Alternative Energy Forums

I have wanted to build a self-powered electrical generator for quiet some time (12v dc or 240v ac 3 phase) and i now have enough parts to do so. The purpose of making a generator for me is so that i can boil a kettle in an allotment and hopefully be able to transport this device to and from a site, so size and weight would be an issue. I don't want to use fuel and it needs to be safe. So here goes, i have a few bmx wheels with single gears, and i was going to make a belt drive gearbox that would turn a 1500watt electrical generator by hand, i don't know what rpm it would require and what rpm the gearbox would produce. The electrical parts to this project are already contained inside the generator. My question is, does anybody know if this idea seems possible due to the force required by hand to turn a geared generator, and are there any projects that are similar to this one on the internet?

scrapman

I read somewhere that a cyclist can produce about 150 watts of power at a constant rate. For short periods, if you're in good shape, that can be up to 350 watts. When you figure that 1 Horsepower = 746 watts, that seems reasonable. You want to produce 2 HP, by hand, not by your(more powerful)legs. Oh, and that was assuming your generator was 100% efficient(it's not).

Sorry, that's just not going to happen.

solarcook

I think what solarcook said makes sense. Our hands just do not have that much power...and considering the fact there are losses, it's better to supplement human power with alternative power (like wind or solar) for your application.