Homemade Hydroelectric Generator

[earlvanze]

@HiFiman4u I don't remember ever saying 2 amps, actually. It was probably 200 milliamps. Besides, I'm more of a computer guy not really electronics, and I started that when I was 10. You'd be saddened how stupid high school kids are today.

[earlvanze]

@HiFiman4u how do you propose I start with a DC output if the concept of a generator REQUIRES an AC current? Also, I don't want an LED flickering in and out so I'd have to install a bridge rectifier anyway. I'm actually not quite knowledgeable about the phases too much so I kept it 1:1 ratio. The transformer was just there to boost the voltage because I was only getting 0.2V without it so I installed a 10:1 ratio step up transformer to have enough voltage to power the LED.

[HiFiman4u]

I'm just wondering,if you want DC output,why didn't you start with a DC input?

I am fully aware AC is more efficient in power transmission over distance but this does not apply to your experiment since your wiring is very short.Adding a transformer and rectifiers only lowers system efficiency.If your going to make AC gen the magnet to coil should be in proportion and 3 phase is best to reduce harmonic resonances.12 magnets and 9 coils,3 coils per phase.

An LED can be powered by AC!!!

[earlvanze]

@beancube2010 also you are so mistaken. You don't need more output to light two LEDs, just wire them in parallel, as I demonstrated in the video! They will just be half as bright but it doesn't take much to make LEDs light up. Doubling current will merely double the brightness. If I wanted to power something more powerful though then I'd need more current.

[earlvanze]

@beancube2010 yes but 1) how do you propose to spin the coil rotor in the opposite direction without a second axle, and 2) how do you propose to deal with the connecting leads that must be attached to the circuitry?

[beancube2010]

If those magnet wheels both can turn but in opposite direction, you'll have two LEDs shining because you have more out put.

[bobgarryfilms222]

Thanks,,,it, great job.

[eastkyphotos]

GREAT JOB!!!



[earlvanze]

@eastkyphotos thanks!

[roberkaf95]

We have something wrong here since it won't work, what are some common mistakes done by the people? What alternatives to the transformer do we have since we are not being able to find it? Do the coils all have to have the exact amount of turns? Pleaasee, I know its late but we really need your help right now.. Thanks

[earlvanze]

@roberkaf95 idk about common mistakes because I'm the only one I know who's done this. There are no alternatives to a transformer unless your turbine is a whole lot more efficient, which mine isn't.

[earlvanze]

@roberkaf95 That's why I stepped up the voltage with the transformer. Coils should all have the same amount of turns. Magnets should alternate North-South-North-South etc in their faces AND the coils

[earlvanze]

@roberkaf95 should alternate clockwise-counterclockwise-clo­ckwise etc.

[roberkaf95]

@earlvanze We are actually doing it right, except for that crappy transformer which I am no able to find any, what are the specifications of the transformer you use pleasee, that would put an end to my misery jaja thanks

[earlvanze]

@roberkaf95 I just pulled one from an unused power adapter. it even had a bridge rectifier right in there, but I didnt use that cuz I wanted to build my own. make sure you wire the transformer in STEP UP orientation not STEP DOWN. Doesnt matter the specs, just make sure the ratio of coils is enough (divide output voltage by input voltage, would probably want at least x10).

[earlvanze]

@roberkaf95 maybe output POWER (P=I*V) by input power.

[earlvanze]

@Simplegadget1138 I said 2 amps it's probably 2 amps. I dont see how that helps you much.

[Simplegadget1138]

@earlvanze Sorry :(

[earlvanze]

@Simplegadget1138 it's cool

[Simplegadget1138]

@Simplegadget1138 Just curios sorry for the dumb question.

[HiFiman4u]

@earlvanze

LOL I doubt very much your getting 2amps of current especially if your mA LED didn't blow up in your face or your coils didn't melt.What AWG or mm wire did you use on your coils?Hard to see but it appears on the vid that wire should only be good for about 500mA or so.

[JoeCubicle]

Great job guys.

[earlvanze]

@JoeCubicle Thanks!

[earlvanze]

@HojoisaNoNo please press the caps lock key on your keyboard (far left, middle row) one more time to disable it.

[earlvanze]

@HojoisaNoNo transformers MUST use AC because they operate on the same principle of magnetic induction internally and this require a changing direction of current to create a changing magnetic field. The ratio of cooil turns from one side of the transformer to the other determines whether a transformer is a step up or step down transformer (in voltage), so don't wire it in reverse or you'll have even smaller voltages. No, not any transformer will work, depends on how much of a step up in voltag

[HojoisaNoNo]

SO ANY TRANSFORMER WILL WORK? AND I AM MAKING A FARADAY FLASH LIGHT BUT THE SAME CONCEPT RIGHT A MAGNET RUNING THROUGH A COIL AND A TRANSFORMER IN THE CIRCUIT. DO YOU HAVE DC OR AC GOING THROUGH THE TRANSFORMER?

[HiFiman4u]

@HojoisaNoNo LOL DC will not induce across a transformer.

[cryseagles177]

Nice video :) too bad it doesn't have subtitles..my technical english is not that good..

[jocell202]

cool, check my save money on fuel with one wire vid out.

[earlvanze]

@SamudroEntertainment thank you! You are correct on everything, and the coils were made separately and then connected together then soldered in the right orientation after. Kinda hard to make 100 coils 8 times without it falling apart. The wire is 22 gauge. Good luck!

[SamudroEntertainment]

@earlvanze Thanks for answering, and thanks for answering very quickly too :D

[SamudroEntertainment]

Could you please tell me what thickness your Insulated Coiled Copper Wire was? I'm making this for a science fair project, along with a wind-powered and solar-powered generator as well. It was 100 turns of Wire per coil, correct? Which would make 800 turns in total? Sorry If I'm overloading you with questions :D Your video was very educational and well done, by the way, thank you for making it and posting it on to youtube.

[earlvanze]

@CognitiveNetwork you could, it would spin the turbinesand it would work.

[CognitiveNetwork]

Or you could just take a piss right on the turbine, easy.

[katieschilds99]

what is all of the supplies used in this project ????

[earlvanze]

@katieschilds99 One of the first few comments has the answer to this question. I'm on mobile so it's a little difficult for me to copy and paste a large comment block.

[katieschilds99]

another thing the coils on the cd r those all seperate or are they one wire

[bundawartini]

Your Video Is Very Useful Sharing Homemade Hydroelectric Generator 

[leyzlie]

nice project! Great job! How much it cost you to build this project? Currently taking notes of this one. However it would be better if the materials and procedures are written as well. ^^ Will try to make this project too.

[earlvanze]

@leyzlie it cost about $30 for the whole thing, the magnets and coils were the most expensive. the rest of the stuff were recycled, like the transformer from a power adapter.

[leyzlie]

@earlvanze thanks for your reply. I already submit this as a proposal and hope my teacher approves it. Will be asking questions soon if he does. Thanks again =)

[mrshadowcave]

fresh i will try make that

[bayyagg]

OKi yan for school project!

I would rather use any JUNKED DC motor instead!

Bute naman at may na esep kayong ganyan!

LOL!

[ill318]

You know i wonder if you made the magnet disc larger if you could power a water pump to pump water back into the 5 gallon.. like a closed loop 'perpetual' type deal

[NxukDreamer]

GREAT job guys



[chrisrole1]

low voltage ka na nga nag bridge ka pa,, tapos u dont specify your rectifier.....learn more...

[earlvanze]

@chrisrole1 who is this and how did you know I could understand that? and what do you mean "you dont specify"? I dont remember what specific model I needed but I just assembled it instead anyway. It's a full-wave bridge rectifier. This is just AP level high school physics, and this sort of electronics is beyond the scope of the curriculum to begin with.

[HiFiman4u]

@earlvanze

High School physics? I learned this stuff when I was 8 years old,I'm 50 now and the things I could teach you would simply amaze you.Research Nikola Tesla you'll find some very interesting stuff there.

[earlvanze]

Thanks! I'd rather play video games I haven't done so in so long, always busy.

[a2zhandi]

this is a hell of a lot more fun than playing video games no?

Great job!

[carr869]

Great job guys.

[MyWordizBond]

you guys are brilliant !

[earlvanze]

@MyWordizBond thanks!

[chb777777]

Yun, your voice is just.... bad.

[earlvanze]

@chb777777 lol way to go chris

[bbansal98]

I am doing this for a middle school science fair project. We (my partner and I) can easily replicate this project, and understand most of the components of this generator. We are understanding more and more as we move along in the project. This is a great example, and I am thankful!

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 This is a high school and college level project, not middle school. But really, just takes a little research. Hope it went or goes well.

[bbansal98]

also, is there a special type of foam?

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 the foam is not necessary. I just used it to keep the stick from moving around so much when the water hits it, and keep the spoon in alignment. It's self explanatory, no special foam needed.... (for the record, I used 3/4in foam backer rod).

[bbansal98]

hey, sorry to bother YU so much, but what is the thing that you put in the CD? It look like tape, but I can't tell

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 what do you mean put IN the cd? you mean around the hole? I just covered the hole with cardboard then shoved the bamboo stick through the center to keep it in place. the black tape just hides the cardboard to make it look better.

What are you doing this project for, physics class? Is it college or high school level? Do you have an electronics background sufficient to replicate this project and fully comprehend it? If you're building one of your own, it would be really nice to see it.

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 INSULATED ELECTROMAGNETIC WIRE, ONLY!

[earlvanze]

@Gamershivan11 you don't know where to get a capacitor? Go to the nearest RadioShack. Or rip it off an existing circuit board. If you don't know which one, ask your teacher.

Idk what varnished wire is but as I have already capitalized, INSULATED COPPER ELECTROMAGNETIC (EM, COILING) WIRE IS REQUIRED.

[Gamershivan11]

Also what is varnished wire (bbansal98). Can you use that instead of insulated wire? Answer this earlvanze when reading. Need to build something like this for a project. PLZ HELP!!!!!!!!

[Gamershivan11]

Hey i was looking through the comments and i was wondering you could get the capacitor.

[bbansal98]

Does varnished wire work instead of insulated wire?

[bbansal98]

I have some questions:

What kind of tape did you use for the coils? Is it electric tape? Did you glue on the magnets?Also where did you put the straws and what is the black stuff on the shaft? Do magnets other than neodymium work? How big should the jar with the turbine be? Do the wires have to be insulated?Is a transformer a necessity if you aren't using it to power anything just to measure the voltage?

This is it, and please respond. Thanks!

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 Coils use electric tape.

Magnets are hot glued.

The straws are used to mount the skewer axle on the jar edge and

decrease friction.

Black stuff on shaft is foam used to hold the skewer in place to stop

the turbine from shifting side to side, and is adjustable.

Magnets MUST be neodymium. No other magnets are powerful enough to get

any decent voltage out of them (like ceramic magnets). Get them from

the local hobby or hardware shop (Hobby Lobby etc).

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 The jar should be as big as you want it to hold everything.

THE WIRES HAVE TO BE INSULATED. MOST IMPORTANT! If they were not, the

current will not flow in circles and would rather just cut through

from input to output through the copper without going around the

coils.

Transformer is not necessary, but don't expect more than 1V output.

Have fun!

[bbansal98]

2 questions:

1. do you have to have a transformer for this to work?

2. where did you get the valve for the bucket?

Thanks in advance!

[earlvanze]

@bbansal98 The valve was from a local Home Depot or other hardware shop. I just

drille a hole and screwed then glued it in.

The transformer was used to jack up the voltage to actually usable

levels. In essence, we kind of cheated. :P

[earlvanze]

@mikiovandrunen01 I have absolutely no idea, sorry. YUou can take the same basic electronics and use large scale parts to make it more powerful I suppose, but I can't do that myself. Good luck.

[edinahnadell]

This was very helpful! Thank you! :)

[earlvanze]

@edinahnadell glad to hear! youre welcome!

[chibizel41]

good day! what were the materials used because we can't identify everything in the video and we need to construct similar project to this. thank you :)

[earlvanze]

@chibizel41 a plastic jar, 8 neodymium magnets set up as shown, insulated coiled copper wire, plastic spoons, a barbeque stick, straws to support it, foam and washers to keep it from sliding around, 2 Cds to hold the magnet and wires, hot glue, wires for connection, a transformer to jack up the voltage (take one from a power adapter and wire it in reverse so it steps up not step down (ie 5V to 115V)...

[earlvanze]

@chibizel41 ... a bridge rectifier (take it from the power adapter, it's that chip with 4 rectifying diodes and a capacitor, or buy those 5 parts, or buy the bridge rectifier itself from radioshack), and an LED or two.

[azemuldin]

that is a very well explained video and a nice demonstration. thank you.

[earlvanze]

@azemuldin youre welcome! hope it helped!

[earlvanze]

Thanks!

[bullreporter]

good job guys

[earlvanze]

@bullreporter thank you!