admin answers:

How exactly are you generating electricity?

If you are making a battery by putting two metal probes into a piece of fruit or solution, then you are really generating electricity from the metal. The fruit or solution you are talking about is just supplying the electrolyte and acid to break down the metals and transfer the ions. The actual energy is coming from the energy that is chemically stored in the metal, not from the fruit itself. You should explain this as part of the science project. In that case, you could try oranges, mangoes, peaches, salt water, vinegar, carbonated water, and pop. You could measure the pH of the fruit or fluid, and measure the resistance with an ohmmeter. Electric generation might have more to do with acidity and resistance than anything else.

There are other ways of generating electricity and I’m not sure if you are considering any of these because you did not specify. You can make static electricity by rubbing different materials together (such as plastic and fur). Electricity can also be generated from food by making fuel such as ethanol out of it, or burning it directly as biomass. Any food will do this, but might be hard to do as part of an experiment.

If you give more details about exactly how your are making electricity maybe we can help you more.

Edit:
I’m still not exactly sure how you are planning on doing your project. Electricity for home use is produced by generators. Generators require a power source to turn them. Usually this is done with turbines. Turbines can be wind or hydroelectric turbines, or they can be steam powered. Steam power can be run by anything that burns or produces heat: coal, wood, food, alcohol from food, leaves, fibers, grass, etc. Steam turbines can also be run by nuclear energy. You would not be able to actually run these as an experiment by yourself, however, because it would take a lot of time money, and safety precautions. Even a homemade wind turbine would be expensive to make. As an experiment, however, you could burn a number of different materials to heat a pot of water and see how much heat a certain weight of each material produces.

If you are trying to actually power a lightbulb by yourself for your project, you have fewer options. Use an array of solar cells. You could use a bicycle powered dynamo (small generator) to run a light–which is ultimately powered by the food you eat. Lastly, you can make your own battery. That’s what I was tryint to explain above with sticking two metals into a fruit. Basically you need two metals (like two coins of different type) and an electrolytic liquid (which helps if its acidic). Most of our household elecrolytes and acids are food-grade, but you can use battery acid which can be bought at the hardware store. Look at the wikipedia article about homemade battery cells. The problem with homemade batteries is that they are very inefficient and you might have trouble powering a lighbulb with one unless you hook up a whole bunch of them together.

admin answers:

There are many different machines and transducers that convert one energy form into another. A short list of examples follows:

Thermoelectric (Heat → Electric energy)
Geothermal power (Heat→ Electric energy)
Heat engines, such as the internal combustion engine used in cars, or the steam engine (Heat → Mechanical energy)
Ocean thermal power (Heat → Electric energy)
Hydroelectric dams (Gravitational potential energy → Electric energy)
Electric generator (Kinetic energy or Mechanical work → Electric energy)
Fuel cells (Chemical energy → Electric energy)
Battery (electricity) (Chemical energy → Electric energy)
Fire (Chemical energy → Heat and Light)
Electric lamp (Electric energy → Heat and Light)
Microphone (Sound → Electric energy)
Wave power (Mechanical energy → Electric energy)
Windmills (Wind energy → Electric energy or Mechanical energy)
Piezoelectrics (Strain → Electric energy)
Acoustoelectrics (Sound → Electric energy)
Friction (Kinetic energy → Heat)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_transformation

ALSO, have a look at
http://www-bioc.rice.edu/pblclass/6th%20grade/Matter%20&%20Energy/Energy%20Transformation%20Game.pdf

I hope I’ve helped you,
Angela!!!

admin answers:

The one EV car I currently have (have 2 vehicles that run on hydrogen also) I converted from a vw bug and is free to charge. As I live completely off the grid all my electricity comes from solar panels and 2 wind generators, which I also built.

However I did charge up at Costco in Carlsbad California (I actually only drove up there to fill up) if I remember right it was around $2.00

Not sure if you’re interesting in doing it yourself, but I’d be willing to walk you step by step threw the conversion. I’ve converted 3 of my own cars (a datsun truck, ford ban, and a vw bug) and a few for neighbors. I’ve also converted cars to run on hydrogen, ethanol and biodiesel, by far EV is the easiest.

If you’re interested here’s what it would entitle…

– The engine compartment is first cleaned out of any gasoline components.
– Electric components are then installed in exchange.
– A battery bank is built and incorporated.
– Existing starter and driving systems are connected.
– Turn the key, step on the gas pedal sending more energy to the electric motor, & thus more power to the drive system, which in return creates more speed, more acceleration.
– The system has normal automotive top speeds and acceleration, typical to the vehicle your modifying. If your top speed was 85 mph and your acceleration was 1 mile per min, then this will be what your left with after the conversion.

The methods are extremely simple, making the process possible for anyone, everyone, ANYWHERE.

Typical tools, hardware & supplies are used, making access to parts available for all.

Electric Conversions can be easily accomplished in ANY model vehicle, even tractors, Generators, types of machinery, etc.

Project lengths range from 1 day to 1 month.
If you’re interested I wrote a guide on it which is available at www agua-luna com

My last EV conversion ran me about $1400. Everything is available online. I have a how to do it yourself guide available at www agua-luna com that will walk you step by step through the process. If you have ANY questions feel free to contact me through the site. Here’s a list of what you’d need…

Advanced DC Motor
The motor is an 8″ Advanced DC series-wound motor. It weighs 107 pounds and is rated at 68 peak horsepower. These motors are available in several sizes.

Adaptor plate
The adaptor plate mates the motor to the transmission. It is constructed of 1/2 inch aluminum and is pre-drilled with bolt hole patterns for both the motor and transmission. An aluminum spacer is also used for proper spacing between the shafts of the transmission and motor. Adaptor plates are available for many cars.

DC Motor Controller
The controller regulates current going to the motor. It is a solid-state device that uses a pulse width modulator (PWM) that sends short bursts of current to the motor at a rate of 15 kHz. Controllers are available from both Curtis and DCP.

Potbox (Potentiometer)
The potbox is a 5K ohm throttle between the controller and the accelerator, similar to the way a sewing machine pedal works. The potbox’s lever arm is attached to the existing accelerator cable.

Main Contactor
An electric relay that serves the same purpose as the ignition switch in a gas car. When the key is turned to the start position, the contactor closes the circuit to allow current to flow to the controller.

Circuit Breaker
A safety device that shuts down power for servicing or during an emergency. The circuit breaker is installed under the hood and can be switched both off and on from the drivers seat with an extension or cable.

Main Fuse
The main fuse protect the system from high voltage spikes. A fuse should be installed at each battery box or group of batteries.

Shunt
A shunt is placed in series within the wiring as a means to connect meters. Shunts are available in different sizes for both high and low power configurations.

Charger interlock
A relay that keeps the circuit open so nobody will inadvertantly drive off with the charge cord plugged into the car.

DC/DC Converter
The DC/DC converter is similar in function to a gas car’s alternator. It charges the 12 volt accessory battery by chopping voltage from the main battery pack down to 13.5 volts.

If you interested I offer several DIY alternative guides to walk you step by step threw EV conversion process at agua-luna com or

www agua-luna com
Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin
Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World… Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY… All With Just One Click of A Mouse…For more info Visit:

www AGUA-LUNA com
Stop Global Warming!!!

admin answers:

The one EV car I currently have (have 2 vehicles that run on hydrogen also) I converted from a vw bug and is free to charge. As I live completely off the grid all my electricity comes from solar panels and 2 wind generators, which I also built.

However I did charge up at Costco in Carlsbad California (I actually only drove up there to fill up) if I remember right it was around $2.00

Not sure if you’re interesting in doing it yourself, but I’d be willing to walk you step by step threw the conversion. I’ve converted 3 of my own cars (a datsun truck, ford ban, and a vw bug) and a few for neighbors. I’ve also converted cars to run on hydrogen, ethanol and biodiesel, by far EV is the easiest.

If you’re interested here’s what it would entitle…

– The engine compartment is first cleaned out of any gasoline components.
– Electric components are then installed in exchange.
– A battery bank is built and incorporated.
– Existing starter and driving systems are connected.
– Turn the key, step on the gas pedal sending more energy to the electric motor, & thus more power to the drive system, which in return creates more speed, more acceleration.
– The system has normal automotive top speeds and acceleration, typical to the vehicle your modifying. If your top speed was 85 mph and your acceleration was 1 mile per min, then this will be what your left with after the conversion.

The methods are extremely simple, making the process possible for anyone, everyone, ANYWHERE.

Typical tools, hardware & supplies are used, making access to parts available for all.

Electric Conversions can be easily accomplished in ANY model vehicle, even tractors, Generators, types of machinery, etc.

Project lengths range from 1 day to 1 month.
If you’re interested I wrote a guide on it which is available at www agua-luna com

My last EV conversion ran me about $1400. Everything is available online. I have a how to do it yourself guide available at www agua-luna com that will walk you step by step through the process. If you have ANY questions feel free to contact me through the site. Here’s a list of what you’d need…

Advanced DC Motor
The motor is an 8″ Advanced DC series-wound motor. It weighs 107 pounds and is rated at 68 peak horsepower. These motors are available in several sizes.

Adaptor plate
The adaptor plate mates the motor to the transmission. It is constructed of 1/2 inch aluminum and is pre-drilled with bolt hole patterns for both the motor and transmission. An aluminum spacer is also used for proper spacing between the shafts of the transmission and motor. Adaptor plates are available for many cars.

DC Motor Controller
The controller regulates current going to the motor. It is a solid-state device that uses a pulse width modulator (PWM) that sends short bursts of current to the motor at a rate of 15 kHz. Controllers are available from both Curtis and DCP.

Potbox (Potentiometer)
The potbox is a 5K ohm throttle between the controller and the accelerator, similar to the way a sewing machine pedal works. The potbox’s lever arm is attached to the existing accelerator cable.

Main Contactor
An electric relay that serves the same purpose as the ignition switch in a gas car. When the key is turned to the start position, the contactor closes the circuit to allow current to flow to the controller.

Circuit Breaker
A safety device that shuts down power for servicing or during an emergency. The circuit breaker is installed under the hood and can be switched both off and on from the drivers seat with an extension or cable.

Main Fuse
The main fuse protect the system from high voltage spikes. A fuse should be installed at each battery box or group of batteries.

Shunt
A shunt is placed in series within the wiring as a means to connect meters. Shunts are available in different sizes for both high and low power configurations.

Charger interlock
A relay that keeps the circuit open so nobody will inadvertantly drive off with the charge cord plugged into the car.

DC/DC Converter
The DC/DC converter is similar in function to a gas car’s alternator. It charges the 12 volt accessory battery by chopping voltage from the main battery pack down to 13.5 volts.

If you interested I offer several DIY alternative guides to walk you step by step threw EV conversion process at agua-luna com or

www agua-luna com
Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin
Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World… Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY… All With Just One Click of A Mouse…For more info Visit:

www AGUA-LUNA com
Stop Global Warming!!!

admin answers:

Plenty offered for India, including the Carbon Offset trading scheme. Also a number of initiatives from the world bank for India and Asia as a whole (reference below)

Some stuff on wind and solar also included in second link go right near the bottom, specifically

Guaranteed Prices. Tamil Nadu and several other State electric boards have agreed to purchase wind power at about 6.4 cents per kilowatthour.(36)

Tax Benefits. These include:

* Five-year tax holidays on income from sales of electricity
* Accelerated depreciation of 100 percent on investment in capital equipment in the first year
* Excise duty and sales tax exemptions for wind turbines
* Import duties on a variety of components waived
* Moving toward a production tax incentive to encourage performance.

Project Financing. India Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) was formed in 1987 to provide assistance in obtaining loans from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). This included acting as a conduit for World Bank Loans totaling $78 million specifically for wind.

admin answers:

It’s a fair question… There are a number of reasons…

1. Political Pressures.
In politics, governments don’t have a lot of time to produce results; they are judged very quickly for failures and inactivity. The fact is, the Indian government are poor, and they have many, many demands on the budget. Thus, long term items like solar energy get pushed down the list while other more pressing issued are dealt with. As a group, the Indian people are demanding activity on a number of other issues, so one cannot blame the Indian government for concentrating on these at the expense of others for which there is not a large constitutency.

1. Budget Pressures.
Hand in hand with point # 1, solar energy is extremely expensive to produce, and the total wattage produced per unit of cost is low compared to conventional fuels. The technology has not progressed to the point where solar energy is a cost effective alternative to conventional fuels; thus, it becomes something only more wealthy nations can afford to do to placate interest groups.

3. Alternatives.
India is one of the nations that have been exempted from the Kyoto Accords on Global Warming. Given their exempted position, there is no international (or domestic) pressure for India to diversify its energy output.

To summarize, given the high cost, low output of energy, political and budgetary reasons for deferring the choice, it’s not surprising that India have decided against widespread involvement with Solar energy.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

admin answers:

Many of the build it yourself sites are offering a very generic booklet that does not contain useful information. You can read a great review of one of them at http://www.nlcpr.com/Deceptions6.php

Excerpt from their review:

“The gist of their claims is this:

* Get cheap broken or used solar cells on e-bay. They show screen prints of auctions starting at 99 cents but all you e-bayers know that the prices gets bid up considerably. Solder it all together and make your panels.
* Ask forklift operators for free, used batteries (assuming they are going to throw out batteries that still function)
* Get a DC motor from e-bay and make a wind mill from it.”

Even if you do find a good instruction manual, home made panels cannot be connected to the electric grid, as they are not UL listed. If you really want to add solar to your house, buy factory made panels. The price has dropped a lot this year, and with rebates and credits, they are becoming more affordable. Check out the DSIRE site below to see any rebates available in your area.

admin answers:

The cost of transportation to the moon is the major issue. If the solar cells were made on earth and transported then the project would be prohibitively expensive.

If the lunar site could manufacture the solar cells required, then the project would seem feasible. The energy required for the initial lunar base could come from nuclear driven generators. There is no environmental issues with this and in fact the cooling towers (built in the partial shade) would be enhanced over any such generator on earth.

In the long run, several separate bases could allow for experiments with toxic materials or genetic innovations to be preformed with no threat to the earth’s environment.

admin answers:

Not all building sites will have enough of a solar or wind resource to make these technologies feasible, or cost-effective. So, integrating site analysis into the construction process can help determine what combination of energy sources are appropriate for a new building.

There are many types of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, including biomass, and geothermal. But by far, the most effective renewable technology is the practice of energy efficiency, and proper resource management. Construction practices that focus on reducing heating, cooling and electric loads and ensuring proper ventilation are key to sustainable living. Once buildings are well insulated, tight and efficient, renewable energy systems can be adequately sized, and produce as much or more than the building needs.

There are a few issues to keep in mind though – first, while renewables are the way to go, the manufacturing processes and transportation costs still produce waste and pollution (embodied energy). Also, we need to transition to a “smart” electric grid that uses modern digital technology and is reliable, efficient and secure. For areas where individual buildings cannot generate all their power due to site restrictions, the local municipality or coops can opt to either buy or generate clean energy from green suppliers, or procure their own power.

I think legislating new construction codes would work well along with subsidies for clean technologies, but hitting the 80% mark may be too aggressive to start. The bottom line is to affect the bottom line ($ in your pocket), and make it attractive to install these technologies. Maybe this could turn out to be like FDR’s New Deal Programs during the Great Depression, where hundreds of thousands of jobs were created to build highways, schools, parks, and other infrastructure-related projects. Analogize to new green jobs in almost all sectors of the economy, but especially construction.

One final major point: remember that over 80% of the real estate inventory in the US is made of older and inefficient buildings…what about those? Retrofitting these buildings has been VERY challenging, with or without the government incentives. Improving older buildings is requires a lot of redesign, and is complicated and expensive.

admin answers:

Of course Gintable is right. If your office has 6 computers and 2 fans and a couple of lights and a router maybe is will be something like 1000W, maybe more, depending exactly what you have. I am assuming you have no electricity, but it is possible this is just for standby when the electricity is off. In that case the inverter/battery system is called a UPS (uninteruptable power system) and you specify it for the time (minutes) you want it to support your equipment until you can get the generator started. Make sure you get a pure sinewave type. For standby I would use a petrol machine as below, as it is too small for a diesel. Some can be automatically started, but very few.

If the inverter takes this power from a 12V battery the result is ridiculous, with 83A drawn from the battery (not counting losses). A large 100AH battery will have a capacity at this current of maybe 30 minutes, but it won’t, because it will get too hot. The losses charging a battery are high, about 1.4 times the energy used. A better battery is made of 100Ah x12V units in series to get a maximum of 10A each. That will be about 96V battery, 8 or 9 of the 12V ones in series. Chosen to match the available inverters round that voltage. If you use solar panels it needs about 3.7KW of panels to recharge the 8 hours of operation in the 4 hours of effective full sun you may have if you are lucky. That is a lot, say 20 panels at maybe 200W per panel. The fuel is zero, but really you need a generator too if there is no reliable other power available.

Th capital cost is high. It will need a significant and expensive battery that needs quite a lot of charge each day. Battery life, 3-10 years depending on quality and how well they are looked after. Solar panels, you hope for 20 years, but the capacity drops over time.

There are certainly issues with a diesel or petrol generator. This size is a bit small for a diesel generator. The single cylinder types are not attractive because they are noisy and have a lot of vibration. The idea of operating in a city area seems unreasonable. Get mains electricity if you possibly can, it is cheaper. The exhaust gas from any engine is deadly, due to the carbon monoxide, but diesels can be better with that. It will need to be exhausted up in the air to help it dissipate. This is more toxic than cyanide gas if you could compare them that way.. Engines can be put in a hole in the ground or a sound proofed building and with good exhaust silencing can be very quiet, even diesels.

A petrol generator can be quiet on its own, and they are made in these smaller sizes. The types that have an inverter in them are more expensive, but save fuel because the engine slows down when the load is lighter. Petrol engines are more expensive to run and probably have a short life compared to a larger smoother operating multi cylinder diesel. There is the greater fuel risk too.

The fuel costs for a 2KVA or 3KVA unit (I wouldn’t get smaller) delivering 1KW approx. Would be something like 150-200g per hour. Call that somewhere around 250 milli-liters of fuel per hour. Doesn’t sound much, but it is 6 liters a day, maybe 2 liters if you only run for 8 hours. The electrical mains will supply that for about 15c per KWh using US or Australian prices. Yours could be different. So for 8 hours a day in Australia it would be 2 liters costing $2.80 against 8KWh costing $1.20, about half.

This is a difficult decision, as there is no clear cut “good” solution except mains electricity, and your situation is not clear either. Look up suitable generators, visit suppliers, get quotes. You will need qualified persons to install any of these systems. You need to consult with an expert who can look into all aspects, including local regulations..

admin answers:

…to mimic or emulate what is found in nature

The last I researched, the pre-industrial world did not plug their cell phones into the grid expecting them to be re-charged, electric street lights, and so forth. Nature has no grid infrastructure that supplies energy for a wide assortment of uses and devices. We humans, on the other hand, are a part of the world’s ecosystems and thus a natural entity or “nature” in our own right.

When you mention “toxic chemicals” do remember that “nature” is full of all sorts of toxins of both the organic and inorganic type. Some are byproducts of an ecosystem’s entiy or an entity’s processes, some simply are, and some are generated or created by an ecosystem’s entity for use as a tool or protective measure. On the other hand, we humans have quite a history of making/using chemicals/compounds/materials which may or may not be found in nature long after we know they are toxic to ourselves, other entities in our ecosystems, and our ecosystems themselves as we know them.

I don’t know the specifics upon which solar power is defined as biomimicry. Certainly plants turn solar power into a different energy force that supports their way of life. Although, I don’t particularly remember even the 1950’s sci-fi flicks addressing the concept of plants powering an electrical or other grid for the sharing of the energy they harness from the sun. I certainly don’t remember Dick Tracy’s wrist phone being charged on a grid powered through photosynthesis! Solar panels do convert the energy from the sun’s rays into a different form for ecosystem use. – They may not be “natural” but the houses and apartments we live in, and their contents, are certainly habitats that most of us require for a happy, healthy life.

admin answers:

Interesting project. Radio shack sells a couple in the form (wires already attatched) that would be easy for a beginner to play with. Go into any store and ask for one and they’ll show you where they are.

The thing you’re going to want to measure is probably current, rather than voltage. The voltage is more or less just a function of the materials the cell is made of (about .5V), while the current is proportional to the solar flux. A cheap multimeter will make this measurement by just putting it across the wires of the cell.

What you should find is that the power coming out of a cell varies with the sine of the angle of incidence.

Electrical power, in watts, is the volts times the amps. So you would multiply .5volts times lets say for example 50milliamps with direct on sun and get 25milliwatts.

Also, you will be measuring the amount of solar energy CONVERTED, not absorbed. To measure the amount absolbed, you would need to know the amoubnt of solar energy incident on the cell, but not reflected, and that isn’t so easy.

admin answers:

You likely don’t have the space to build a nuclear generator and provide adequate shielding. The uranium in a nuclear plant is basically a heat source, used to heat either water or liquid sodium which then drives an electromagnetic turbine. So you need room to put the turbine. Liquid sodium is tricky to handle — it tends to catch fire when exposed to water — and water used in a nuclear plant turns to steam, and requires some containment vessels.

You also need a place for the water or sodium to cool off after it drives the turbine. A commercial water-cooled nuclear plant uses a cooling tower on the order of 100m high (about like a 30-floor building). For residential use you don’t need a 100m tower (nor would the landlord let you install it through your roof) but you will still need some place to let the water or sodium cool.

In 1994 a boy scout who lived near Detroit, Michigan collected americium from smoke detectors and thorium from lantern mantles and built a sort of working nuclear reactor, but the radioactivity spread across his neighborhood and he never got working power out of it. He did, however, attract the attention of the federal government, which took away the radioactive materials and his mother’s tool shed (which had become radioactive) and some other things that had become radioactive.

If you don’t in fact have weapons grade uranium, but only commercial uranium, then you may need to enrich the stuff (meaning to sort out the U-235 from the U-238), because the U-235 is fissionable and the U-238 is not. To do this properly you need the facility to work with uranium hexafluoride (a gas) and in particular to run it through a centrifuge, then to remove the fluorine from the uranium. Fluorine is toxic and corrosive and eats just about everything except fluorspar. It’s difficult to handle and store, and you’ll run into major problems trying to combine it with the uranium and then to dissociate it from the uranium.

Overall you’re going to be much happier spending your money on solar plates. Sorry!

admin answers:

You can do just about anything if you spend enough time,effort AND money .

The real questions are, “Is it practicle? And Is it worth it?”

If you don’t mind having a tank of Cow S hit fermenting in your back yard you can certainly harvest methane to operate a generator. If you are only going to run the generator ocassionally so that you can save less than a dollars worth of electricity, then I am afraid that the economics just don’t make such a project worth it. (There is a reason you don’t see many of these systems in common use)