elevated weight as storage for generator?

[MAL]

How does the gravity light concept translate with 25 ton block of weight.  A hydrolic lift could easily elevate 25 ton in short order with minimal energy cost, but would it produce any significant power. If I understood the math I would figure it my self, but I am kind of new to this.   

[madlabs]

I've been meaning to make a light for my outhouse. I was planning on a bank of super caps and a solar panel to charge 'em. Now though I'm leaning towards a steam punk wind up or weight based thing. It's a perfect place for such a silly contraption as one only needs a few minutes of light at a time.

Hmmm, now where to find some old clock/industrial mechanism....

JOnathan

[dbcollen]

How does the gravity light concept translate with 25 ton block of weight.  A hydrolic lift could easily elevate 25 ton in short order with minimal energy cost, but would it produce any significant power. If I understood the math I would figure it my self, but I am kind of new to this.

You will ALWAYS get LESS ENERGY back out than you put in to raise the block.

[Larsmartinxt]

How does the gravity light concept translate with 25 ton block of weight.  A hydrolic lift could easily elevate 25 ton in short order with minimal energy cost, but would it produce any significant power. If I understood the math I would figure it my self, but I am kind of new to this.

You will ALWAYS get LESS ENERGY back out than you put in to raise the block.

Same thing applies to battery charging. Don't know what's more efficient.
I know that here in Norway we have some hydro power plants that pumps water up to the reservoir when there is a surplus of energy and then uses it when there is more demand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity

[MAL]

I guess I am not being clear enough.  you could lift the block with a Chain block,chain pulley block,manual hoist by hand without using any other source of power.  http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/207124635/HSZ_A_type_Chain_block_chain.html   But that is not my question.

 How much electricity can be generated by dropping a  25 ton weight 10 meters?

[dnix71]

0.618 kwh

25 tons is 50,000 pounds.
10 meters is 32.8 feet
That's 1.64 million foot pounds

1 foot-pound is 3.766 x 10^-7 kilowatt-hours

[electrondady1]

i like the steam punk outhouse idea.
what about a method to heat up the seat for just a few minuets.

[MAL]

0.618 kwh

25 tons is 50,000 pounds.
10 meters is 32.8 feet
That's 1.64 million foot pounds

1 foot-pound is 3.766 x 10^-7 kilowatt-hours

I don't think this idea will work very well  Thanks for your knolidge

[madlabs]

Electron, a seat heater would be awesome! I live where we only get 20 or 30 days of frost a year, but still... That is gonna take a lot more energy storage than a light though.

Went poking around in my junk pile yesterday but didn't find anything with cool gears and so on. One bummer about living in the sticks is no good industrial junk salvage. I'll go to the flea market this weekend and see if I find anything.

Jonathan

[keithturtle]

Big Ben?

Turtle

[spottrouble]

The Steam Punk outhouse light idea intrigued me too, today I think I found the gear drives, just got done opening one up, I think it will take 2 of these to get input rpm down slow enough to last 5 or more minutes, hmm, maybe try 3. They were from some type of rolling door brake, the faster door tryed to roll the faster final drive spun causing shoes on the final drive to fling out and rub housing. For the initial drive I was thinking of using the crank hub from a bicycle (just center hub), that way it would freewheel as you pulled free side of the chain, then the weight on other end of chain could drive gears, hmm, kinda hard to explain, hope one of you understood that.

Kristi

[thirteen]

If you have the storage and water and some sun install a solar pump for the water or a ram pump for the water then release it when it gets full for power. looks ok but not very efficant. just a thought. 13