The gradual exhaustion of conventional energy sources is creeping out of human control. The result is that today we have run headlong into a situation of acute energy shortage. The way out is to use energy from the bounty of nature that is virtually impossible to exhaust. However, the only sources of renewable energy that have been used extensively are wind, sun and water. Let’s enrich our knowledge by learning about five unconventional sources of renewable energy.
A lot of effort has been made to generate energy and electricity by human efforts. The motivation behind this technology is as we consume energy so we should also generate energy. Now, we have successfully designed and developed several pedal powered machines that can perform our day to day activities. Bicycle pedal and cranks have made notable contribution in generating energy that is purely ecofriendly allowing us to get rid of post carbon problems.
The pedal powered machines are designed largely to make use of bicycle generating energy by just cycling for few seconds. Here is a list of 10 fantastic machines that are powered and give the intended results with a pair of bicycle pedals.
Although you may not be using a Get Smart-style shoe phone anytime soon, it is possible that your mobile phone may end up receiving its power from your shoes. University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering researchers Tom Krupenkin and J. Ashley Taylor have developed an in-shoe system that harvests the energy generated by walking. Currently, this energy is lost as heat. With their technology, however, they claim that up to 20 watts of electricity could be generated, and stored in an incorporated rechargeable battery.
If the vision of Tom Krupenkin and J. Ashley Taylor comes to fruition, one day soon your cellphone — or just about any other portable electronic device — could be powered by simply taking a walk.
In a paper appearing in the journal Nature Communications, Krupenkin and Taylor, both engineering researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, describe a new energy-harvesting technology that promises to dramatically reduce our dependence on batteries and instead capture the energy of human motion to power portable electronics.
Contemplating the simplicity of antique drills and hand-cranked turntables, we can gain inspiration for powering our everyday lives from old-world inventions spurred by the desire for efficiency. Today, many companies are exploring human-powered options for common devices. And while people-powered home heating and cooling is likely a long way off, many other simple daily tasks can be energized with a little human exertion.
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