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Windstream Power LLC

Permanent Magnet DC Generators since 1974

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 Windstream ® Permanent Magnet DC Generators

 Voltage Regulation
 Contact Us
 About Us
 FAQs
Welcome to Windstream Power LLC.  We are an OEM manufacturer located in Vermont, USA.
We have been supplying Permanent Magnet DC Generators, Voltage Regulators and our Human Power Generator to exhibit fabrication companies, small wind and microhydro
manufacturers, as well to hundreds of other industrial applications, all over the world, for 45 years!  

  
NEWS!  The Human Power Generator is available once again!
Please visit our friends at Pedal Power Generator  for complete details and ordering.
Our Windstream® permanent magnet DC generators are the toughest on the market and made in the USA. 

 Exercycle

Articles found on alt.energy.renewable Usenet.

The [bicycle/generator] idea has been around for some time now, but
only on a small scale. For example, some bicycle headlamps use a
small generator as a power source. When the generator was engaged
against the rear whell, and the rear wheel was spinning fast enough, it
would supply current to the light. The faster you peddled, the brighter
the light. This same principle can also be used to charge a set of
batteries, which would act as the "storage containers" for the power,
which in turn would provide power for whatever you'd like, within
reason of course. How much power you could store would depend on
how much you can peddle.

alt.energy.renewable, by sai@sai.seanet.com (Michael T)

Making a gicycle generator is quite easy and cheap. A used weed

wacker motor makes a good generator. .. An exercycle with a large
flywheel works best because of the flywheel effect.
 alt.energy.renewable, by qmyers@teleport.com (Q Myers)

Welcome!

Curious about Human Power? Need some exercise? Trying to

lose weight? Looking for a zero-carbon workout? Need
inspiration? Researching technical information? Expensive
electricity and gasoline making you nuts? You have come to the
right place.

Today, Thu Mar 05, 2020 I Generated 55.0 Wh     

Every morning, I ride my Pedal Generator to generate

electricity. The Pedal Generator I built and ride charges
batteries, that run an inverter to produce 110v AC, that powers
LED lights, the monitor on my computer, my cell phones, and
charges my Roomba, my eGo Electric Moped, as well as many
other battery-powered things. All Powered by Me. It is the most
inspiring workout you can imagine, and it saves me money!

Jump To: Do It Yourself Plans | Latest News | Movies and

Specs | FAQ | Potential Uses | Appliance Power Stats

Become Part of the Solution - Build Your

Own Pedal Generator
 Great Article on Pedal Power at Low Tech Magazine
 Listen to my NPR Interview with Jennifer Sharpe!
 Daily PPPM Workouts - Four Year Anniversary
 San Francisco Chronicle: Power From the Pedals
 Save 10% On Your Electric Bill! Take the 10%
Challenge!
 New Movies! Ultimate Pedal TV, Blender, Washing
Machine, Bread Machine, Electric Blanket, Trip Hammer
  Lots More: PPPM Live!

My Pedal Power History: 35 Years

Researching the Power of Human Energy
The 12 Volt DC Pedal Generator you see on this site is a
completely original invention. I built the first version of the 12v
Pedal Generator in 1976. As an improvement over rudimentary
bicycle generator and bicycle dynamo designs, I focused on
efficiency and versatility. While a 12v bike generator is an
alternative to my design, pedaling will be less efficient, and
powering non-electric equipment may be difficult. A unique
feature in my design was a 36" particle board disk with a groove
routed in the edge that served as the flywheel and crankshaft
for the permanent magnet 36 volt DC motor ( 1 2 ) seen at the
upper right edge of the device. A small-pitch chain provided the
power transfer system. The groove around the outer edge was
lined with "rim strips" - thin rubber straps that prevented the
chain from slipping and digging into the particle board. They are
standard bicycle parts. The motor was obtained around 1980
from Northern Hydraulic, now known as Northern Tool and
Equipment Company. It is a General Electric Permanent Magnet
Motor, model 5BPA34NAA44, a very nice heavy-duty, ball
bearing unit. I paid USD $29 for it if I remember correctly, and I
still have it.

The bottom frame of the Pedal Generator was welded steel plate
and channel, the crankset was an American Schwinn ball
bearing set, a cotterless crank conversion spindle, alloy cranks
and inexpensive pedals with toe clips.

The crankset had a steel chainwheel on it. I drilled some larger

holes in the chainwheel and bolted the particle board disk to it.
It was strong enough (fine Schwinn steel!) to hold the weight of
the particle board disk and run true. I routed an oblong hole
through the particle board disk for the "arm" of the crankset.
The seatpost and handlebar tube were standard galvanized
water pipe. The generator/motor was mounted on a piece of 3/4
plywood visible in the motor pictures seen above, which was
then bolted to the water-pipe frame.

The particle board disk was a key feature of this unit. The
weight of the disk served as an excellent flywheel. Human legs
and pedals create an extremely "peaky" torque curve, resulting
in jerky motion and lots of stress on parts. The flywheel
smoothes this all out by absorbing part of the energy on the
power stroke, lowering peak torque, and releasing it on the
"dead" part of the stroke, creating torque where Human
legs/pedals cannot generate any. Another thing to remember is
that Human legs do not like extreme stress. The flywheel allows
the Human to avoid having to generate extreme pressure during
the power stroke just to make it past the "dead" spots. Many
"bicycle converters" lack the flywheel characteristic because
tires/rims are designed to be so light.

Noisy but extremely efficient, I have powered 12v CHAIN

SAWS directly (yes, while someone else cut wood with them)
with this unit.(1) Pedaling position was similar to a bicycle. The
seat is barely visible at the upper left of the photo, and the
handlebars (dropped, as on a ten speed road bike) are at the
upper right.

Burst pedal power output: 25 amps at 17 volts (425 Watts) at

25 years old, and 265 Watts at 52 years old, and 301 Watts at
55 years old! Yes, I am in better shape than I was three years
ago!

30 minute average output (back when I was in shape) 150

Watts

Accessories:

A drill chuck threaded into the end of the motor shaft provided
power for a flexible shaft drive. Drilling 1/2" holes through 2x4
fir with this arrangement was easy. The flex-shaft was rated at
1/2 HP (a commercial unit, about 3/4 in. thick - not a "dremel"
type!!) and I was still worried that the torque would be too
much for it.

For immediate electrical use, cigarette lighter outlets provided

direct access to the generator output. I even had a small 12v
toaster oven, and pedaled bread to toast more than once. For
electricity storage I would charge a 12v 100Ah fork-lift battery.
I could approximate the output of a small 10 amp battery
charger.

Instrumentation consisted of a voltmeter and an ammeter,

which together provided me with state of battery charge, output
watts and somewhat of a "speedometer." The math needed to
determine power output was easy: VOLTS x AMPS = WATTS.
A 50 amp silicon stud diode mounted to a four inch square piece
of aluminum sheet metal prevented reverse current flows (which
would cause the motor to turn the flywheel, instead of the other
way around!), and became satisfyingly warm after long sprints.
It was mounted in the center of the aluminum plate visible in
the first motor picture. For top efficiency (and safety), a switch
was also installed to completely isolate the diode and
motor/generator from the battery.

I had to be careful - I burned out several expensive 12v halogen

bulbs powering them directly. If there was no voltage control,
exuberant pedaling would fry the bulbs in short order. When the
storage battery was connected, this was less of a problem
because the battery tended to even out the voltage, but
sprinting would still raise the voltage to the danger level.

I experimented with various non-electrical devices, connected

directly to the chain with their own sprockets. I substituted a
ball-bearing 3600 GPH Labawco type P pump for the generator,
resulting in amazing water pumping capacity. The suction from
the pump was strong enough to collapse the heavy wall 1 inch
vinyl tubing used for the intake (radiator hose would have been
better, with the wire reinforcement) and the output shot a
stream of water about 25 feet across the street. A 5 gallon
bucket was emptied using this pump in less than half the time it
took a garden hose to fill it. I believe the pump was driven to
capacity (1 gallon per second, emptying the bucket in five
seconds) in sprints.

I also tried smaller pumps, including a MATEX rotary vane

pump, with great success. I have had difficulty locating that
brand recently (30 years later!), but Northern Tool & Equipment
carries a pump that appears to be identical. And what a great
price!

I never had a chance to determine how efficient the Pedal

Generator was in converting mechanical energy to electrical
energy, but I believe it was probably quite good. When it was
running, only 4 ball bearings were turning, the only high-speed
part was the armature of the motor, and I know from research
that chains can be as high as 98+% efficient in power transfer.
The permanent magnet motor was probably better then average
at power generation, because it was designed to be efficient as
a motor. In "reverse" tests, with the motor driving the unit with
no load, the power consumed was less than an amp at 12 volts.
This is negligible, and much of it was resistance loss in the
motor windings, since the motor drew half an amp with no load
connected to it.

Status: The Original Pedal Generator never broke down, and

never wore out. I still have the motor and flex-shaft, but several
job-related moves finally forced me to dismantle the unit, even
though it was still in perfect working condition.

(1) Three things about the MINIBRUTE 12 Volt DC chain saw.

One, I was in great shape and probably was generating over
one horsepower in the sprint. Two, the branch/log was about
three inches in diameter - not anything near the 10 inch bar
length. And three, the saw was a 12 volt saw, so it was
designed to be efficient. The literature from the saw said that
the motor was a permanent magnet Bosch electric winch motor,
which was a good match for the maximum output of the Pedal
Generator. It was great to see the chips fly!
Human Pedal Power Potential: What is
possible?
There are many other possibilities that I can think of for this
device. It is much more powerful than a hand crank generator.
The efficiency and variable speed of the output are two features
that can be exploited. Since it requires no fuel, and is not
affected by time-of-day or weather, it would make an excellent
Human-powered emergency generator, ready for any
blackout. Here are some other devices that could be powered by
the basic unit:

 Pedal powered charging system for portable "Jump Start"

systems. These devices feature lights, air compressors,
battery chargers, power meters, 12 Volt DC outlets, and of
course jumper cables. The Portable Power station in the
photograph was purchased at Costco for $49.95. It can be
plugged directly into the 12 Volt DC output of the PPPM for
charging, and then moved to wherever the power is
needed. Add a small 110 Volt AC inverter (100-150 Watt)
and you have everything you need for portable power. Run
a laptop, TV, PA System, or any other small electrical
device for hours from your stored energy. Real Goods sells
an equivalent device that seems to be the next level up in
quality and features (and cost, of course!).
 Pedal powered backup generator for solar electric systems
or other off-grid power systems. With the newly
available white LED as a light source, a few minutes of
pedaling would be enough to create hours of light.
 Pedal powered biodiesel circulation pump or biodiesel
transfer pump - direct drive, with no electricity and no
battery. If you make biodiesel, and you wish to eliminate
electric pumps from your biodiesel equipment, the Pedal
Generator design is perfectly suited to circulate, agitate
and then transfer a batch of biodiesel, and the power
source is YOU!
 Pedal powered washing machine (this is a tremendous
workout, especially with the spin/sprint at the end!)
 Pedal powered clothes dryer (when combined with a simple
solar hot-air collector - such as your attic! - pedaling would
tumble the clothes and circulate the heated air)
 Pedal powered whole-house ventilation fan (15 minutes in
the evening to cool off an entire house)
 Pedal powered pump and watering system when combined
with a cistern to store rainwater
 Pedal powered emergency sump pump - keep your
basement dry during a power outage
 Pedal powered energy source to power astronomy
equipment during stargazing. (A Human powered star
party!) A PPPM in a pickup truck could provide a steady
60-100 Watt 12 Volt DC power supply, quietly, and keep
the riders warm at the same time. Switch riders frequently
and you'll keep the all of the PPPM Human star party
generators warm. Don't even think of starting vehicles
during the event!
 Pedal powered whole-house (central) vacuum cleaner -
requires two people, of course
 Pedal powered backup circulation pump and backup air
pump for tropical fish, expensive pond Koi or other animals
requiring small but constant energy flows.
 Pedal powered generator, emergency bilge pump, crew-
warmer and exerciser for marine use.
 Pedal powered air compressor (compressing air takes a
LOT of power, and is not very efficient. This would work for
small jobs only, like filling tires, staple guns, nail guns,
caulking guns, small hand tools - no jackhammers!!)
 Pedal powered offset printing press, sewing machine (an
ancient idea), hand tools (grinder, disk sander, buffer, drill,
reciprocating saw, lathe), mulch grinder
 Pedal powered public address systems, projectors, or
amplifiers for music - Radio Shack has a perfect unit for
this! A single rider could power two of these with 12 Volts
DC direct from the PPPM. Musicians, your green, portable
PA system is finally here!
 Pedal powered Science Fair Project - anything from the
efficiency of the unit, to the physiology of the rider can be
 studied. Human power generation is a vast subject with
many possible areas of scientific exploration.
 Pedal powered replacement for hand cranked generator -
your legs are almost ten times stronger than your arms.
Free your arms and hands for other tasks, like reading,
knitting, or mousing!
 Every safe room, bug-out bunker, fallout shelter and
hidey-hole should have a PPPM pedal powered backup
generator. In addition to keeping you warm, fed,
illuminated, circulated, ventilated and connected with the
outside world, it can give you something to do besides
staring at the walls. And it is totally safe with no fuel,
fumes, or dangerous voltages! (unless you need more than
12 Volt DC appliances) Don't leave your generator or solar
panels out as an advertisement for mischief. The PPPM is
the only power source you can have in the bunker with
you.

Basically, any device that was hand cranked, foot-

powered, or powered by a fractional horsepower electric
motor could potentially be converted to pedal power.

Also note, if the base unit is being used to power an auxiliary

device in addition to producing electricity, adding a solar panel
will result in additional power from the motor/generator! That
means whatever device you are powering would receive
the combined power of the Human pedaler and the solar panel.
This combination makes the best of both power sources, as
efficiency would be very high, because the solar output would
not suffer the losses of being stored and then extracted from a
battery. Charging a battery and then extracting the same power
is less than 80% efficient, and can be much worse. Direct
utilization captures that wasted power.

Finally, keep in mind that a tandem setup for the pedals, with

the pedals out-of-phase, doubles the power and smoothes out
the power flow. Only one "flywheel" is needed, so this
enhancement needs only a simple pedal/seat addition to the
basic unit. With out-of-phase pedals, peak torque is not
increased, so other parts of the system are not stressed. The
torque curve for a complete revolution of the flywheel simply
smoothes out, while RPMs stay constant, resulting in twice the
power.

Latest News: Pedal Powered Prime Mover -

Reborn
News: Sun Sep 14 12:44:02 PDT 2014

Last weekend at TechShop San Jose I completely rebuilt the

PPPM, after 10 years of hard riding. It has taken on the look of a
Steampunk Project, except I am the power source instead of
steam. The PPPM is a very interesting machine to see, and now
that I have painted it and replaced worn parts it's ready for
another 10 years of power-generating rides!

News: Sun Nov 16 13:00:00 PDT 2008

The PPPM shared the stage with Tamara Dean, author of The
Human-Powered Home. After the presentation, the PPPM was
moved to the publisher's booth, where it became the only Green
Energy powered display in the San Francisco Green Festival.

News: Thu Nov 18 12:21:13 PDT 2008

The Christian Science Monitor interviewed me during one of my

pedal-powered webcasts, and included the interview in an article
about Human Power.

News: Thu Sep 18 20:19:22 PDT 2008

The Mother Earth News printed an article on generating power

with bicycle generators, and the PPPM was mentioned: Make
Electricity While You Exercise. The author describes several
different approaches to Human Power Generation, including a
state-of-the-art design he invented and assembled for a friend.

News: Sat Aug 23 21:21:18 PDT 2008

The San Francisco Chronicle printed a detailed article on the
PPPM: Power From the Pedals. It's a fun article with a detailed
diagram of the PPPM and its power systems, and a firsthand
account by the author of how it feels to generate power.

News: Sat May 10 12:23:17 PST 2008

After a long bike ride, I arrived at UCSC where I worked with a

visionary Professor and an incredible group of students to
construct FOUR PPPMs in ONE DAY! Here is a link to a photo
album showing this unbelievable event:

PPPM Mass Production

The day ended with pizza, and a test of power output, of course!

News: Sun Feb 24 01:23:17 PST 2008

Use this new interactive Circuit Builder Tool to see what kinds of

equipment are needed to power various devices, from Television
sets to Breadmakers.

News: Wed Aug 15 23:06:41 PDT 2007

PPPM technology lit 15 lanterns in an enormous Oak tree at

the Big Chill Festival at Eastnor Castle, UK.

News: Sat May 19 23:06:41 PDT 2007

The PPPM is displayed at the Maker Faire powering a complete

home office. I pedaled all day Saturday, generating 335 Watt-
hours!

News: Tue May 8 23:09:04 PDT 2007

So far in 2007, the PPPM has been on display at the Burning

Man Green House event, Earth Day, and Springtime in
Guadalupe Gardens. Record power was produced at Guadalupe
Gardens: 147 Watt-hours! See the PPPM Live!

News: Sun Dec 10 14:29:39 PST 2006

PPPM designs and technology powered The Boycott Coca Cola
Experience in London.

The PPPM is powering power the Wasteland installation at the

Bates Museum by Artist Virginia Valdes.

News: Sun Oct 8 10:30:00 PDT 2006

The PPPM was the power source for a Demonstration of

Incandescent vs. Compact Florescent light bulb energy use at
an Energy Fair

News: Sun Sep 24 16:55:16 PDT 2006

Today I tested a 1.5 Farad Xpress Digital Power Capacitor, also

known as an Audio Stiffening Capacitor, as both the power
"smoother" and the voltmeter for the PPPM. The test was a
complete success. I ran two different devices directly from the
PPPM. One was an IBM ThinkPad T40 Laptop, and the other was
a 12 volt air compressor.

The capacitor provided a real-time voltage display, and it

stabilized the voltage and amperage being produced by the
PPPM. When passed through a Targus 12 Volt DC converter to
the laptop, pedaling was smooth and easy. With a comfortable
seat the laptop could be pedaled indefinitely. The air compressor
required more effort, especially when it was used to pump the
tires on my eGO Electric Vehicle to 100 PSI.

The capacitor was on sale at Frys Electronics for $19.95 - a

great deal considering it is both a capacitor AND a voltmeter.
While it does not provide as much information as the Watt's Up I
describe below, it does address two critical needs: voltage
measurement and power stabilization. It's not in the same
league as my Maxwell 58 Farad capacitor, but it costs 7 times
less! It's perfect for a basic PPPM.

News: Wed Aug 16 20:30:33 PDT 2006

The Pedal Powered Prime Mover is a hit in Australia! - Main
BioSUB Site

News: July 31, 2006, It has been one full year since I brought
the Pedal Generator back to life. I have been riding that
generator every day, and storing the power it produces in a
battery bank. Motivated people from all over the world have
bought plans to fulfill their own visions for Human Power. It's a
success!

Previous News: On July 31, 2005, I rebuilt the Pedal

Generator, and I call the improved model the Pedal Powered
Prime Mover, because it can do much more than generate
electricity.

I built the Pedal Powered Prime Mover (base, frame and

flywheel) in one day!

The design is similar to the early version in the picture at the

top of this page, but I made a point of reproducing it in a way
that would be friendly to a "do it yourselfer." The only tools I
have used are: screwdriver, hacksaw, wrench, hand drill, and
wood chisel. I finished it with only those tools, and all "off the
shelf" parts. It's great to have the Pedal Generator back online,
as the new and improved PPPM I.

I recently installed a power measuring device called the "Watt's

Up" from BatterySpace.com. (search for "battery analyzer") I
think it is the best such device I have seen for this use.
Disclaimer: I was so impressed with this device, I joined their
affiliate program, and the link above goes to it. If you prefer to
go directly to a different site, PowerWerx.com,
visit http://www.powerwerx.com/. This device provides a real-
time display of volts, amps, watts, and other valuable and
interesting information, such as peak output! It has become the
"speedometer" and "odometer" for the Pedal Generator. Here it
is in action! It's small, powered by the electricity it is measuring,
and it measures in real time. In this display I am pedaling with
no hands to take the picture, and the display shows an
instantaneous output of 2.68 Amps, 15.83 Volts DC, 42.4 Watts,
and also shows that the peak output for that session was 51
Watts. The display cycles through other useful information, like
total Watt-Hours and Amp-Hours produced in that session. It
sure beats the old panel meters I had on the original Pedal
Generator!

Pedal Power Movies and Specifications:

The Pedal Powered Prime Mover in Action
Here are some movies of the PPPM I in action. One of the last
issues I solved was a slight alignment problem with the
flywheel. If you listen to the movies, that is the loudest sound.
The final version of the PPPM I - which is used in the Ultimate
Pedal Powered TV Movie - is MUCH quieter.

Some of the devices shown in the movies are powered by 110v

AC through an inverter, some are powered from 12 volts DC
directly from the PPPM I, and some are powered
mechanically. No batteries are used in ANY of the movies!

Ultimate Pedal Powered Television: PPPM I, 400 Watt

Victor 12v DC to 110v AC inverter

 14 Inch Television: Short Movie, Long Movie, 12v DC

1 Farad capacitor
(Note: the black bar on the TV screen is caused by
unsynchronized camera and TV frame rates. The
picture is actually perfect.)
 32 Inch Television 12v DC 58 Farad capacitor

Pedaling Effort: Light to Extreme, depending on the screen

size ;-)

Pedal Powered Laptop Computer: PPPM I, AD-SDR-70W -

Universal DC-DC Regulated Adapter, 12v DC 58 Farad
capacitor
Pedaling Effort: Light to Medium
Pedal Powered Blender: PPPM I, 12v DC 58 Farad
capacitor, 1,000 Watt 12v DC to 110v AC inverter
Pedaling Effort: Light to Medium

Pedal Powered Water Pump: PPPM I, direct drive to 3600

GPH Labawco type P ball-bearing pump, 6 gallons pumped
during the movie
Pedaling Effort: Medium

Pedal Powered Trip Hammer: PPPM I, directly driving a 16

ounce (.4Kg) hammer through a 3 foot (1 Meter) swing.
Pedaling Effort: Effortless

Pedal Powered Fan: PPPM I, 400 Watt Victor 12v DC to

110v AC inverter, 12v DC 100,000 MFD capacitor, Box Fan
Pedaling Effort: Moderate (Low Speed), Medium (Medium
Speed), High (High Speed)

Pedal Powered Air Compressor: PPPM I, directly powering

12v DC air compressor, 15 PSI added during the movie
(50->65 PSI)
Pedaling Effort: A good workout. 100 revolutions generated
30 PSI. Easier than a tire pump!

Pedal Powered Die Grinder: PPPM I, 400 Watt Victor 12v

DC to 110v AC inverter, 12v DC 1 Farad capacitor, 10,000-
20,000 RPM Die Grinder
Pedaling Effort: Light to Medium

Pedal Powered Vacuum Cleaner: PPPM I, directly powering

12v DC vacuum cleaner.
Pedaling Effort: Medium to Heavy

Pedal Powered LGB Garden Train: PPPM I, 1.5 Farad Audio

Stiffening Capacitor, directly powering an LGB G-Scale
Train.
Pedaling Effort: Very Light - Moderate, Depending on
Speed and Grade
 The fun part of this is you can "feel" the effort the
locomotive is making when it hits the grade. Controlling
the speed of the train is easy - just speed up or slow down
the pedaling. The Capacitor creates "momentum"
electronically which adds to the overall effect. Is your
consist a little too heavy? Don't just see the action, BE the
action.

Pedal Powered Compact Florescent Light: PPPM I, 400 Watt

Victor 12v DC to 110v AC inverter, 12v DC 100,000 MFD
capacitor, 60 watt equivalent bulb
Pedaling Effort: Very Light (sorry for the pun!)

Pedal Powered Biodiesel Pump (Methoxide Agitation and

Transfer): PPPM I, directly powering Hypro 4 roller pump.
Pedaling Effort: Very Light (Agitate) to Medium (Transfer)

You may be wondering if it is possible to do more than one of

these activities at the same time with a single unit. The answer
is YES. The light, for example, could be combined with any of
the other activities. As long as the rider can handle the extra
workload, the Pedal Powered Prime Mover can deliver multiple
outputs simultaneously!

One of the unique features of this design is that the Pedal

Powered Prime Mover is not limited to generating electricity,
unlike other Pedal Generator or Bicycle Generator systems. The
mounting possibilities for pedal powered machinery are almost
infinitely flexible. In the pedal generator movies above, where
the Pedal Powered Prime Mover is being used directly as a pedal
powered water pump for example, the generator has been
removed and the new devices has taken its place. The flexibility
is tremendous. In just a few minutes, you can change the Pedal
Powered Primer Mover to a pedal generator, or to any of the
other configurations you see in the movies. That means one
Pedal Powered Prime Mover can serve a wide range of pedal
power needs, including whatever you are thinking of right now...

It is more fun than you can imagine to power things by

pedaling, with just you as the "Power Plant." It's healthy, and
it's green, sustainable energy. What would YOU like to power?
Tell me here, and I just might give it a try and make a movie of
the result.

Suggest
Suggestion:   

Pedal Generator: Frequently Asked

Questions
Over time, a number of questions have asked about the
information on the page. Here are some Frequently Asked
Questions and answers/opinions:
Do you have plans available?
YES! Follow the link below to order plans.
Why this design instead of a bicycle generator or a
recumbent generator?
This design is simple and efficient. You will generate up
to twice as much power for the same effort with this
design compared to other bicycle generator designs.
Ok, but I see on the web other pedal generator designs
claiming 250 Watts, 300 Watts, even 440 Watts - and
people posting they have "generated 700 Watts" - or way
more! Why all the different numbers?
Some sites quote MAXIMUM power output in an absolute
all-out sprint, and some riders are not quoting actual
electrical power generated at all. They are quoting
"calculated output" from their exercise equipment meters
that has nothing to do with real power generation.

I always quote REAL NUMBERS representing measured

Amps and Volts coming OUT OF ME and going INTO A
DEVICE or BATTERY. In other words, "real power output."
Don't be fooled by the other numbers you see.

Do you have assembled PPPMs available?

NO! It is not cost-effective OR energy-effective to build the
units and ship them. The best way to obtain a PPPM is to
assemble it yourself, or find a local resource to assemble
 it, such as a Bicycle Shop. You will also be able to fix it
yourself if you built it yourself.
Is there a recumbent version of the PPPM?
It is theoretically possible to convert the PPPM to a
recumbent Pedal Generator. The image at the top of the
page shows an early, working prototype of a recumbent
version. In fact, the PPPM could be assembled for both
upright AND recumbent use, and the riders could simply
choose the riding position they prefer. The current plans do
NOT contain instructions for this conversion, but a version
of the plans is being written that will provide the details.
If I build the Pedal Generator, how do I power things
with it?
Take a look at this Power Board I built for an Energy
Fair for ideas. It shows how to wire 12 Volts DC through a
junction box into an inverter with Ultracapacitors to
smooth out the power, and both cigar lighters for 12 Volt
DC appliances, and a power Strip for 110 Volt AC devices.
A 12 Volt DC Laptop Power supply enabled me to run an
IBM Thinkpad directly, drawing only 20 watts. The Watt's
Up meter shows how much power is flowing out to both
the cigar lighter outlets and the inverter, in real time. You
can power anything within reason with the setup shown.
It's a great visual learning tool for educators to use in a
classroom, too!

Here is a short movie explaining the inner workings of the

Power Board. For mode information, check out
the Interactive Circuit Building Tool!

Do you offer parts in a pedal power kit I could build

myself?
No. All of the parts needed to build your own Pedal
Powered Prime Mover are likely to be available locally. All
you need are plans.
Would a car alternator work better for generating power?
No. Most automotive alternators have one ball/one sleeve
bearing, a built-in power-robbing cooling fan, and they
require external power to excite them at low-to moderate
 RPMs. They have never been designed with efficiency in
mind, since they were attached to monstrous motors
capable of producing orders of magnitude more power than
the alternator required. They actually produce AC power,
which subsequently must be rectified to DC to charge
batteries. This step causes significant power loss in the
diodes (around 5%). As I noted above, I ran power output
around the diode and directly into the battery to avoid this
loss. In addition, alternators are designed to run at
extremely high RPMs (alternator pulleys are smaller than
the driving pulley on the engine, meaning the alternator
turns FASTER than the car engine. Look at your
tachometer reading and double it. Whew!), and do not
produce usable power until they are rotating quite rapidly,
requiring high ratios of step-up from your pedals. A well-
designed permanent-magnet ball-bearing motor,
preferable one designed to squeeze every last bit of power
out of a set of batteries, will easily beat an automotive
alternator in efficiency, yielding 20-50% more electricity
for the same effort.
Wouldn't gears help generate more power? And what
about belts instead of chains?
Maybe. Humans can only pedal through a small speed
range, about 40-120 RPMs. Below that you can strain your
joints, and above that efficiency falls off. There is a
"magic" speed (different for every Human Being) at which
they can generate maximum power. The proper gear ratio
enables the Human to pedal at that speed. You may have
noticed, though, that a Human's maximum power output
can change quickly from fatigue, and slowly from changes
in conditioning and age. The magic speed is always
changing, so having a few closely-spaced "gears" or ratios
may enable a better match of Human to generator. No
matter what, though, gears don't create energy, they
waste energy, so having fewer of them is always better.
The same goes for bearings, even ball bearings. The pedal-
power generator described on this page has very few of
both, so it is very efficient.
 Regarding belts, the transfer efficiency of most belts is less
than chains. This is mostly due to flexing energy loss
within the belt material and friction losses at the
engagement points between the belt and the pulleys. Belts
also work best when transferring low torque at high speed
(the opposite of what a pair of legs produce!) which is why
you do not see them on bicycles, for example. There may
be some exotic, thin, high strength belts that could
approach the efficiency of chains with the right design. For
example, the "serpentine" belts used in modern automobile
engines are much more efficient than the old "V-belts"
from the past. Belts rely on friction to transfer power.
Friction is bad. The best feature of belts is that they
are quiet, so I can't say to avoid them completely. If you
decide to use a belt to transfer power, use the thinnest,
strongest belt you can find, and place only enough tension
on it to keep it from slipping during use. I do not know
whether equivalent "toothed" and "grooved" belts are
equally efficient, but I believe the toothed belt has slightly
lower friction losses. If I can ever find some real research
data on the web I will link it in here.

I would rather use my bicycle in a stand and rig up a

generator connected to the rear wheel, or convert an
exercise machine by attaching a generator to it. Will you
help?
I may, but I have all my attention focused on this design. I
want to improve it, and make it even more efficient and
easier to build. Every stand and exercise machine is
different, and I can't invent a solution for each one
separately. It's also impossible for me to work with
equipment that I can't see, touch, or measure in any way.

If you are still interested, click on "Convert Your Bicycle" to

the left.

Could I generate more power with my bicycle in a stand

and a generator connected to the rear wheel?
No. You certainly can rig up a bicycle stand and hinge the
generator against the back tire using a tension system. I
 don't think you will be able to generate more power than
the PPPM does, and here's why:

To get an idea of how much energy is wasted in a bicycle

power train, pick up the back end of a multi-gear bike, like
an 18-speed mountain bike, and give the wheel a good
spin - backwards. See how long that much energy input
can keep the machinery moving. I would be surprised if
you counted more than five complete revolutions, unless
you are testing a perfectly-maintained track bike.

With the same "push" the PPPM flywheel keeps spinning

more than a minute. The difference is not caused by the
flywheel - it's due to the rapid loss of the energy you put
into the bicycle machinery due to friction. That loss will be
a constant drag on YOU as you ride your bicycle
generator. The PPPM design is simply more efficient.

You will also wear out your bicycle's tire, gears, chain, and
bearings. If you have an expensive bike, you will be paying
more than you think for your Human-powered electricity. If
you have an inexpensive bike, it will be even less efficient!

If I pedal now and store the energy in a battery, can I

watch TV later?
Of course! A Pedal Generator plus a battery is an
interesting combination of technologies. Here are a number
of different scenarios:

1. If you pedal the TV directly, with no battery, almost

all of the energy you create will go into the TV set.
Very efficient.
2. If you pedal the TV and have a battery attached to
the system at the same time, the energy used by the
TV will be used efficiently. If you pedal a bit more
energy than the TV needs, the surplus will go into the
battery. Due to battery inefficiency, you will only be
able to get some of that surplus energy back. It could
be anywhere from 70% to 90% depending on the
chemistry of the batteries. If you wait a month to use
 the surplus stored in the battery, with some
chemistries (like NiMH) you may find it has
completely dissipated in battery self-discharge.
3. If you pedal ONLY to the battery, with the idea that
you will watch TV later, you will loose 10%-30% of
ALL the energy you create in the manner of #2
above.

So - lets say it takes 60 Watt-hours to watch TV for one

hour.

In scenario #1, you pedal at a 60 watt output for one hour,

and watch TV for one hour.

In scenario #2, you pedal at, for example, 70 watt output,

and watch TV for an hour while pedaling. The surplus (10
Wh) gets stored, but you can only draw 8 Wh back out of
the battery, enabling you to watch TV for an additional 8
minutes, not 10 minutes as you might expect.

In scenario #3, you pedal at 60 watts for an hour with the

TV off. Later you watch TV, and you discover the power is
all consumed after watching 48 minutes of TV (80%).

In other words, if you pedal the TV directly for an hour,

you need to maintain a 60 watt output. If you want to
watch TV for an hour later, after pedaling, you will have to
pedal at 70 watts for an hour to account for the power lost
through inefficiency.

No matter what, you will be watching TV!

How much power can one Human Being create?

This is an opinion. I used to be a competitive swimmer,
and for a number of years, I worked out 6 hours a day,
swimming approximately 11 miles. Yes, 11 miles a day. If
you pedaled that hard for that long you might be able to
run one ordinary refrigerator for 24 hours. To make any
kind of significant contribution to your energy supply, you
must use the most efficient devices you possibly can. For
example, a small refrigerator designed to be powered by
solar power would be much more practical. For example, if
you are prepared to use a slightly unconventional
refrigerator there is a chance that you could power it with
one good workout a day, and maybe even have some
energy left over for other things. A rule of thumb: if the
device was designed to be powered by batteries, even BIG
batteries, you might be able to keep up with it.

If your electric bill shows KWH (kilowatt-hours), take the

number, multiply by 8 (assuming you can crank out 125
watts for an hour, which is very ambitious) and that is how
many hours you will have to be in the saddle to create the
same amount of power. Sorry, it can be depressing. The
moral of the story: Using less power is as important, if
not more important, than making more.

There are numerous sources of efficient appliances on the

web. One place I like to shop is Real Goods, and of course
I have spent time inventing my own efficient devices.
The white LED light I built shows how technology can
create new solutions to increase efficiency. Pedaling for an
hour at the 200 watt pace, with 80% efficiency of
generation/storage/extraction, would create enough
energy to run that light for 320 hours!!!

You may be interested in the details of the effort and

energy required to run the 12 volt appliances. I have
compiled a Pedal Generator Energy Statistics page with the
details.

Finally, here are some facts. Lots of people write to me

and suggest that a more efficient method of capturing
Human energy would result in a better power output. I am
using this page for reference: Horsepower - Wikipedia.
Here is the figure that matters:
1 horsepower = 33,000 ft/lbf/min = exactly
745.69987158227022 Watts

Calculating:
  A Human would have to lift 33,000 pounds one foot in
a minute to generate one horsepower (746 Watts
output for one minute) - or, equivalently:
 A 200 pound human would have to run to the top of a
14 story building (12 feet/floor, about 4 seconds per
floor, 165 feet straight up) in one minute to generate
745 watts of output, and would have to continue that
pace to keep generating one horsepower. Lighter
weight people would have to get to the top even
faster to generate the same amount of power.
 So - I dare you to generate 746 watts/one
horsepower, even for one minute ;-)
 As you can see, even if we could capture Human
output with 100% efficiency (we can't) you alone are
not going to be able to run a refrigerator or air
conditioner, or even a plasma screen TV directly by
pedaling. No way. (Unless it is an unconventional
refrigerator!!) However, with the combined output
from multiple PPPMs, anything is possible!

Can I generate 110v AC? Can I run my electric meter

backwards?
I don't recommend this! (Mostly, because it's illegal!) If
someone were to replace the permanent magnet DC motor
in a Pedal Generator (such as the one on this page) with a
1/4 to 1/2 horsepower 110v AC induction motor and
pedal that it would result in an amazing thing. If the motor
was hooked to the power lines and it was "pedaled faster
than it wanted to go", it would start generating 110v
alternating current. Beautiful sine wave AC. If it was
creating more energy than your clocks, refrigerator, all
those little square black power supplies you have plugged
in around the house, your lights, and that 300 watt stereo
you are listening to while you pedal all use together, your
electric meter would slowly creep backwards. However,
that same motor would generate exactly 0 power if it is
not plugged in to 110v AC.
 For very light duty "off the grid" use of 110v AC, you can
try pedaling your 12 volt DC generator into a large battery
and hooking up an inverter (12v DC - 110v AC) to get
some pretty decent 110v power. In general, plan on being
able to pedal at the rate of about 70-150 watts for half an
hour or so, if you are in good shape. WARNING: You CAN'T
use an ordinary inverter to "run your meter backwards"!!!!
(Think smoke and flames!) If you are lucky enough to have
a "grid tied" inverter that matches the output of the PPPM,
you just might be able to send power back to the grid.
However, read this before you consider a grid-tied pedal
generator.

For efficiency, however, you are much better off

producing 12v DC for a 12v DC TV (for example) than
you are producing 12v DC to charge a battery to run
an inverter to power a 110v AC TV. The UPS
(uninterruptable power supply) for my website computer
system can power the computer for about five minutes.
The same battery (12v 1.5 AH) would power my laptop
computer for about 45 minutes. Everything (efficiency-
wise) works FOR you when the device being powered is
designed to be efficient (12v DC) and AGAINST you when
it is not (110v AC).

How do I know how much power an appliance requires?

Almost every appliance, motor, light bulb, etc. has a
"Watts" rating. You need to know how many Watts the
appliance uses while it's running. Keep in mind, some
appliances, like air compressors and refrigerators, require
a MUCH higher amount of power to start than they do once
they are running. Others, like washing machines, use
variable amounts of power depending on what they are
doing at any given moment (pumping vs. agitating vs.
spinning, for example).

The BEST way to know how many Watts an appliance

require is to measure it! Here are several ways to measure
power (Watts) used by devices:
  AC: Watts Up? Meter
 AC: Kill A Watt Meter
 DC: Watt's Up - search for "battery analyzer"

How big should my batteries be?

If you are considering building a similar system, plan on
using two batteries, and a simple switch which allows you
to use one while charging the other. Flip this switch right
before you begin charging to ensure that you are charging
the battery with the lowest charge (the one most recently
used). Also be sure to use a battery that is roughly equal
to ten or twenty times your power output for a charging
session. For example, if you crank out ten amps for an
hour each time you charge, choose a 100-200 amp hour
battery. Larger batteries will simply loose charge through
self-discharge faster, resulting is less efficiency for your
system and more useless work for you.
What are "rim strips" and what did they do in the original
Pedal Generator?
On the original Pedal Generator, I used rim strips on the
outer edge of the particle board disk to keep the chain
from slipping. They were exactly what you would use on
bicycle rims to keep the spokes from poking through. The
rim strips I used were for narrow 27 inch wheels. They
were approximately one half inch wide. I had tried leaving
the particle board groove bare, and there was no way to
prevent the chain from slipping.

The particle board disk I used was too large for a single
rim strip, so I used two strips end-to-end and glued
together with silicone rubber. I overlapped the seam
several inches. They are quite thin, so there was no
noticeable "bump" going over the seams. I was also
pleasantly surprised to find they prevented slipping
completely, and there was no evidence of any wear on
them for the life of the machine. Be careful when
lubricating the chain, however. Keep the lubrication on
(and inside if possible) the rollers, not on the outside of the
 side plates. I was very careful to not let the lubricants
reach the parts of the chain contacting the rubber strips.

Where can I learn more about Electricity?

Learn about basic DC electricity here, and all kinds of
electricity here.
Remember:

1. The most efficient way to use the power you create is not

to create electricity at all, but to pedal power your (pump,
fan, hoist, winch, drill press, grinder, sewing machine,
etc.) directly through a mechanical connection.
2. The second most efficient way to use the power is to
pedal a generator to electrically power your (television,
radio, floodlight, chain saw, laptop computer) directly, with
no battery. Be careful about controlling voltage, or use a
good regulator.
3. The least efficient way to use your power is to generate
electricity and store it in a battery, then extract it from the
battery to power some device. Avoid this method in favor
of methods 1 and 2!!

Pedal Powered Prime Mover: Do-it-yourself

Plans

That's me above, on the rebuilt PPPM I. The DIY plans for

constructing your own Pedal Powered Prime Mover are
available for purchase ($USD50) below.

28 Pages, Materials List, Over 150 Detailed Assembly Photographs

Yes, You Can Build This Yourself!
How To Buy Pedal Powered Prime Mover Plans
Online Magazine/Site Mentions:

Make: Television - I give the Pedal Powered Blender a whirl.

Planet Green - 5 Ways Going Green Can Help You Lose Weight
(PPPM is #3).
Bicycling Magazine - High-Voltage Workouts.
The Christian Science Monitor - An electric workout through
pedal power.
The Mother Earth News - Make Electricity While You Exercise
The San Francisco Chronicle - Power From the Pedals
Earthtoys Emagazine June 2006 - A PPPM Workout
Treehugger's Article on the PPPM
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: BikePower! (Pedal
Powered Electricity)
Make: Features the PPPM

Interesting References:

The Human-Powered Home - If you are looking for more

information on all forms of Human Power - get this book!
Visit The BioSUB Project to read how the PPPM was used to
generate power in a unique underwater habitat.
An excellent writeup giving details on a different design based
on a bicycle and rollers.
A handcrafted masterpiece demonstrating unique construction.
Yahoo 12 Volt DC Power Group
Yahoo Human Powered Devices Group
Pedal Powered Grid Tied Inverter (PPPM-sized) Note: not tested
by me!
Nifty Digital Voltage Meter and Socket Multiplier
12 Volt Appliances and Devices - Including LCD DVD/TV Combo!
P2 - Awesome!
AltE Kill-A-Watt database - how much power do devices use?
Modern Outpost, lots of interesting Personal Power Gadgets
Alternative Energy News
Cyclean, The pedal powered washing machine
The Easyseat - the only seat I used on my PPPM
Solar Panels, Inverters, RV Chargers
Many different kinds of Inverters
Tons of 12 volt battery and charging information
Every imaginable kind of 12 Volt Appliance

The 12 Volt Shop (UK)

Battery and power supply technical information

Joan Baez 'Rejoice in the Sun' - Silent Running

Home Power magazine is the Hands-on Journal of Home-Made

Power. If you are interested in making your own electricity from
renewable energy, alternative vehicles, or finding out the latest
in related technologies and life-styles, then this publication can
keep you up to date.

Waistlines Continue to Grow in U.S.

Free Energy from Magnets! (I don't believe in this, but if YOU

do, off you go!)

Appliances

Years ago I met a pioneer woman living in the Rocky Mts. and her sons built her a system where
she would bicycle, hooked up to a battery and then she would watch her black and white TV. Do
you have a simple idea how that would work or does your description give that capability to me? I
would like to hook up this kind of system to my water well pump and/or house lights. My electricity
goes out a couple of times a year due to storms and I would like to have a backup system other
than solar or gas generators.

Deborah

RV (recreational vehicle) stores sell 12 DC battery operated TV’s. One

body pedaling is not going to produce much power. 100 to 300 watts is
my current guess. Don't figure on running anything but essentials.
Takes too much labor-energy. It takes battery storage and a DC to AC
inverter to run most well pumps (unless it says AC and DC on it).
Incandescent lights will run on 120 V DC. This would take 10 charged
batteries in series. Florescent lights will not work on DC, so an inverter
would be needed. Note: I recommend you use a slow speed
permanent magnet DC motor. It makes the most efficient generators.
Car Alternators waist a lot of current making a magnetic field in the field
coils.

Offered by Mike.

Its easy to purchase 12 volt DC light bulbs that will operate just fine
with one battery. It is easy to use regular household bulbs that screw in
and look just like AC bulbs. Usually the 12 volt bulbs come in 25 watt to
75 watt sizes. Any good electrical supply store will have them. I use
them regularly in my school bus for when I am not close to normal
household 120 AC. Just change your lamp to the 12 volt bulb when you
need it. I have a regular 14 foot extension cord with a cigarette lighter
car adapter replacing the male plug and can use a TV, VCR (12 V DC -
Walmart has them), and lights ( I prefer smaller house lamps for
portability). I always have a least one spare deep cycle marine/auto
battery fully charged and in reserve so that I can always start my bus,
but normally can go several 5-6 hour evenings without draining a good
battery. I have seen many homesteaders use bicycle type and even
VW engines to charge batteries. Many , like myself even have 12 V DC
refrigerators.

Offered by Woodie.

Battery
At right is the basic circuit of how to hook up 2 cordless drills to charge
a 12 volt battery. Notice that no switch is needed. This will be true as
long as the reverse flow on the diode chosen is very low. Summary: A
bicycle driven emergency battery charger can be made rather simply
from two cordless permanent magnet drills and commonly available
parts that will produce from 10 to 45 watts charging capacity. This can
be used to charge 12 Volt storage batteries or a modified drill NiCad
battery pack.

Take the cover off the battery pack that came with the drill and
attaches a wire to each end of each cell without taking the series string
apart. These wires are then run to the outside of the case. Then
depending on the voltage needed to run the intended device one can
tap off that voltage. The series string of cells is charged all at once by
hooking the bicycle generator across the battery pack as a whole.

Offered by Mike.
Construction

Use commonly available wood, dry wall screws, 2 door hinges, 2 small
screen door strength springs, 2 hose clamps, wire, amp and volt meter,
and car battery.

The hinge (door hinges with dry wall screws holding it) point that holds
the drills as generators in place is a 2" x 4" wood.
A 1" x 4" peace of wood and 3/4 inch copper pipe clamps are used to
hold the unit to the frame.

The base of each drill is screwed down to the hinged 2" x 4" base using
3 or more dry wall screws (one long screw is behind and out of site)
and a wood spacer to level it out.
A hose clamp with wire around it is attached to a spring as show.

The following shows how the springs are attached to the frame to hold
tension on the generator drive wheel with respect to the hinge point.

At right is a 3/8" flat washer, lock washer, and two nuts being used on
each side of the drive wheel to lock the 3/8" shaft in place on the lawn
mower wheel. Lawn mower wheels come with different size holes.
Typically 3/8 inch and .5 inch are the most common. If you use a wheel
with a .5 inch hole for the shaft then use a short section of .5 inch OD
aluminum pipe (Home Depot has it) as a bushing. A 5.5" length of 3/8
 inch treaded bolt can be used for the shaft.

A flat is sanded or filed on each of three sides to allow the drill chuck to
easily grip the shaft, as below.

Offered by Mike.

RPM

From the results of testing with an exercise bicycle I have come to the
conclusion that approximate definition of pedaling speeds to be:

Slow -------- 50 RPM

Medium ------ 70 RPM
Fast -------- 90 RPM

The most optimum usable sustainable pedaling is slow to medium

speed. Design the unit to allow a fast speed of 90 RPM without going
over the rated drill speed, and then use it at less RPM.

Let:

P = Pedal RPM (90 RPM)

G = Generator RPM (Can use up to the maximum speed of the drill
or 550 RPM for 14.4 V drill and 900 RPM for 18 volt unit and 500
RPM for the 12 volt unit)
R = bicycle wheel to Pedal turns ratio = 2.38 to 1 = 2.38(for my
unit). This ratio can be determined for any unit by counting the turns
the pedal makes to complete one turn of the bicycle wheel.
D = diameter of bicycle wheel (19.25" in my case)
d = diameter of lawn mower or wood drill driver wheel

G = P*R(D/d)
Or
d = (P*R*D)/G = (90*2.38*19.25)/550 = 7.5" diameter to give maximum
power output for 14.4 volt and 12 volt drill units producing maximum
power at fast pedaling speeds.
d = (90*2.38*19.25)/900 = 4.6" diameter to give maximum power
output for 18 volt drill units producing maximum power at fast pedaling
speeds.

In actual practice one finds that if the interfacing drive wheel is too
small that it tends to slip or that too much spring tension is needed to
keep it from slipping. This causes inefficiency, drag, and can cause
excessive ware on the drill bearings. If one uses bigger driver wheels
then this is reduced. But bigger wheels mean the drills will be turning at
a slower speed and not generating maximum designed power.
However, if the drill is capable of producing more power than can easily
be output in a sustainable mode then this is not a problem and one
could easily pull back on the speed. This is certainly the case with the
18 Volt drills. I found 5" diameter wheels to work best instead of the
smaller 4.6" maximum power design determination. 4" works but had
too much slippage at medium speeds. Even the 5" has a tendency to
slip at higher speeds.

For the 14.4 Volt drills I found that 7" diameter wheel worked just fine
with minimal slippage at all speeds. I would chouse this setup over the
18 volt as being more workable and comfortable to pedal. A 18 volt
cordless drill might last longer than the lower voltage ones especially if
one uses a series hook up instead of parallel. The gear ratio is lower in
this unit with less drag. Bottom line --- the above formula will get you
into the ball park with respect to chousing the best diameter for your
generator drive wheel. After that building and testing it will refine the
result. The bigger the wheel used the slower the drill generators will
turn given the same speed for input pedaling.
This graph shows the power output for different RPMs of pedaling
speed.

18 V-P-4" stands for 18 volt drill wired in parallel using a 4" lawn mower
wheel.

18 V-S-4" stands for 18 volt drill wired in series using a 4" lawn mower
wheel.

18 V-S-5" stands for 18 volt drill wired in series using a 5" lawn mower
wheel.

14.4 V-S-7" stands for 14.4 volt drill wired in series using a 7" lawn
mower wheel.
Power from the first choice or the 14.4 Volt drills using a 7" wheel is
about 10 to 55 watts in the optimum usable range of input pedaling
speed. Power from second choice or the 18 Volt drills using a 5" wheel
is about 35 to 60 watts in the optimum usable range of input pedaling
speed. The 18 Volt units are estimated to last longer than the 14.4 volt
when used in this application. A good non-slip wheel needs to be used
and is the key if this is chosen. It is interesting to note that the open
circuit voltage is equal to about 37 volts for either unit at a high non-
sustainable pedaling speed of 106 RPM (14.4 volt drills) and 96 RPM
(18 volt drills).

Offered by Mike.

Bike Gen

A stationary supported normal bicycle or an

exorcise cycle can be used to generate
electricity and charge a 12 volt battery. The
unit can be made from commonly available
parts with not much time needed for
assembly. The sustainable output power is
between 10 to 45 watts with the peak power
at about 100 watts. Low cost commonly
available cordless drills can be used as the
generator.

Offered by Mike.
Modified

Modified Cordless electric drill: If one takes out the variable speed
trigger switch and uses a diode (one way flow device) in series with the
permanent magnet motor then we have a unit that can stay hooked up
to a battery without acting like a motor. When one cranks, it charges
the battery. This becomes a dedicated one direction DC generator
without the added losses of the small amount of resistance of the
variable speed trigger switch. The following items can be removed from
the 14.4 Volt drill.

The white wire from the PM motor is positive when cranked counter
clockwise facing the chuck and negative when cranked clockwise for
the 14.4 Volt drill. There is also an internal 3 wire component (transistor
or SRC I don't know which) that has a heat sink that can sometimes be
rewired to act as a diode. Do this in a pinch or emergency, not
recommend using if you have a diode available. A diode will work more
reliably. For the 14.4 volt drill this 3 wire component will flow in one
direction when the black wire is hooked to a positive source (the motor-
generator) and the white is negative. I found this component will not
work for the 12 and 18 volt drills as a diode. Sometimes it blocks the
flow and sometimes is does not block the flow (unreliable).

Use a 4-6 cell battery and check current flow of this 3 wire component
in the blocked direction. This back flow test should be well below one
ma. If it is not, then use a rectifier diode from another source (junk
parts). Otherwise your batteries will slowly discharge, if left hooked up
and not turning. For this 3 wire component I found for the 14.4 volt drill
and clockwise cranking to hook black to black. For counter clockwise
cranking hook white motor lead to black diode lead. Note that the blue
wire is not used and is left disconnected but taped up with electrical
tape so it will not short to anything.

A diode must be used with the 12 and 18 volt units. When turning the
chuck clockwise facing the 12 volt drill then the black lead from the
motor is positive and red is negative. Note that one can use say 4 three
amp diodes in parallel if that is all one can find. For the parts taken out
of the 12 volt drill and the end result see the photo on the left. The
following is the basic circuit of how to hook up a cordless drill to charge
a single cell. Notice that no switch is needed. This will be true as long
as the reverse flow on the diode chosen is very low. The amp and volt
meter are for testing once satisfied all will work ok they can be
removed from the circuit as in the photo on the right.
    

The crank can be made from an 11" long by 3/8" diameter plated
treaded rod. Bend at 1" and to make a 5" cranking radius. The rest of
the length becomes the handle. Make your bends gentle and not too
sharp or it will break. Find a chunk of round wood (closet coat hanger
dowel is about right) and drill a 3/8" hole through the middle of it. Slip
over the shaft and put a nut on it with lock tight or epoxy in the threads
(to make it stay in a permanent location). I also tested a 3/8" ID rubber
hose as a handle but didn't like it as much as a bigger diameter wood
approach. Optional: Sand or file a flat on three sides of the 3/8"
threaded rod to keep it from coming loose easily in the chuck of the
drill. I experimented with different radiuses and handles. The one that
worked the best for me is the one with the round wood dowel handle at
a 5 inch radius. These are the wooden handle ones in the picture.

The 12 volt and 14. 4 volt hand crank

modified drill generator weighs about 2
lb 2 Oz with the lead wires and clips.
The crank is about 6-7 Oz. Total weight
is about 2.5 lbs. What to do with the
battery packs that come with and plugs into the drill. This now becomes
a source of single cell batteries that can be individual charged. One
takes the cover off and attaches a wire to each end of each cell without
taking the series string apart. These wires are run to the outside of the
case where the alligator clips from the drill generator can be used to
charge each cell individually. Then depending on the voltage needed to
run the intended device one can tap off the voltage needed. Another
way is to break them into individual cells charge them separately and
rewire temporally back into a series to get the voltage necessary to run
radios or lights.

Output test results of hand cranking One Cordless Drill.

Comfortable Hand crank speed is about 80-90 RPM (normal cranking).

High speed is about 1.5 to 2 times that speed.

12 volt red drill charging one cell: (.5 to 3 watts)

Fast cranking open circuit 4.1 volts max and 1 to 2 amps at 2 volts or
an average 1.5 amp x 2 volts = 3 watts. Normal Cranking produces .2
to ..5 amps at 1.5 volts or an average of .35 amp x 1.5 volts = .5 watts.

14.4 volt drill charging one cell: (2.2 to 5.7 watts)

Fast cranking open circuit 5.4 volts max and 2.5 to 3.5 amps at 1.9
volts or an average 3 amp x 1.9 volts = 5.7 watts. Normal Cranking
produces 1.1 to 1.6 amps at 1.6 volts or an average of 1.35 amp x 1.6
volts = 2.2 watts.

14.4 volt drill charging two cells in series: (1.2 to 4.2 watts)
Fast cranking open circuit 5.4 volts max and 1.2 to 1.5 amps at 3.1
volts or an average 1.35 amp x 3.1 volts = 4.2 watts. Normal Cranking
produces .3 to .6 amps at 2.75 volts or an average of .45 amp x 2.75
volts = 1.2 watts.

18 volt drill charging one cell: (1.8 to 4.8 watts)

Fast cranking open circuit 3.9 volts max and 2 to 3 amps at 1.9 volts or
an average 2.5 amp x 1.9 volts = 4.8 watts. Normal Cranking
produces .9 to 1.4 amps at 1.6 volts or an average of 1.15 amp x 1.6
volts = 1.8 watts.

Summary: Hand cranked cordless drills can be converted to generate a

small amount of electricity in an emergency. Expect to charge a one
cell at about 1 to 3.5 amps or 2 to 5 watts. For each watt of power
generated for one minute (1 watt-minute) will run one white LED for 15
minutes. Thus 5 watts generated for one minute theoretically could
result in 75 min run time for one LED. In practice one would need to
charge 3 separate cells to get the necessary voltage to run one LED.
The cells could be charged all at once in parallel then rearranged in
different battery holders to be wired in series to run the LED(s) or
charge each cell separately while staying connected in series. Bottom
line: In an emergency one could crank out enough power to keep a
night or task LED light going while it is needed.

Offered by Mike.

Hand Crank

The unit is light weight (2.5 lb),

portable, low cost ($10-$20) and
can be used to recharge single
cell batteries at from 1-3.5 amps.
It can be made from a cordless
electric drill in a primitive
environment. The simplest way of
how to make a hand crank DC
generator using a standard 12,
14.4 or 18 Volt Cordless drill from Harbor Freight Tools. With no
modification hook an alligator clip jumper to the two charging terminals
(on the bottom that the battery plugs into). See picture below. Note that
when a 14.4 Volt drill is laid down pointing to the left then the upper
terminal is most likely to be the plus and the lower terminal the minus
for these units.

When one holds down on the variable speed trigger switch, the crank
handle will began to rotate slowly acting like a drill. Grab the handle
with your other hand and crank faster in the same direction it is turning
(trigger switch still held down). If an amp meter is hook in series with
the generator then one can tell when it changes from running as a
motor to becoming a generator and begins to charge the battery. The
current flow will change sign going from "-" to "+" (or vice versa) on the
meter. The forward and reverse switch works as normal and allows one
to crank in the opposite direction to charge the battery while holding the
trigger switch closed.

If you have an unknown drill then hook it

up one way and see how many amps you
get when cranking vigorously. Then hook
it up the other way reversing the polarity
of the wires and compare the amps using
an amp meter in series with a one celled
rechargeable battery (NiMH or NiCad).
One way will charge the battery the other
way will bring the charging current to near
zero and it will become hard to crank. Use
the polarity that charges the battery. The procedure outlined above
gives the basic way you can check any cordless drill to see if it is a
permanent magnet motor and wired such that will work as a DC
generator.

Determining switch setting for 18 Volt drill: Wire or tape the trigger
variable speed switch wide open or all the way held down. Look at the
top of the battery for the plus and minus. Hook up a dc volt meter
according to the polarity that the battery was hooked up. If one lays the
drill pointing to the left then the upper terminal is positive and the lower
is negative. Now give a twist clockwise to the chuck with your hands
(no crank). Watch the voltage reading and the sign plus or minus then
give a counter clockwise twist and note the sign and voltage. Also note
how hard it is to turn. Pick the direction that gives the most voltage and
is easiest to turn. Note the "L" or "R" switch setting. I found that for this
18 volt drill when "R" was set that a counter clockwise turn was best
and gave a correct polarity as the battery hook up. In like manner when
"L" was set then a clockwise turn worked best.

Warning: With the trigger switch wired or tape closed, one can not
leave it connected to a battery without a diode to keep it from
draining the battery.

Incremental improvements can now be made. Use a 6-10 amp external

diode in series with the jumper wires (wired in the direction of the
current flow). If one stops cranking the drill as a generator it will not
continue to turn as a motor. The diode bocks the battery flow. One can
then tape or wire the trigger switch in the full ON position. This
approach produces a hand crank battery charger that in a pinch could
easily be reversed and still used as a drill again. This reversal can be
done by taking the diode out of the circuit and un-taping the trigger
switch and plugging in the battery pack. Note: Be sure to lock the drill
into direct drive mode (locks out the ratchet screw torque gear
arrangement). Chouse a cordless drill that has a high figure of merit or
highest ratio of input voltage to RPM. The 12 volt/500 RPM and 14.4
volt/550 RPM have a ratio of .024 and .0262 respectively. Note that the
14.4 volt unit is slightly more efficient than the 12 volt unit. The 18 volt
runs at 900 RPM and this gives a ratio of .02 which is not as high as
the other two but not that far off.

The 12 Volt drill item 47156-5VGA currently sells for $9.99 with keyed
chuck and the 14.4 volt drill item 4285-1VGA currently sells for about
$15.99. The 18 volt item 90120-8VGA sells for about $19.99. The 12
Volt units are currently the lowest cost but after testing are the least
desirable (harder to crank). The 14.4 Volt tests as most efficient with
the 18 volt units coming in second due to ease of cranking (lower gear
ratio) with resulting lower output power. I recommend using the "Keyed
chuck" type drill instead of the hand tighten type. It is a bit cheaper and
the hand crank can be tightened a bit tighter so it doesn't come loose
while cranking. In actual fact either will work. So use what you have
available.

Offered by Mike.

DC Generator

Rules of thumb or lessons learned from current experience:

 When generating optimum maximum output power plan on an

output voltage of no higher than half the drills rated input voltage.
Use 2 drills in series when planning to generate near to the rated
input voltage for the given drills.
 I don't recommend running any unit faster than it was designed to
run originally. Rated speed for 12 volt unit is 500 RPM, 14.4 volt
unit is 550 RPM, and 18 volt unit is 900 RPM. I have noted that one
gets about 80 percentage of the input voltage as output open circuit
voltage when acting as a generator at rated maximum speed. Use
this as a guide to make sure your design doesn't end up going too
fast.
 It's hard to say what the maximum sustained current capability of
these units is. My best current guess is about 3-4 amps for 12 volt,
3-4 amps for 14.4 volt and 4-5 amps for the 18 volt unit. The short
term surge max can be twice the current in the previous sentence.
Plan on using no higher sustained output power than 13, 22, and 41
watts for 12, 14.4 and 18 volt tested individual drills.
 Turning the unit at faster than rated speed could ware out the gears
and bushings before there time and is not recommended. The
electrical components are not designed for voltage much above the
rated input voltage. Also, there is a strong possibility of thoroughing
a bar on the commentator of the motor due to centrifugal force and
 heat. This happened on one test run where it was generating into a
heavy load at more than twice the rated voltage.
 Output efficiency is about 30 to 40 percent of input power. The rest
of the input power goes to gear friction and electrical losses as
heat.
 The 14.4 volt cordless drill is the current best unit for hand cranking
because of it's higher efficiency and high volts/RPM ratio. This
would hold true for water power also. For bicycle pedal powered
cranking the 14.4 volt and 18 volt both will work. I favor slightly the
14.4 volt unit however the 18 volt unit might just make up for this by
lasting longer.
 On the bicycle generator if you find the power wildly surging with
every half turn of the pedals, then chances are the drill drive wheel
is too small and the pedaling needs to be made easier. One can
also add weight or make a flywheel effect out of the bicycle wheel
but this is not recommended due to possibly causing other things to
ware out quicker.
 For bike and water wheel applications feel the temperature of the
generator from time to time by sticking your finger into the open slot
where the trigger switch was to feel the metal case of the motor.
Cut down on your output power if it is getting hot. The estimated
maximum allowable power output for the 2 drill series combination
is twice the above recommendation or 26, 44, and 82 watts.
 Be sure to use a one way rectifier diode in series with the
unmodified cordless drill when taping closed the trigger switch to
make a DC generator. Use a diode in preference to converting the
internal 3 wire component to a diode. I don't have much trust in this
component.

Offered by Mike.

Cordless Drills

In looking for the efficiency and maximum voltage and power available
from cordless drills used as DC generators the following measurements
were preformed. One drill was powered to turning another of the same
type hooked up as a generator. There was a short bolt put in the chuck
of each unit to mechanically tie them together. Both were turning at the
same speed. Several conditions were measured. The input current and
voltage used under no load as a single drill was measured. The input
current and voltage was measured while tuning another drill under no
load was measured. Then the input current and voltage was measured
while tuning another drill while generating output power was measured.
From these measurements the efficiency of each type of unit was then
determined. See the table below for a summary of the average
measurements and calculated results.

Type of # of Input Input Input Output Output Output

Tests Drills volts Current Power Volts Current power

12 volt
500 rpm max
drill 3 cells

Off OC

0.00 13.37 0.00 0.00 4.10 0.00 0.00

No load

1.00 12.30 1.65 20.23 0.00 0.00 0.00

Open
Circuit
2.00 11.87 3.60 42.68 8.73 0.00 0.00

Generating

2.00 11.05 7.42 81.99 5.32 2.50 13.30

14 Volt
550 rpm max
drill 4 Cells

Off OC

0.00 15.46 0.00 0.00 5.46 0.00 0.00

No load

1.00 15.50 1.17 18.14 0.00 0.00

Open
Circuit
2.00 14.26 2.14 30.52 11.40 0.00 0.00

Generating

2.00 12.75 6.94 88.42 7.09 3.13 22.16

18 Volt
900 rpm max
drill 4 Cells

Off OC

0.00 20.20 0.00 0.00 5.46 0.00 0.00

No load

1.00 19.20 1.81 34.75 0.00 0.00

Open
Circuit
2.00 18.60 4.81 89.47 15.40 0.00 0.00

Generating

2.00 17.25 11.89 205.10 8.12 5.1 41.62

Output Power Percentages

Power Losses Results and Description

12 volt average /drill gear train power loss

drill
20.97 0.44

average /drill electrical power loss

13.37 0.28

efficiency generating at max speed

0.28
14.4 Volt average /drill gear train power loss
drill
16.22 0.29

average /drill electrical power loss

16.92 0.3

efficiency generating at max speed

0.40

18 Volt average /drill gear train power loss

drill
41.41 0.34

average /drill electrical power loss

40.34 0.33

efficiency generating at max speed

0.34

Summary of the results:

12, 14.4, and 18 Volt drills at rated speed output a maximum of 8.7,
11.4, and 15.4 open circuit Volts. This is to say the output voltage is
roughly 74, 80, and 83 percent of the input volts when acting as a
motor generator set. The suggested maximum rated output generated
power at rated speeds of 500, 550, and 900 is 13.3, 22.2, and 41.6
watts. The electrical output generating efficiency is about 28, 40 and 34
percentage of the total input power. This to say that the 14.4 Volt drill is
slightly more efficient at generating power than the other two.

Offered by Mike.
Human Generator Systems
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: https://youtu.be/d2MHayyhbCo

Bike Human Educational

Stand Power Crank Light Bulb
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Generato Displays
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Bike Educational
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Pedal Power
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 Plans

I have a 12V 165 amp Chevy alternator I want to power with an

exercycle that can be pedaled at least 30 MPH. Anyone who has
advice on best method of hook-up, etc., please help so I don’t have to
reinvent the wheel. I know it can work and have seen plans for a small
3 HP engine operation, but would sure like advice from someone with
more 12V electrical experience because solar takes to long, and I want
to use man/woman power.

Offered by Woodie.

Motors

My current ideas a bike gen motor:

Permanent Magnet (PM) DC motors make efficient slow speed DC

generators. These are more efficient than Car alternators.
Alternators waste some of the generated current to produce a
magnetic field in the field coils. Alternators need a higher speed to
be efficient than PM DC motors turned into generators. PM DC
motors can be bought used for as little as $5 on up at electronics
scrap yards. I am currently testing some surplus reel to reel 1/2"
tape drive PM DC motors as generators that looks promising for this
application.

As far as how to put it on the bike.

My current thought is to use a proper sized cylindrical pulley on the

generator (for proper speed) hinged and spring loaded to hold down
on top of the tire of the pedal driven tire-wheel. The drive wheel
would be mounted just off the ground so that it can freely turn. If an
exercycle then the hinged point can be the handle bars. If a bicycle
 the hinge point can be attached under the seat or to the support
that holds the bicycle off the ground.

I don't think a regulator is needed. I doubt anyone is going to peddle

fast enough and long enough to harm almost any battery one would
use. I think it would be desirable to have a Voltmeter to tell when the
battery is full and a Amp-meter to tell how fast it is charging (mostly a
moral booster).

Offered by Mike.

Pulley Rig

For exercycles with the tire in direct contact with an alternator, one
could build up the shaft of the alternator by epoxying or bolting (with
the nut that held the pulley) a pipe to the shaft to make it bigger until
the optimum diameter is reached. What you are doing is balancing
power output capability of the individual to maximize charging rate and
charging time, while minimizing wear on the tire. My best educated
guess at a possible end point optimum pulley size for this approach is
a diameter between 1" and 1.5". The above approach should work well
with alternators that have internal voltage regulation.

If an older type alternator is used with a external voltage regulator,

fine tuning would then be done with a resistor in series with the field
circuit and the battery. The lower the resistance the stronger the field
will be and the harder to turn the alternator and the more current it will
produce at low speeds. Note that once the alternator is not turning the
battery will drain back through the field coil unless disconnected. You
can get around this by putting a diode between the battery and output
of the alternator. This diode would allow flow from the alternator to the
 battery, but not back from the battery through the field coil. The output
of the alternator is also connected through a variable resistor to the
field coil. Note, the field coil is in reality the rotating armature.

Now if one uses a 10 speed 26" tire bike what can be expected: Assume
we are going to use a belt to drive it and the rear tire will be removed. Rim
diameter is about 23.5". Assuming a multi-ribbed pulley (5,6,8 ribs)
diameter of about 2.2" is used on the alternator. Assume the bike is
running in 3.75:1 gear ratio (in high gear). Assume we will be pedaling at
60 RPM. Then, the rotational speed of the generator will be about

(23.5"/2.2")*3.75*60RPM = 2,403 RPM

If the pulley is 2.8", then the rotational speed of the generator will be
about

(23.5"/2.8")*3.75*60RPM = 1,888 RPM

Smaller pulley sizes are desirable. This arrangement should work fairly
well, especially since you have the other gears of the bike to adjust the
speed for the strength of the peddler. This arrangement should work
well with internal and external voltage regulated alternators.

Now what if all you have is a 20" kids bicycle: Using the belt over the rim,
the rotational speed of the generator will be about

(16"/2.2")*2.5*60RPM = 1,091 RPM

Putting the tire in contact with a 2.2" diameter pulley would give about

(20"/2.2")*2.5*60RPM = 1,363 RPM

Taking off the pulley and using a 5/8" bare shaft against a 20" tire then

(20"/.625")*2.5*60RPM = 4,800 RPM

Highly likely to ware out the tire quickly. None of the above options are
optimum but any may work in a pinch. Especially if the peddler is the size
of the bike.
 Summary: If you plan to use the pulley, get it as small as you can. A
small change in pulley size can make a significant difference in final
speed of the alternator. An old 10 speed 26" bicycle and a small
diameter multi-ribbed V-belt over the back wheel rim, looks like the
best approach. Next most workable solution, the exercise cycle with a
small pulley put in direct contact with the hard rubber tire.

Offered by Mike.

Speed

Will a bike generator give the proper rotational speed for the

alternator? I have measured alternators that have a single V-belt pulley
with diameter between 2.5" and 2.8". Wide 6 ribbed belt alternators I
have seen use pulley sizes between 2.2" and 2.5" diameter. Taking my
car as an example the diameter of the alternator is 2.6" the engine
pulley is 7.25" diameter. Assume a minimum idle engine speed of 800
RPM is enough to generate reasonable current to maintain some
amount of minimum charging to keep the alternator light off.

The perimeter of a pulley is proportional to the diameter (Pie times the

diameter). Thus the minimum rotational speed of an alternator in
revolutions/min (RPM) will be

(7.25"/2.6")*(800 RPM) = 2230 RPM

as a targeted minimum speed. To get full rated charging amperage one

would need to run the engine at 2000 RPM, per amperage output testing.
To do this the Alternator in my case would need to run

(7.25"/2.6")*(2000 RPM) = 5,577 RPM

for full charging amperage. Other alternators may be designed to run
optimally at other speeds.

A typical kids bike with 20" tires has a rim of about 16" diameter and a
2.5:1 ratio between the back wheel and the pedal rotation of one turn.
A typical adult 10 speed bike with 26" tires has a rim of about 23.5"
diameter and a 3.75:1 to 1.37:1 ratio between the back wheel and the
pedal rotation of one turn. A typical exercise bicycle with 19.5" tires has
a rim of about 17" diameter and a 2.5:1 ratio between the back wheel
and the pedal rotation of one turn. My test show an optimum pedal
rotational speed in the range of about 60 RPM. Note: One can do a
maximum of 110-120 RPM for short bursts but it is a strain.

Now if one mounts the alternator with a 6 to 8 ribbed pulley directly

against the hard rubber tire of the exercise bicycle. This could be spring
loaded. May need to remove the fan on the alternator to miss the tire.
May need to slightly grind the edge of the tire down to fit the grove if a 6
ribbed pulley is used. An 8 ribbed pulley should work with out modification
in most cases. Grind the sharp edge of the ridges of the pulley down so it
doesn't cut the tire. This will also make it a bit smaller in diameter. For a
2.2" diameter multi-ribbed pulley modified in this way the diameter of
where the belt travels is about 2.0". The rotational speed of the generator
will be about

(19.5"/2.0")*2.5*60RPM = 1,462 RPM

This a little low to expect much output power.

Most alternator shafts are .5" or .625" diameter. As a second test one
could try the bare shaft on the hard rubber tire. Assuming a .625" shaft
this would give the rotational speed of the generator to be about

(19.5"/.625")*2.5*60RPM = 4,680 RPM

This is more like it, however it probably will wear the tire too quickly.
Offered by Mike.

Alternator

Is there a specific car alternator that is preferable, power-wise or make

and model?

Offered by Doug.

I will give you my opinion for what it is worth. I think any size above 30
amps should work. The reason being, the peddler is going to have
trouble sustaining the pedaling on any kind of medium to high
amperage. Your biggest concern should be getting the right ratio of
pedal rotations to alternator shaft rotation. If this is off then it will be too
hard or too easy to pedal. Now that I think about it. It might be smart to
feed back some of the output through the field coil in series with a
rheostat. This rheostat could be adjusted to determine the amount of
charging rate and thus determine the ultimate rotational push on the
pedals. One would not use the 12V regulator in this case.

A link that should help in understanding alternators is Alternator

Functions

Offered by Mike.

This isn't very hard to do at all. First, almost all the standard car
alternators out there are alike. I know for a fact that all GM cars
use Delco-Remy alternators. These little guys put out about 60-70
Amps at 12-14 Volts. Now essentially they are AC Generators (hence
the name alternator) but on the back there is a little plastic box and
cover. Inside that box is a set of Diodes and a voltage regulator. This
makes sure that the output is a fairly constant 12-14V DC. Now I know
from experience that those diodes do not last long (especially with
heat) but outside of the hell-of-an-engine they should last many years.

So all you need to do is find a way to rig up a belt. Anything will do

(nylon pantyhose work awesome in an emergency) just tie a small knot
and the nylon will make a pretty good belt. Rig up the belt to the pulley
of a bike crank and you have a man-powered generator. But
remember, the more current you draw (like when charging a totally
dead battery) the harder it will be to crank. Watts in = Watts out.

Another consideration is the pulley ratio and speed. This is not as

complicated as it seems. A car at idle spins at like 700-1000 RPM. Now
I know from looking at my car that the main engine pulley is about 12"
diameter and the alternator is about 3". So that's a 4:1 ratio which
means the alternator probably likes to spin at about 4 to 5000 RPM. I
know that some alternator somewhere has a speed rating on it. But
suffice to say that we need it to spin at least 2000 RPM. Easy, since
you can probably pedal about 200 RPM, you need at least a 10:1 ratio.
Now the alternator pulley is 3" so you need approx. a 30" pulley on the
bike. Come to think of it, maybe using the tire itself as the pulley may
help.

Offered by Robert.

 Battery

Can this be used to re-charge dead 12V batteries? And if so, how

exactly would you go about it?
 Offered by Doug.

Yes and no. If the battery is freshly dead then yes. If it is a Lead-
Acid battery and if it sat for a while discharged, say for 6 months to a
year (I am not sure of the exact time frame), then I doubt you will get
much charge in it. This is because the sulfation is crystallized (hard)
and will not go back into solution. This is where a radio frequency
pulser would come into play to help un-sulfate the battery.

Hook the output of the alternator and the case of the alternator

(ground) to the battery. Pay attention to proper polarity. Attach the field
to a rheostat (size yet to be determined) and then to the battery.
Sometimes the other side of the field will need to be grounded. Take
the tire off the rim and use the grove of the rim as a pulley. Use the
pulley already on the generator and install a long belt around these
pulleys. Because of the size difference the generator will turn many
times to that of the bicycle rim. Use the multi-speed bike gear shift and
the rheostat (described above) to adjust for the proper peddling
resistance.

Offered by Mike.

Assembly

How to make an effective bicycle generator:

Amp Meter

Put an amp meter (from a car or another source) in series with the
alternator. This allows the person pedaling to see how much output
is produced.

Front Wheel
 Take the front wheel (tire, rim and spokes assembly) off and mount
the remaining yoke on a stable platform made of wood. Use the
same bolt holes that held the wheel on.

Rear Wheel

Raise the rear wheel about 1"-2" above the platform so that the rear
wheel turns freely. Bolt this to the frame of the bike about 3"-6" in
front of the back axle. This allows 2 support pipes on each side to
bolt or strap it to. Could use 2" x 4" wood for the front and back
supports. Use triangle supports cut from plywood or any other
wood to make it stable (side to side motion). If needed carefully cut
a notch in the back right wood support, so that the chain, and
cables have plenty of clearance.

Belt

Purchase a V-belt or V-ribbed belt big enough to go over the

alternator and back rim. I have found it easier to find
the Serpentine or 5, 6, or 8 V-ribbed flat belts in the lengths
needed. A 5 ribbed belt is 45/64" wide. A 6 ribbed belt is 27/32"
wide. A 8 ribbed belt is 1" and 1/8" wide. These are more expensive
and cost about twice as much as the 11MM or 15MM wide single V-
belts. However, they should last longer and will transfer more
power. Also the alternators that use these have smaller diameter
pulleys. Which is an advantage. Flat belts should work better on
the bare bicycle rim. They would be less likely to turn over.

Alternator

The alternators that use flat belts are more expensive, deliver

more amperage and typically have an internal voltage regulator.
The older alternators have the voltage regulator separate and are a
lot less to purchase. Typically local rebuilt prices are estimated to
 be $20-$40 for the older 60 amp (Ford, GM in the 1970's) type and
$110 to $170 for the newer 70 amp and higher amperage. All of
these types from time to time can be picked up at yard or garage
sales.

Mounting

Mount the alternator on a peace of wood that is hinged (door hinge)

to the platform (plywood, plank, etc.). This would be behind the
back wheel. The weight of the alternator helps to give it belt
tension. A spring could be attached to add more belt tension if
needed.

The result would take no welding, and no great modification of the

bicycle, so that if you wanted to unbolt it and put the back tire and front
wheel back on you could still ride the bike. It does take wood and a
long enough belt.

Offered by Mike.

Car Parts

Fortunately, as alternators work at relatively low speed compared to a

generator, ie the old style car Dynamo D.C. generators, ratios are more
associated with your own strength. If the tire can be removed to run a
belt from the rim you can even get output on a simple direct drive from
rim to alternator. One can even get a friction drive without taking the
tire off at all, though this is not so easy to drive. A 100 watt Solar panel
will probably only average 2 amps at best even if it is rated three times
or more higher, due to sun angles, latitude, and cloud cover. Whereas
a bike/alternator can output 30 to 50 amps or even even more. The
output depends on your strength and endurance, the more reason to
live in a small community. Output can be gotten at any time of the day
and in any location (cave, capsule, survival shelter etc.), irrespective of
sun, wind, or water.

If we accept 12 volts D.C. as a standard then focus from that for all the
other considerations, I cannot think of a cheaper way, a safer way, an
easier way, a more flexible way, a more readily available way, or a
more reliable way to generate electricity. I do have an exercise bike
driving a car alternator, it is a proven thing too, able to bring a good
charge to the batteries in the dead of night. (Its a hell journey to the
"Little House" in the dead of night without a lamp to guide you back.)
One wag has suggested a guide rope for returnees as it would save
the batteries.

Testimonial by Darryl.

Ordinary Bikes

As I see it, take the rear tire (the rubber part)

off the rim and use the groove in the rim as a
pulley. On the generator install a pulley (this
will be of a much smaller size) and install a
belt between pulleys. Because of the size
difference the generator will turn many times
to that of the wheel.

Assembling

1. Remove the back tire from the bike.

2. Remove the sprocket from the back tire.
 3. Put the sprocket from the back tire on the generator, as you may
need to custom fit it to make it work. Bore out the sprocket threads
or something similar to make it fit on tight.
4. Put the Generator on the bike frame. My advice is to use the
Generator mount holes to secure it to the bike by way of a make-it-
yourself bracket or welding it to the bike. For those with an exercise
bike with the wheel in the front, use this instead of a real bike.
These have lots of ways to hook up a generator and are easy to put
a brake on.
5. Put the chain back on and cut out the link's not needed for best fit.
6. Hook up your power line's to the outlet's on the generator. If DC you
will need a converter for anything you want to run that's not. AC will
need a converter for thing's that use DC.

Offered by Bruce.