$110 Generator vs. $4 Computer Fan

[TheNiggiboy]

budgies? i have 3:D

[PCandconsoleguy]

that si cool my friend :)

[danich45]

to produce electricity ever heard of someone using a wind up clock mechanism to turn a generator . i wind up my alarm clock only once a day and it makes more sense than those stupid hand cranks on radios and flashlights that you have to constantly crank?

[Wazabooz]

@danich45 Some guy claimed to build a lamp using a drop weight (not a windup) like the cookoo clocks, that would run a 100W bulb for a day or something... but was later shown to be a hoax. The amount of work performed by gravity acting on weight isn't as much as you'd think.

[rt8269]

Chu Chu!!

[Cuningan]

You can use 3 wire fans like generators, but you need to rectify the current because brushless motors are like 3 phase motors, but with a magnetic rotor, with a 3 phase rectifier you can generate power but normally this kind of motors need more speed to generate any power.

[RandomTask3000]

GREAT SOUND! :DDD

[piper4seeformerly]

very steampunk

[RomanKnight88]

hehe that's look's funny toy

[gabusjr]

lol! (y)

[sonicxlc123]

wat is this? an old generator to run a small light build?

[sayrith]

why's the engine so jerky?

[Jallge]

lol, it looks like something from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

[grooccc]

haha

[ppsjsh]

where did u buy tht steam engine at? im trying to find one like tht one or one tht can have generator attached to it.

[idkwtfurallup2]

So cool

[ciprianwiner]

haha awesome man :D

[ptcommander1]

Any brushed motor can be used as a generator. The principle has been used for years on the New York subways to slow down the cars. Turning any motor with an outside sourse will make the motor a generator. Come on guys...8th grade science.

[dualqual]

Excellent JOB! Never thought of using a computer fan as a generator for my Jensen 70. One question, where did you get the manifold to port the exhaust from the steam box?

[shiznitbitslap]

it still requires energy to move the fan its not a perpetual motion motor operating on thin air for fule. Something has to power the fan that turns led lights on. I dont get what the big awesome deal is here

[AgentCROCODILE]

Hogwarts Express 5972

[interflug]

круто :) +100

[juggernautxtr]

i can do it yes i can(repeat several times

i did it!!!!!!

[fab069]

LOL

[ComputerTutorialPro]

AWESOME

[jfraser3]

this is pretty nice :)

[Steamaficionado]

Now that is a kick ass sound!

[MrChawee1]

Alright bare with me Im a noob:

I have a scrap computer, its in working order just big old and slow. I want to scrap it. The fan I was told can be made into a generator now it has 3 wires a red blue and black, the LED lights I scraped from the comp has only 2 Red and black. I know the fan works and the lights work, i conected the matching colours and dont know what to do with the blue wire. I used a air comp to spin the fan real fast but the lights do not light. what do i do with the blue wire

[RamonaSteam]

You need to use 12-48v, 2 wire, cooling fans and the 48v, 500+ ma, are best. The 3 wire fans are usually brushless motors and they won't work as generators.

[maylinchang]

Can you explain why it won't work? I only know that the third wire is sort of like a tachometer that monitors speed. How are they wired differently such that the 3 wire fans won't work as generators but the 2 wire fans could? Thank you.

[Computerfreaq15]

as i do remember, the blue wire is for detecting the RPM of the fan. IDK how that works. and one other thing, did you try changing both leads? LEDs are kinda picky when it comes to switching current, but if you use a small incandescent light, then it doesn't matter about matching negative (black) to negative to positive (red) to positive. hope that helps!

[ganymedeIV4]

@MrChawee1 Red is hot (+) Black is ground (-) and blue is either thermister or tachometer depending on the fan.

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@Gatewayuser200 "destroying a peace of history" lol really? Its his personal computer thats old and slow, useless and obsolete. Who would buy it and why?

[Gatewayuser200]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns ohh i dont know SOME ONE LIKE ME WHO NEEDS A BETTER COMPUTER (or a computer for a file server)

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@Gatewayuser200 Yeah if your still a gateway user then you probably do. Computers arn't that expensive though, you can get a decent dell for under $500. I doubt his computer would be any better than yours and file server? Not many people would want their files on an old HDD that could die at any time or go from a newer faster comp to an old slow one just for some files.

[Gatewayuser200]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns gateways arent bad dells are. and are you crazy id put a sata pci card and use sata drives duhh

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@Gatewayuser200 If the computer would support it. Would probably be cheaper to get a decent new comp than to try and salvage an old one. Dells are great, I have one, my mom has one, my cousin who is a graphic artist has one and never any problems. Compact is where the shitty comps are...

[Gatewayuser200]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns Well, my experience with dell is not too good that's why I stick with Gateway, Acer or HP if I buy one. It will most likely support the card as long as its a Pentium system with PCI slots.

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@Gatewayuser200 Acer?!?!? I'v had one of those cheap-o's and I know for a fact that they are shitty. The keys fell off the keyboard within a month. ( it was a lap top ) next your gonna say you love e Machines -_-

[Gatewayuser200]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns ROFL for a laptop i turn to Gateway or HP acer is at the bottom of my list to chose from

1.Gateway

2.HP

3.ACER

[BreakfastBentoBox]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns let's not forget about TINY computers, ha ha.

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@BreakfastBentoBox TINY computers? Never even heard of them.....

[BreakfastBentoBox]

@SlimePr0ducti0ns der, that's the point. they existed in malls for about a year, sold bogus warranties and then got bought by compaq.

[SlimePr0ducti0ns]

@BreakfastBentoBox of course compaq would buy them out -_-

[djmaxmv]

@MrChawee1 you dont nead the blue is for the speed sensor just the red an black

[IdahoViewing]

The generator's bulb seems to burn brighter and whiter than the fan's bulb.

[Steamer15hp]

generator has led

[steamalonggranny]

Wow. That is really creative. Old tech meets new tech.

[EFRENURENAG]

lol that looked very nice!!!!

[pomakos21]

hahahahahaha!!!god damn beautyfull!!!!!!

[sooty1111]

Very nice.

Well Done.

[Hipcrostino]

its because the fan is rated at 48v, where as the generate clearly rated at less. probably 12v. it will produce more voltage and power for the same RPM as the generator.

[RamonaSteam]

Thank you, very much.

[machinenut]

Great showdown. How do you make those fan generators?

[RamonaSteam]

Thanks. I use 48v, 2 wire, brushless, server cooling fans.

[robi4never]

@RamonaSteam you have birds... xD