Simple Electricity Generator

More videos at http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/27
With some simple circuitry and a homemade hand powered generator Jonathan makes AC and DC electricity that could be used for charging a mobile phone or attaching to a wind turbine.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• jonathan
• hare
• SEPnet
• vega
• science
• trust
• video
• generator
• simple
• electricity
• AC
• DC
• power
• circuitry
• harry
• kroto

[feuchster]

Is it more effective for the magnet to flip from north/south, or would it be better to move the magnet up/down through the middle of the wrapped coil like in your simple demonstration in the beginning?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@feuchster I think spining around N...S...N...S is better than simply going up and down as I think more of the magntic flux interacts with the coil. My simple shake-a-gen has a lot of potential to be improved :-)

[TheLionRichard]

I have learned that ampere-turns decide the magnetic strength of a dc motor, but why does low-end torque increase if you balance more turns than amps? Thank you for answering all my questions.

[VegaScienceTrust]

@TheLionRichard Sorry I dont understand what you mean by 'low-end torque'? Can you explain? Thanks

[TheLionRichard]

New question. I understand that having few turns with thick wire gives high speed with low torque, and thin wire with many turns give slow speed with high torque. But why?

Is it right to say that due to high resistance, but longer wire, the version with thin wire and many turns have more electrons at work, and denser flux, giving stronger fields. But also travels slower due to resistance, and hence give lower rotor speed (slow creation of magnetic fields to push against the permanent magnets)?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@TheLionRichard when using a thick wire there is very little resistance and so the current that can flow can be very high. In the generator you are converting the mechanical energy you are putting in (shaking the shake-a-gen, turning the handle on the crank or the wind turning a turbine etc.) into electrical energy.

[TheLionRichard]

@VegaScienceTrust I suppose it's due to earlier efficiency being reached as many turns of thin wire don't need as much current before it's saturated, but overall the motor has less power unless more volts are being added.

[TheLionRichard]

@VegaScienceTrust Sorry, I was speaking in regards to RC cars where many turns is considered more low end torque. They are used in offroad and crawler vehicles, while motors with low turns are more popular in touring and onroad racing.

[SuperPeter05]

This is great. I won't to turn my stirling engine into a phone charger and this will help heap :-) keep up the good work I'll post a video if I'm at least half way there lol.

[Ironbumm]

I really miss Rough Science

[VegaScienceTrust]

@TheLionRichard So if the process is efficent the torque you put in gets converted into useful elctrical power - so it gets hard to turn. Using thicker wire makes the whole process more efficent but of course thick wire takes up a lot of space. If the coil gets too large it will no longer be in close proximity to the magnetic fields of the magnets and then you will lose efficency ...