generating electric power with an erg

[citiusaltiusfortius9]

I tried to look up information on this but it is hard to know what to search. Does anyone know how you could use energy from erging to generate power for say a TV or a fan? I'd like to experiment with this idea for a physics project/ independent study, I just don't know where to start so if anyone knows anything on the subject I'd appriciate it.
I know it could turn into a pretty expensive endeavor but I think I could manage to borrow a lot of things from my school's science department.
-sara

[Kiwi_Rower]

Wooo! Everytime I look around me at the gym and see electrical power going INTO the machines I wonder the same thing... of course, I do get made fun of at work for turning out the lights in the lunch room after 6pm and on weekends so I keep those kinds of thoughts to myself now

[John Hendrie]

I tried to look up information on this but it is hard to know what to search. Does anyone know how you could use energy from erging to generate power for say a TV or a fan? I'd like to experiment with this idea for a physics project/ independent study, I just don't know where to start so if anyone knows anything on the subject I'd appriciate it.
I know it could turn into a pretty expensive endeavor but I think I could manage to borrow a lot of things from my school's science department.
-sara

See the movie Soylent Green - Edward G Robinson rides a stationary bicycle to generate electricity to power lights.

[Nosmo]

One would want to replace the fan/flywheel with a generator. It could be done but would take some engineering.

If your electricity costs say $0.16 per KWhr then rowing a 2:00 pace for an hour will generate about 3.2 cents worth of electricity.

[PaulS]

I tried to look up information on this but it is hard to know what to search. Does anyone know how you could use energy from erging to generate power for say a TV or a fan? I'd like to experiment with this idea for a physics project/ independent study, I just don't know where to start so if anyone knows anything on the subject I'd appriciate it.
I know it could turn into a pretty expensive endeavor but I think I could manage to borrow a lot of things from my school's science department.
-sara

You are powering a fan. See my web site for harnessing that power, not expensive at all.

[albailey]

i remember seeing this sort of device hooked up to a stationary bike. it was in whole earth almanac, mother jones, mother earth, er, well, that big hippie catalog this was back in the mid-seventies when i was a kid and my parents were threatening to make me generate the electricity for my daily gilligan's island fix...
i've been meaning to look this up for a smaller scale project recently. my daughter wants to see how far her hamster runs on his exercise wheel.
maybe i can rig up a pulley system with a small fan and matching c-breeze so rocky the hamster can generate a cooling breeze for himself

[citiusaltiusfortius9]

Nosmo, do you know how this could be done? I'd love to do it as a phyics independent study project- boost my GPA with something interresting and have to erg for homework.. beat that.

The C-breeze is on my Christmas list... so we'll see about that.

Thanks,
Sara

[margaret]

I have heard of and seen things that generate power from bicycles. I don't think they actually try and store or convert the power. Bicycle blenders and bicycle food grinders I know exist for sure. The internet is a good place to look.

One place that has stationary bicyclers to demonstrate power is Real Goods. They have an internet site and could tell you who supplies them. I also found a bicycle-powered blender on the internet out of the bay area, California. But nothing for the erg yet--that would be more useful to me. So how hard would I have to row to crush ice for a good smoothie?

These aren't designed for ergs, but with the bicycle wheel/chain in common might save you a few steps.

Happy creating. Post whatever you come up with!

[Tom Barrick]

Try out this PDF, which is last winter's C2 newsletter: www.concept2.com/05/rower/service/pdf/Update_Fall05.pdf

Take a look at page 10. Reads as:

23,000 Watts in 120 Seconds

Submitted by Martin Stridde, Germany
Rendsburg, Germany, October 1, 2005: Forty rowers from the
national team eights of the Netherlands, United Kingdom,
United States, Germany and the Cambridge Eight tried to
move an electrical transporter bridge from one side of the
Kiel Canal to the other. This rather curious rowing event
was part of an outside-bet on a popular German TV show,
“Wetten Dass” (You Bet!), and was watched by 12 million
people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
An electrical transporter bridge is something akin to a
gondola and transports cars across a river. This type of
bridge was first designed in the late 1800s to address the
challenge of crossing a navigable river without creating a
permanent obstacle for boat traffic. The bridge structure
itself is high enough to be out of the way of the boats, and
the transporter is suspended down
at roadway level. It is normally
powered by a couple of electric
motors.
The oarsmen had to row for 120
seconds with an average effort
of 575 watts each (that’s a pace
of about 1:23/500m) in order to
power the motor of the transporter.
Unfortunately, 15 seconds before
the time was up, the rowers
couldn’t maintain the minimum
watts needed and the transporter
stopped only a couple of meters
before it reached the other
end!
If you’d like to watch a
video clip of this challenge,
visit concept2.com and
click on the “News &
Reviews” section of the
Indoor Rower home page.
You will also find other
links and articles about
indoor rowing there.
--

Hope this helps at least a little bit.

[citiusaltiusfortius9]

Thanks for your help everyone, I'll keep you updated on any progress that I make.