Related Sections: Green Tech
Green Erg generator harness the power of walking
Energy is all around us every day. The tricky part is harnessing all that energy to be put to more useful tasks. For example, walking around uses energy, energy that we're just letting go. But Dr. Cedrick Ngalande doesn't like that, so he's developed the Green Erg generator.
"This is basically a dynamo which is being driven as a result of friction between the ground and the blocks. The small yellowish blocks (these are covered by rubber in the real commercial product) rotate as you pull it. They are designed to rotate even on bumpy run even roads. We have tested it on moist lawns and have worked. It is very smooth so much that you basically don't feel any disturbance as you move along.The generator is aimed at Africa, where electricity can be harder to come by.At normal walking speeds we have gotten more than 2 watts which is more than enough for running cell phones or radios. I envision that people will attach this to themselves and walk with it - or even attach it to an ox-cart, a skating board, bike, etc
Afrigadget, Via Core77
By Old Man Dotes at 4:54 PM ON 02/24/09
"Skating board?" OK, I accept that the good doctor's native language is not English, but how do you get Internet access and not discover that "skateboard" is a universal name for the device in question?
I can see a whole column of poor slob soldiers dragging these things, all wired together to charge the batteries on Robert Mugabe's DVD player.
By Gadget_Master at 5:06 PM ON 02/24/09
Great idea! I wonder if those cannot work even here in the west. I think you can ask fashion experts to turn this into an accessory .....
By Clayton Lee at 7:18 PM ON 02/24/09
Surely the statement:
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Energy is all around us every day. The tricky part is harnessing all that energy to be put to more useful tasks. For example, walking around uses energy, energy that we're just letting go
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Is not correct from a physics point of view? No energy is just let go - for instance when you brake a car the energy is turned into heat - regenerative braking systems instead turn that into electricity.
When you walk, the energy is turned into forward motion, movement up stairs, compressing the rubber in your shoes etc etc.
Even if it is only a small amount, this device must require more energy from the user than walking on it's own. If not, you could just tow a manual lawnmower behind you and cut the lawn without using any extra energy.
By Yogurt at 10:39 PM ON 02/24/09
@Clayton:
I believe "let go" was not meant to defy physics but to put things into more layman's terms for "unusable energy". To use your example of braking and that energy is turned to heat, its only been lately that we've developed the regenerative braking system to capture and use that energy. In essence if you don't have regenerative braking, you are letting that energy go.
By Kimberly @ Exotic Animal Lover at 11:42 AM ON 02/25/09
Now, that's a creative idea! Great stuff!
We are finding better ways to become more green!
Kimberly :)
By Anonymous at 2:57 PM ON 10/19/09
hi
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