ED: CHANGE NAME (USING THE MOVE TAB) TO CCAT pedal powered TV TO MATCH THE NAMING CONVENTION.
CCAT pedal powered TV
Background
ED: MORE LEAD IN... SUCH AS BACKGROUND ON CCAT IS NEEDED. PUT THIS IN YOUR OWN WORDS. WATCH SPELLING. DETAILED INFORMATION SHOULD GO IN LITERATURE REVIEW, THIS SHOULD BE AN OVERVIEW.
The pedal powered tv/vcr was designed and built by Bart Orlando for display at CCAT's pedal powered lab in 1998. The components include a Schwinn recumbent exercise bike, a 1800 rpm - 24v permanent magnet generator and a Panasonic 12v-color tv with a 13" screen. The generator is driven by a fan belt which wraps around the outer circumference or the bike's 15"diameter - 40lb flywheel and the 4" diameter pulley on the drive shaft of the generator. The generator is mounted on the underside of a wooden pedistle that the front end of the bike rests upon. The relative sizes of the flywheel and pulley determine the range of voltage the generator can deliver, which is between 0 - 20 volts. The exact output voltage is determined by how fast one pedals. The optimum voltage, based on ease of pedaling effort seems to be approximately 15 volts while pedaling at 90 rpm. There is no battery used in this system. Electricity flows directly from the generator to the panasonic tv/vcr, which has been operated this way for five years without damage to its circuitry (11 years as of 2009).Taken from Bart Orlando[1]
Opportunity Definition
Who:
This project is designed to help us as students learn creative uses for appropriate technology, but also is designed to be a powerful educational tool for CCAT. The people involved with the project will be John Hackett, Thorin Somers, Bart Orlando, and our various other resources of information.
What:
This project entails not only fixing the pedal powered TV/VCR but also diagnosing what the problem is and how to improve the project.
Why:
We believe that the pedal powered bike can be a powerful educational tool for future generations that shows humans power to innovate and create new technologies. Secondly we believe this project could be useful in a practical sense for an alternate way to create energy for a home.
When:
Time is now.
Where:
The research and design of this project is to be done on campus at its current location of CCAT and also off campus at designated working stations.
Literature Review
This is a review of the available literature pertinent to the comprehensive pedal powered TV/VCR system at CCAT.
Pedal Power Basics
Pedal power is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot pedal and crank system. This technology is most commonly used for transportation and has been used to propel bicycles for over a hundred years. Less commonly pedal power is used to power agricultural and hand tools and even to generate electricity. [1]
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Pedal Power Concerns
- There is no natural voltage regulation, forcing you to carefully control your pedaling speed
- Devices that do not draw power evenly may exceed your generating capacity when they need a burst of power
- And obviously, the power stops when the pedaling stops.[2]
Types of pedal power
Some applications include pedal powered laptops, pedal powered grinders and pedal powered water wells. Some third world development projects currently transform used bicycles into pedal powered tools for sustainable development. The articles on this page are about the many wonderful applications for pedal power technology. [[3]]
Type 1
Direct Power: no electricity is used. Power is created from pedaling which is given to devices directly through a mechanical connection. Some commonly used examples of this is a pedal powered blender or washing machine. Advantage= the most efficient, Disadvantage= not all devices can be mechanically driven. [[4]]
Type 2
Generator Power: pedaling powers a generator which creates electricity that once converted to the proper current (AC vs.DC)can be used to power everyday electrical devices. Examples of this type of system is the CCAT pedal powered TV, or the pedal powered laptop's created at MIT. Advantage= versatility for a wider range of electronic devices, Disadvantage= less efficient due to energy loss in generator, wiring, etc, and the voltage must be properly regulated or it can cause damage to devices. [[5]]
Type 3
Battery Power: pedaling powers a generator which creates electricity, but instead of powering devices directly the power created becomes stored in a battery for later use. Examples includes David Butchers pedal powered system which provides constant light in his home after only 15 minutes of pedaling. Advantage= devices can be used without pedaling, Disadvantage= least efficient of all 3 types mentioned mainly due to a low return by the battery.[2]
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Criteria
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| Criteria | constriants | Our wieght (0-10 rating) |
|---|---|---|
| maintainability | must be able to maintain functionality on less then .5 hrs a week | 7 |
| safety | must be able to function with out possible injury to users or on lookers | 9 |
| effectiveness | must be able to power a device for the full duration of it's ED: WATCH APOSTROPHES. intended function | 8 |
| storage ability | must be able to be stored and maintain function in a moist environment such as Humboldt County | 6 |
| ease of use | must be suitable from an age range of 12 years an above with out adult supervision | 7 |
| transportability | must be able to be transported for educational outreach | 2 |
| pedal power a device | must be able to power at least one electronic device | 8 |
| social justice | 50 % of materials must come from a recycled source | 5 |
| educational value | must be able to provide an understanding of the functionality and use of the device, within a two minute viewing span | 10 |
| aesthetics | must be pleasing to the eye and look professional | 5 |
| noise level | must not exceed 90 dB (level at which hearing is impaired) ED: SO DANGEROUS LEVELS ARE OKAY? | 3 |
ED: WATCH SPELLING AND CONSISTENT CAPITALIZATION.
Budget
| Quantity | Material Needed | Source | Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micro Inverter | Radio Shack | $50-100 | ~$75 |
| 1 | T.V. | David Katz | Donation | $0 |
| 1 | Plexi Glass | Arcata Scrapyard | $20-30 | ~$30 |
| 1 | Tooth Belt | Ace Hardware | $10 | $10 |
| 1 | Tooth Cog/pulley | Ace Hardware | $15 | $15 |
| 1 | Boom box | Thrift Store | $5-10 | ~$10 |
| ~$140 |
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Proposed time line
| date | objective |
|---|---|
| march 1 | budget completion |
| march 20 | complete purchasing of materials |
| march 30 | complete testing/ begin building process |
| April 10 | project wrap up |
| April 16 | Turn in optional draft |
| April 20 | Finish Analysis + appropedia Page |
Designing interpretive materials
According to ______ interpretive materials for composting should include....