Hand crank microgenerator(5/23/2014)
I have been thinking for some time of making a small hand crank generator for my own emergency use in the house. I have been building PMGs for quite some time mostly for commercial purpose. Mostly they were used for small wind turbine or small hydroelectric projects by those who bought them. As for myself, I wasn't able to take advantage of my project as there is no wind or flowing water resource I can take advantage of where we live. That is why I now decided to make a hand crank microgenerator which will be of more practical use for me. See the picture below of the finished project. It already has built-in rectifier so it outputs DC voltage. I just placed a simple dial type crank to turn the shaft and generate power.
Actually the microgenerator itself can be used in other configurations. As an option I also fitted a wheel to the shaft so that if I want to, I can attach it to my bike and let the bike wheel turn the shaft faster and thus produce more power. See the picture below.
For this project, I have a strong preference for portability which means I want to be able to use the microgen anywhere and anytime I want. Thus the bike option is really just an option.
I have made short videos of the microgenerator in action. The first video is the microgen attached to a flashlight. Simple cranking lights up the flashlight. I can now use this to charge the small battery of the flashlight or even other small batteries (6-12 volts) as the microgen outputs up to 14volts DC.
The second video shows the microgen connected to a cellphone via suitable adaptor to its charging port. Notice the screen lights up as soon as the microgen crank is turned indicating the start of charging.
I have made short videos of the microgenerator in action. The first video is the microgen attached to a flashlight. Simple cranking lights up the flashlight. I can now use this to charge the small battery of the flashlight or even other small batteries (6-12 volts) as the microgen outputs up to 14volts DC.
The second video shows the microgen connected to a cellphone via suitable adaptor to its charging port. Notice the screen lights up as soon as the microgen crank is turned indicating the start of charging.