider swing....keeps gradually

getting less.....but that's another story)

  Here's a picture of it converting linear motion

to rotary motion.....





  Okay...now the orange board is connected to the

back of the swing seat by a hinge, the other end

of the board is connected to the green board also

by a hinge, bottom of green board to base also

a hinge.

  Right about in the middle of the board a 3/8

hole is drilled, the end of the chain is passed

thru the hole and a farmers pin (nail) is

dropped between a couple of links...the chain

goes over a choice of 5 sprockets (5 speeds)

around and under and later on a bungee cord that

passes thru a hole and attached somewhere....

   As the swing goes to the right it moves the

green board to the right pulling the chain and

turning the bike wheel clockwise, when the swing

goes to the left .....return stroke, the bungee

cord takes up the slack and the sprockets turn

counter-clockwise and ratchets,

and so that's the whole swinging action....I'll

update this and go into more detail as I hook it

up to the Ametek 30volt.

    Just a whole bunch of fun !

              ( :>) Norm.

[WindHarvester]

Very cool project and well thought out!

Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your results.

Lonnie

[TomW]

Norm;

Pretty interesting setup. I particularly like the use of the common ratcheting bike drive. Not too bad for an Old Guy!

[ghurd]

Very cool Norm!

Freeze warning tonight.  

That thing fit in the living room? ;-)

G-

[Norm]

   It would if I could get it thru the door !

Need a roof for it to keep the snow off....

  It's got 8inches ground clearance before it'll

bog down in the snow tho' LOL

       ( :>) Norm.

[Norm]

  Yeah....I'm looking forward to about maybe

30 watts without even realizing how much I'm

generating....hope I'm not expecting too much !

       ( :>) Norm

[Norm]

  Yeah .... its a common racheting bike drive on

a Huffy bike frame.

  Yeah I keep hobbling back and forth but stuff

like this keeps me goin' and goin' like the

energizer bunny!

     ( :>) Norm.

[chadking]

Excellent use of spare parts!  Let us know how the actual power results work out.  I might know some people that would want to tap into the power of their kid's playtime in a similar method.  Haha!  ;-)

[Norm]

  I estimate at least 1hp. with 4 kids...with

ease...would easily power a 32 inch TV while they

watched those mind-warping cartoons.

     ( :>) Norm.

[disaray1]

 Norm- it's not just the cartoons, its the damn video games also.

 The swing looks like a good place to sip coffee. Maybe you could warm water with the electricity while you swing?

 Too much fun!

 David

[dinges]

More fun than a barrel of monkeys eh ?

That's one cool project. I doubt it'll get you off-grid though...

One detail: you may want to replace the bungee cord by something more stiffer; otherwise, as you mount a generator on it and load the genny, you may find the generator sits still and the bungee cord just contracts and expands as you swing (absorbing all the energy) and also preventing you from getting a good swing.

In effect, by adding a (loaded) generator, you're putting a damper on your swing/rocking chair. So, it'll take some effort to swing and generate electricity (no pain no gain; no such thing as a free lunch; etc.), whereas without the genny (normal rocking chair) there is very little dampening.

It may work though, as long as you don't try to get too much power out of it (just a few W); if you try to get more power, swinging will start to become like work, not a pleasure.

Sometimes the creativity of the people on this board scares me

Peter.

[ghurd]

It generates only when swinging one way (unless the inertia keeps it going).

The bike wheel is always rotating the in same direction.

The bungee connects to a fixed location, and only needs to be strong enough to pull the chain and freewheeling sprocket back for the next charge cycle.

The swing is like a ratchet handle,

The wheel is like a socket.

G-

[Norm]

   That was my intention to load it just short of

making it work.

   Might make a counteracting lever to replace the

bungee cord....or actually a front sprocket that

just rocks, I'm glad you thought of that, I didn't

  Always glad to get constructive critisism (sp?)

better than nit picking !

    ( :>) Norm

[dinges]

Good you mention that, Ghurd;

Yes, it only generates during half of the oscillatory cycle. Or more accurately: it  generates all the time, but the generator gets its mechanical power only during one half of each cycle. During the time when the genny does not receive mechanical energy from the swing the genny will rapidly slow down; how rapidly it slows depends on the load and amount of inertia in the generator.

It might help to include some form of flywheel on the generator so it keeps spinning during the parts of the cycle when the generator doesn't receive mechanical power from the swinging chair.

[Norm]

 It might help to include some form of flywheel on the generator

  Yes absolutely...that's exactly what I had in

mind, but thanks for saying it, just in case I

hadn't thought about it....makes me all the more

anxious to complete it.

        ( :>) Norm.

[Norm]

  I may not be able to use the bungee cord...

 can't find it ! LOL !

   ....back at it !

   Later,

          ( :>) Norm

[juddley]

Hi Norm...

Looks like a great application for a linear Gen. The footrest is always parallel to the ground, attach a 2' wide strip of neo's to the bottom in a row, then place over a 3 phase 1' long stator as a strip. You would get a mag over a coil in both directions with a brief delay at the end of each swing of the pendulum. Eliminates the power losses from converting horizontal motion into rotary motion.

Maybe enough power to run an LED reading light so you could read while your swinging   :-)   ....and maybe enough left over to run your radio so you can swing in tune to the music....

Juddley

[TomW]

norm;

Here is an off the wall thought:

Fill the tire with water or other liquid to create an integral flywheel. Might need freeze protection for water depending on your climate.

Just tossing it out there.

Cheers.

TomW

[feral air]

The only other thing to look out for besides freezing is sloshing...good idea. One of those "solid" rubber innertubes might weigh enough too, I dunno.

Cool project.

[etownlax]

That'd allow for an easier "start-up". Rather than going from no movement to full out resistance, you can ease it on as the liquid speeds up the more the rotary flywheel effect.

-Randy

[etownlax]

It would stay parallel but it doesn't stay the same height above the ground; does it?

But it does stay in the same plane on the side. You could try the very same thing but just mount it all on the side.

-Randy

[2dumb2kwit]

 If you can't find a bungee cord, how about this; At the end of the orange board, attach a hacksaw. Replace the hacksaw blade with a piece of chain, and let it sit on the sprocket. If it wants to jump up off the sprocket, you could hang some weight on the end. Just thinking out loud.

[2dumb2kwit]

 Oh, I forgot to say how much I like your project, great idea! BTW, be careful the first time you load the gen. If you just "throw the switch" on a big load, it could bring that glider to a sudden stop, and throw you out! (sorry, I couldn't resist that one)

[Norm]

Looks like you guys are having as much fun with

this as I am....thanks for the comments !

    ( :>) Norm

[wooferhound]

If you cycled the power to the motor then you would have a Power Swing.

You could generate some power from a romantic interlude too.

[vawtman]

Hi Norm

 Add a counter balance on top and spin in circles.

 Strap in though:^)

[RP]

"You could generate some power from a romantic interlude too."

Indeed!  :-)

[Norm]

   Almost ....that would be ideal if it was a

a larger tire but, this is a skinny tire about

1 1/2 inch wide ....I'm thinking of circular

sections of wood from scrap pieces of wood

decking just fitting under the rim a pair bolted

across from each other between the spokes....

mmmm yes balanced of course.

  Your idea helped lead me to this thought.

   Thanks Tom !

   ( :>) Norm.

[Norm]

  Since I've finally figured out how to do

everything....it's getting cold so I've moved

the unit inside....if it pans outas well as

expected maybe someday a winter time enclosure

for the whole thing?

      ( :>) Norm.

[wdyasq]

"Looks like a great application for a linear Gen."

This is a great opportunity for the linear generator fans to build one and learn. I'd prefer to lat Norm build whatever he cares to.

Ron

[Norm]

Tom you probably heard of tractor wheel weights,

but I bet never for bikes?





finally found a use for particle board

(glue& sawdust) now as long as it doesn't get wet,will have to paint it and seal it real good

and keep it from getting wet......





(clamp is just temporary for taking pic)

2 of them make a pair ....one on each side of

spokes 8pieces total.

 Bolted together about 150 rpm ...rim will keep them from flying off.....

      ( :>) Norm.

[DamonHD]

Hi Norm,

You don't fool me!  You've got some clever secret way to make it work with the G-clamp still on haven't you?  B^>

Rgds

Damon

[TomW]

Norm;

You cannot fool me, you have entirely too much time on your hands!





Cheers.

TomW