[IAEP] [Peripherals] Electricity (was Re: The rest of the puzzle)

[alan c]

info at olpc-peru.info wrote:
> Alternators:
> 
> Wind energy: low RPM alternators.  That is what you need.
> Water energy: low RPM alternators, again.
> Human (animal): low RPM alternators, the same....
> 
> All the alternators used in wind or water devices are low RPM (to the 
> best of my knowledge... low RPM is around 600 RPM).
> 
> _*Option a)*_ 2nd hand alternators from trucks and old cars.
> Alternators that come from cars and trucks are 3,000 RPM and more.  
> Modification is needed.
> 
> You can modify the alternator (some models) to get lower RPM by doing this:
> a) Adding more magnets (IF the structure of the alternator allow to add 
> more magnets)  or...
> b) Adding more wired copper coils... (IF the structure allows it).
> 
> Copper coil is available in Peru in many places, no problem.  Magnets 
> ARE NOT available easily.  Some source for cheap magnets should be found.
> 
> 2nd hand alternators can be found in many places in Peru at US$55 and 
> up.  Reason: there is a huge market for 2nd hand car parts. 
> 
> My main concern is that for modifying a high RPM car alternator you need 
> some extra skills and extra tools.
> 
> _*Option b)*_ 2nd hand alternators from small cars
> Then we have low RPM alternators.  Unlucky we are that these alternators 
> (and this kind of cars) have a huge demand in Peru (it doesnt matter if 
> the car is 20 years old, it works and it will find a market).  So I have 
> ask, a long time ago, and new alternators for this cars cost US$300 and 
> 2nd hand can be found from US$100 each.
> 
> So here we have them: 600 or 700 RPM alternators that are too expensive 
> for the development of the solution.
> _*
> Option c)*_ Build your own alternator.
> 
> It is totally possible.  You only need magnets, coiled copper wires and 
> some basic skills.  You can check how it is done by artisan methods.
> The only "not available" part are the magnets (they should be imported 
> from China).  Then a design and a plan could be delivered (with spare 
> parts (mainly the magnets and the copper coil) to the town that will 
> manufacture its own alternator by themselves. 
> 
> _*Option d)*_ Import your own low RPM alternators.  I have send email to 
> some chinese manufacturer of low RPM alternators, without luck (because 
> I think they are looking for bigger markets).
> 
> _*Option e)*_ Modify the design of the "mechanical" device, so... with 
> the use of pulleys and other gadgets you can "amplify" the RPM that you 
> need to work with a normal car or truck alternator (high RPM 
> alternator).  This involves design of mechanics and physics laws that 
> goes beyond my skills and that can be a burden for the humble peasants 
> in the high mountains.  But any engineer will see as an "easy task".  I 
> ask myself what difficulties can show up from the "improved design" due 
> to heavy weights or more "pulleys" that need to be moved.  In this case 
> we are "rebuilding" the origin of the industrial civilization (that 
> comes from the use of one spinning wheel with human movement, to the use 
> of 6 spinning wheels with the use of the very same human movement, then 
> they took "running water" to move up to 120 spinning wheels (because 
> human forces was not efficient), then they took steam and finally 
> electricity to move 500 or more spinning wheels.  That was the start of 
> the industrial revolution.  No problem to rebuild the whole process 
> because these high Andes communities are tied exactly to the year 1821 
> (that was the year of our "independence" from the Spaniard colonial 
> power... the old Spaniards (due to his economy system) keep "updated" 
> those communities with the last customes and uses that were normal in 
> those year, it is the "republic" that forgot that these communities 
> exist and you can find them in the same (or worse) conditions that they 
> had in 1821).
> 
> _*Option f)*_ There are some low RPM alternators that are used for 
> industrial purposes.  I ask about them here in Peru, but the cost is 
> US$700 and up.
> 
> Finally, a human been (treadling or pedaling) in a normal spinning wheel 
> can produce around 500 RPM.  I have not calculated how much RPM can be 
> produced in a bicycle, but the problem with bicycles is that you are 
> moving the whole leg, then you are "wasting" too much energy and you can 
> not sustain the movement by a long time.
> 
> Other info: I have found that you need 600 RPM devices to keep the whole 
> thing in a realistic enviroment.  It is possible to get energy from 
> lower RPM but then you have to add too many magnets and too much copper 
> wired coils and the weight of the "turning wheel" increase and the price 
> of the components increase.  The best of my experience tell me that 600 
> RPM is what we need to look for.
> 
> I hope it helps.
> 
> Javier Rodriguez
> Lima, Peru
> 
> 
>> Javier, please find out what used alternators go for from junkyards in
>> Perú. Here is one other data point. "The cost of a Delco CS-130
>> alternator at any US junkyard should be $10.00 to $15.00 US."
>> http://bernardembden.com/xjs/altmove/index.htm
>>
>> When I ask you whether it is better to curse the darkness or to teach
>> people to make candles, I don't want to hear you grumbling about the
>> lack of candle-making materials. If we don't have candlewax, we will
>> make oil lamps or coal fires or something. I just want a direct answer
>> to the question. Are you in or out? Are you ready to work toward
>> solutions, or not? OK?

In UK I have recently purchased a wind-up (hand crank) LED torch for a 
sale price of 5 uk pounds (about 10 US dollars). This was retail and 
in its own retail pack. I mention it here because it suggests that 
there is a manufacturer who is recently making hand crank suitable 
generators and gears.

The torch I have uses 3 LEDs (Tritronic type). The instructions and 
specification include:
rechargeable battery (3.6 volts 80mAh), rotate 120 cycles per minute, 
output power 1w, one minute of winding gives up to 30 minutes of light.
The torch that I have even has an external socket and cable intended 
to connect to a mobile phone to charge the phone battery up.

The item I have is sold under the Proteam brand name in their Enroute 
class of products.
Looking at their current range of products:
http://www.proteam.co.uk/products/2/EN/

I see product Numbers:
EN1110  LED Windup torch (bicycle)
EN1119 Multifuction Flashlight (includes radio) (cranking rechargeable)
EN1214 Windup Camping lantern
EN1217 (Pink) LED windup dynamo torch
EN1224 LED windup torch with 2 key rings
EN1252 Windup bike light set
EN1280 LED Pig (shape) hand torch. Powered by hand pressure.

Proteam will hopefully have a source of the wind up hand crank 
mechanisms, an dmay even be able to suply something almost standard 
which will be suitable and cheap?
-- 
alan cocks
Kubuntu user#10391