Tiny Home Generator

[Aero]

While bottle feeding my son I determined that the force of suction on the nipple was such that a tiny milkoelectric (similar to "hydroelectric) generator installed within the nipple would generate usable household current. I estimate that the power available from the high speed nipple flow of the daily milk volume consumed would easily re-energize the batteries of most of his toys. Further, for a family with sextuplets, generated power would be phenomenal.

This is a dangerous idea however, because only minutes old and already I have considered extending the concept to the juvenile population via a milkshake straw attachment. I swear, the potential is unlimited. Just think, a cola sponsored cell phone charging straw attachment.

[rjaypeters]

I believe your greatest problems will be child labor laws and the bleeding hearts who can't stand the idea of getting some useful wor... er, exploitation of these poor unfortunates for gratification of our selfish desire for more power production to support our increasing mechanistic and consumer-oriented culture.

[Aero]

I believe your greatest problems will be child labor laws and the bleeding hearts who can't stand the idea of getting some useful wor... er, exploitation of these poor unfortunates for gratification of our selfish desire for more power production to support our increasing mechanistic and consumer-oriented culture.

Probably -

That's why I have conceptualized a swizzle stick mounted device. Now the bar owners can reduce the cost to make a Margarita by swizzle stick powered blenders crushing the ice. This avoids child labor concerns and it still has a home as well as commercial application.

[rjaypeters]

With the thirst people have for alcoholic beverages, I believe you have a winner!

Certainly more convenient than what these people have:

http://bikeblender.com/

[Aero]

Thanks.

Yes, direct drive to the blender is novel. People have been experimenting with bicycle or exercise bike driven electric generators for several years. I can't find it now but their was a study done which involved converting all the exercise bikes in the Gym to generator bikes. They did experiments and IIRC estimated each patron would generate about 50 watt-hours. Multiply this by the number of bikes and number of patrons and you get your savings in electricity for the Gym. I don't know if anyone ever did it wholesale, I know from a Google search I did just now that individuals have done the conversion.

[Tom Ligon]

The most practical application of a bicycle generator I've seen so far is to power a television. To watch you have to pedal. There actually are people who do this, with enormous health benefits.

I personally prefer to just ride. I did 100 miles yesterday on the W&OD rail-trail, my last chance to get in some serious miles before I do the Tour de Canal along the C&O Canal Towpath next weekend (officially 184 miles but I'll add some extra and make it an even 200). One gear, 38-pound bike and a 10-lb backpack.

http://tomligon.com/TDC.html

[rjaypeters]

Tom Ligon: We should create the pedal-powered computer for people who spend their days surfing the Interwebs.

[kunkmiester]

WE already got it, Rjay: http://store.steelcase.com/go/products/ ... 5wodHCs_Gw among others.

I do like the idea of doing a bike rather than a treadmill though.

[rjaypeters]

Good luck typing while walking on a treadmill, it will be hard enough on pedaling on a stationary bike!

se e wh a t i me an? That's without going back and fixing my errors!

[Tom Ligon]

Aw, come on! With the number of people who think they can text and drive, why wouldn't typing and pedaling be just as challenging?

One whole bunch safer on a stationary bike, too.

[choff]

This one's cute;

http://www.otherpower.com/hamster.html

I wonder how many hamster's it would take to compete with wind generated electric power. Could make a new unit of measure.