Converting An Excercise Bike To A Generator

[thornhedge]

I have to ask Robert: Have you ever, in your entire life, been bored? Always such incredible stuff! Thanks!

[Buzzhumma]

I used a 48 v mid drive motor and could produce over 100 watts easily . The key was to use a higher voltage motor so as to produce 12 volts at 25% of the designed rpm !

[AdricM]

once again, for folks following along, if you bypass the trigger on an older cordless 14v drill you can drive the chuck and get a considrable gearing up, ive made cranks for drills and you can pretty easily crank out 12v at a few watts, . and even better if its being fed from the flywheel.

[ansarmehmood]

Amazing Robbert. I just found this kind of bike in the local trash. As they say: One man's trash is another man's treasure.

[igloobearred]

...I was just talking about fly wheels!!!
I love your channel, love to see how you're thinking, love that you also want to repurpose the things around you.
We just started completely over in life... totally from scratch, we've very little resources (money) but the world throws away everything! There are so many free resources out there to be had. It'll be 3 more years before we have this place paid off and can build extra things from store bought materials (like a workshop), but in the mean time I'm harvesting from the abundance of junk. Can't wait to have a proper tinkering place.
Cheers my friend.

[glennwebster]

I like the way you get people's creative juices flowing...Great video. Thanks.

[stevetobias]

It all comes down to the motor / generator configuration that you choose. You have proven proof of concept which is what you're all about. People need to remember that before they think that a couple of volts at a few milliamps is all that is possible.
I have seen these setups produce 24 to 30 volts at almost 5 amps. Again, as Rob said, it's all about your set-up.
Great video.

[DootDootShamoot]

This is great. I had a thought. What if you removed the motor and brake setup, and replaced the flywheel with a belt driver gear of the same size. That new belt drive then goes to your cheap wind generator with the magnets on the edge of it. Install a smaller belt drive gear on the bottom of it and you're good to go. I think that energy generation setup would be easier to peddle because of the low torque requirement. You could do it with either the wind blades still on, or just the bottom of it for less weight.

[Tore_Lund]

I've done the same thing: I used a 110V DC treadmill motor so the belt wheel from the flywheel on the bike was mounted on the motor axle directly as using such a high voltage motor, it only needs around 500 rpm to produce 12V at serious power levels. Secondly, I cut off the handlebar and saddle structure, so I can just place it in front of a chair, for a more comfortable seating position. Charging a cell phone with a "fast" USB car adaptor, 2.5A at 5V, I only need to lightly pedal at 30 rpm. At 100 rpm, with effort, I can produce 20A at 12V. I've paralleled a string of super caps on the output, and a diode, so constant rpm is less important, and also allows me to take shorts breaks charging only a cell phone.

[frederickbowdler]

Very nice neighbour and a great generating set.😊😊😊

[overunityresearchchannel]

Awesome idea Robert may I recommend that you use a treadmill motor as a generator instead of that one you will be very very pleased with the output I have tried this and promise it won't let you down :)

[richardharries]

I've been saving my exercise bike to do just that, but as I haven't got the oomph to peddle no more it also makes a good clothes holder...

[zakkasprzycki]

Take apart that flywheel it has magnets inside as the breaking . Like the increase resistance

[matakaw]

I tried a recumbent exercise bike that had a fancy display with multiple programs which simulated a course. It monitored heart rate and even displayed output power. I could easily produce 50 watts for half an hour at which time I got bored. I also want to mention a video I saw recently of a man who developed an Archimedes screw generator in Japan. I think they are being mass produced there. I'm wondering if you may have seen that, Mr. Murray-Smith. Great video as always, cheers.

[infinitelyuniversal]

I think Gym equipment should be sources of generating electricity, so when you pay for Gym membership you get a discount for the amount of energy you produce! This would be alot more motivating!! Nor will you be wasting your own energy on nothing besides trying to be fit!

[paulbrouyere]

Thank you for the many times you made me thoroughly laugh. Even if stuff doesn’t work efficiently, you’re genius in reconnecting stuff in the minds of many of us I believe.

[WallStreetinWallStreetLLC]

Hey, maestro, can I ask you if we can multiple the pawer with few extra car alternators connected with chain?

[shanealexander]

I pull the battery out of an old drill and tape the trigger down (that puts it in generator mode (if it has a diode blocking back current). Then chuck up anything, pullys, sandpaper disks (sidewase also) . The hard part is mounting the drill but automotive hose clamps with rubber inside work. Chuck in anything you like. I even went the extra step of taking apart the battery so I could have a quick connect for the wiring. Funny, only one of the batteries was bad as usual. Bypass the diode to run the drill, Hook the output to a 12v usb adaptor from a car (9-20v). Old weedeater drive shaft do well for driveshafts. Don't forget the diode if you are going to charge your car battery, in fact I double it just in case. I have also adapted a speed wrench for the chuck (really, the diodes).

[rogerbarton]

I've been thinking along these lines, but I'd use a spring to hold the dynamo pulley against the flywheel to compensate for highspots due to eccentricities in the two wheels. It looked like you were pedaling hard, so maybe the dynamo was placed too tightly against the flywheel, introducing friction.

[tebbi]

It could be that the flywheel offers a better solution for generating electricity, if one places magnet there, a high rotation speed and mass inertia brings it with it.
Thx for the Video
your ideas are very cool!