What contains the most energy per square meter in our solar system? The Sun? The Earth's Core? Uranium? No...not even close. Without a doubt...the most energetic object in the universe is the human child.
At least...that's what everyone who has ever had one of their own seems to be telling me. And I'm not about to try to argue with millions of moms, no matter what the laws of thermodynamics tell me. But, as with any source of raw energy, the question becomes how do we capture that energy. Unfortunately, five year-olds don't come with three-pronged sockets.
Well David Sheridan, a 23 year-old product design student from Coventry, England has designed a power generator that harnesses energy from children. The modified seesaw converts the movement of the kids into electrical energy which can then be transferred by an underground cable to a nearby classroom. Sheridan hopes to one day create a playground full of energy-producing playground equipment. His calculations show that after only 10 minutes of use, the seesaw could light a classroom for the evening.
This isn't the first time seesaws have been used for practical purposes though. The Gaviotas community in Columbia has a seesaw that is used to pump groundwater. And it's not the first time people have looked to children to create power: Sony has a line of upcoming kid-powered gadgets for Japan.
The question, of course, is cost. If wind or solar can produce more energy for less money, it's not all that useful. But Sheridan has won a $10,000 grant to develop the idea, so there shouldn't be too much trouble determining the feasibility of the electro-seesaw.
If it works out, and isn't too expensive...I might look into getting one for EcoGeek headquarters (my house.) My wife and I could work off some calories, have some fun and, of course, slow down the electricity meter for a while.
Via BBC
Image from Pittsinger on Flickr
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written by DB, April 07, 2008
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written by Penina, April 07, 2008
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written by HD, April 07, 2008
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written by Space, April 07, 2008
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written by mary, April 07, 2008
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written by gmoke, April 07, 2008
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written by kpt, April 08, 2008
200 cycles x 2 kids x 250J = 100 kJ.
Now, how much is needed to light a classroom for an evening? Let's say an evening is 3 hours, and that there are 10 40W fluorescent tubes lighting the classroom. (Next time you're in a classroom, count the tubes, and I think you'll see this would be a fairly poorly lit classroom, but perhaps acceptable, since we're going green.) How much energy would be needed? 40W x 10 tubes x 3600 seconds/hour x 3 hours = 4.32 MJ.
So, even assuming 100 percent efficiency, and even assuming that a fair bit of each kid's push isn't going into lifting the other kid, the kids won't come even close to lighting the classroom.
Design students should take a basic physics course. Has Mr. Sheridan actually built one? Or just sketched something out on paper?
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written by celticsolar, April 08, 2008
Like a casino frequent player card, members can swipe in at a machine and rack up kWhs. The gym can sell the green tags and members can redeemed kWhs for eco-gym branded wares like SIGG water bottles and bamboo T-shirts.
For additional motivation, you could have "leader boards" in various categories (most kWhs per day, week, month...)
If you like my idea, I get free membership and a %.
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written by jake3988, April 08, 2008
To take it further 100000J/400W=250. Meaning it'll provide enough power for 250S/60 or about 4 minutes.
If we got 5 going constantly for 15 minutes. And in my elementary school, we had two periods of recess. One for the young kids, one for the older kids... so that's 30 minutes. So that's about 3 times as much times 5times as many teeters... or 15*4minutes=1hour of powering the lights.
Not bad at all!
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written by roo, April 10, 2008
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written by shane, October 21, 2008
Mr.Sheridan is based on zero accessibility of electricity plus the number of students or population ratio of a community. Who knows for them 1 or 2 florescent tube is enough to light on a class of approximately of 15 students. Their are countries that has 1 to 3 classroom on a institution.
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written by Alan Riser, February 26, 2010
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