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Physical effort in outputting 5V 1–2A?
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I have an iPhone, and sometimes recharging it from a wall is inconvenient. Maybe I am on a long bus ride. If I am willing to do physical activity/exercise to produce power, how much effort would I need to exert to act as a phone charger, supplying a steady 1–2 amps at 5 V?
This hypothetical device would need to be small and light enough that I could carry it... no point in it if I have to be at home to use it.
For example, there’s a simple hand exercise device that you squeeze over and over to build hand muscle. How much power could that generate?
power-supply
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
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up vote
2
down vote
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I have an iPhone, and sometimes recharging it from a wall is inconvenient. Maybe I am on a long bus ride. If I am willing to do physical activity/exercise to produce power, how much effort would I need to exert to act as a phone charger, supplying a steady 1–2 amps at 5 V?
This hypothetical device would need to be small and light enough that I could carry it... no point in it if I have to be at home to use it.
For example, there’s a simple hand exercise device that you squeeze over and over to build hand muscle. How much power could that generate?
power-supply
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
1
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I have an iPhone, and sometimes recharging it from a wall is inconvenient. Maybe I am on a long bus ride. If I am willing to do physical activity/exercise to produce power, how much effort would I need to exert to act as a phone charger, supplying a steady 1–2 amps at 5 V?
This hypothetical device would need to be small and light enough that I could carry it... no point in it if I have to be at home to use it.
For example, there’s a simple hand exercise device that you squeeze over and over to build hand muscle. How much power could that generate?
power-supply
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I have an iPhone, and sometimes recharging it from a wall is inconvenient. Maybe I am on a long bus ride. If I am willing to do physical activity/exercise to produce power, how much effort would I need to exert to act as a phone charger, supplying a steady 1–2 amps at 5 V?
This hypothetical device would need to be small and light enough that I could carry it... no point in it if I have to be at home to use it.
For example, there’s a simple hand exercise device that you squeeze over and over to build hand muscle. How much power could that generate?
power-supply
power-supply
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
asked 3 hours ago
Philip
1112
1112
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Philip is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
1
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
1
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago
I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
1
1
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
20 watts delivered into a hand-cranked generator (enough to deliver 10 electrical watts after conversion losses) could be managed all day by a fit and motivated person. This would employ all of your arm muscles. However, you'd need reasonable length cranks, comfortable handles, a good secure mounting for the generator, it's not something you'd nonchalantly carry onto and use on a bus.
A grip-squeeze device could be rigged to generate some power but, only being able to use the small grip muscles in the forearm, you'd struggle to get more than a few watts for a few minutes before exhaustion.
If you don't mind standing, then a mini-stepper could be rigged with a generator. This would use your legs, so again we're back in the sustained many 10s of watts region. It could lie stably on the floor, and maybe fit into a small backpack, so is probably the most suitable device overall.
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
10 watts compared to the 550 foot-pounds and 746 watts of ONE Horsepower, gives us useful numbers.
You need to lift 550 foot-pounds * 10/746 = 550 * 1/75 ~~ 8 pounds lifted up ONE FOOT, every second.
Can you lift a gallon of water, every second, up one foot, for an hour?
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Technically, a person with mass of 100 kg walking in 1-m steps at 2 m/s (about 4.5 miles per hour) has to generate/use about 500 W of power, as this article illustrates. So if you have some device embedded into your shoes, harvesting extra 10 W should be doable, especially since you need the charge for 1 hour only (smartphone batteries have about 10 W-hr capacity, and if we neglect conversion losses). So adding 2% load to the walking effort should do the job. How comfortable these shoes will be is another question.
There were attempts to use the energy harvesting inside shoes, but the results were not very impressive, 3-4 mW.
There are even instructables how to make "shoe generator" out of parts from rechargeable flashlight, so this method likely generates more than few milliwatts.
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
20 watts delivered into a hand-cranked generator (enough to deliver 10 electrical watts after conversion losses) could be managed all day by a fit and motivated person. This would employ all of your arm muscles. However, you'd need reasonable length cranks, comfortable handles, a good secure mounting for the generator, it's not something you'd nonchalantly carry onto and use on a bus.
A grip-squeeze device could be rigged to generate some power but, only being able to use the small grip muscles in the forearm, you'd struggle to get more than a few watts for a few minutes before exhaustion.
If you don't mind standing, then a mini-stepper could be rigged with a generator. This would use your legs, so again we're back in the sustained many 10s of watts region. It could lie stably on the floor, and maybe fit into a small backpack, so is probably the most suitable device overall.
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
20 watts delivered into a hand-cranked generator (enough to deliver 10 electrical watts after conversion losses) could be managed all day by a fit and motivated person. This would employ all of your arm muscles. However, you'd need reasonable length cranks, comfortable handles, a good secure mounting for the generator, it's not something you'd nonchalantly carry onto and use on a bus.
A grip-squeeze device could be rigged to generate some power but, only being able to use the small grip muscles in the forearm, you'd struggle to get more than a few watts for a few minutes before exhaustion.
If you don't mind standing, then a mini-stepper could be rigged with a generator. This would use your legs, so again we're back in the sustained many 10s of watts region. It could lie stably on the floor, and maybe fit into a small backpack, so is probably the most suitable device overall.
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
20 watts delivered into a hand-cranked generator (enough to deliver 10 electrical watts after conversion losses) could be managed all day by a fit and motivated person. This would employ all of your arm muscles. However, you'd need reasonable length cranks, comfortable handles, a good secure mounting for the generator, it's not something you'd nonchalantly carry onto and use on a bus.
A grip-squeeze device could be rigged to generate some power but, only being able to use the small grip muscles in the forearm, you'd struggle to get more than a few watts for a few minutes before exhaustion.
If you don't mind standing, then a mini-stepper could be rigged with a generator. This would use your legs, so again we're back in the sustained many 10s of watts region. It could lie stably on the floor, and maybe fit into a small backpack, so is probably the most suitable device overall.
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
20 watts delivered into a hand-cranked generator (enough to deliver 10 electrical watts after conversion losses) could be managed all day by a fit and motivated person. This would employ all of your arm muscles. However, you'd need reasonable length cranks, comfortable handles, a good secure mounting for the generator, it's not something you'd nonchalantly carry onto and use on a bus.
A grip-squeeze device could be rigged to generate some power but, only being able to use the small grip muscles in the forearm, you'd struggle to get more than a few watts for a few minutes before exhaustion.
If you don't mind standing, then a mini-stepper could be rigged with a generator. This would use your legs, so again we're back in the sustained many 10s of watts region. It could lie stably on the floor, and maybe fit into a small backpack, so is probably the most suitable device overall.
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
answered 46 mins ago
Neil_UK
71.6k273158
71.6k273158
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
10 watts compared to the 550 foot-pounds and 746 watts of ONE Horsepower, gives us useful numbers.
You need to lift 550 foot-pounds * 10/746 = 550 * 1/75 ~~ 8 pounds lifted up ONE FOOT, every second.
Can you lift a gallon of water, every second, up one foot, for an hour?
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
10 watts compared to the 550 foot-pounds and 746 watts of ONE Horsepower, gives us useful numbers.
You need to lift 550 foot-pounds * 10/746 = 550 * 1/75 ~~ 8 pounds lifted up ONE FOOT, every second.
Can you lift a gallon of water, every second, up one foot, for an hour?
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
10 watts compared to the 550 foot-pounds and 746 watts of ONE Horsepower, gives us useful numbers.
You need to lift 550 foot-pounds * 10/746 = 550 * 1/75 ~~ 8 pounds lifted up ONE FOOT, every second.
Can you lift a gallon of water, every second, up one foot, for an hour?
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
10 watts compared to the 550 foot-pounds and 746 watts of ONE Horsepower, gives us useful numbers.
You need to lift 550 foot-pounds * 10/746 = 550 * 1/75 ~~ 8 pounds lifted up ONE FOOT, every second.
Can you lift a gallon of water, every second, up one foot, for an hour?
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
answered 2 hours ago
analogsystemsrf
12k2616
12k2616
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Technically, a person with mass of 100 kg walking in 1-m steps at 2 m/s (about 4.5 miles per hour) has to generate/use about 500 W of power, as this article illustrates. So if you have some device embedded into your shoes, harvesting extra 10 W should be doable, especially since you need the charge for 1 hour only (smartphone batteries have about 10 W-hr capacity, and if we neglect conversion losses). So adding 2% load to the walking effort should do the job. How comfortable these shoes will be is another question.
There were attempts to use the energy harvesting inside shoes, but the results were not very impressive, 3-4 mW.
There are even instructables how to make "shoe generator" out of parts from rechargeable flashlight, so this method likely generates more than few milliwatts.
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Technically, a person with mass of 100 kg walking in 1-m steps at 2 m/s (about 4.5 miles per hour) has to generate/use about 500 W of power, as this article illustrates. So if you have some device embedded into your shoes, harvesting extra 10 W should be doable, especially since you need the charge for 1 hour only (smartphone batteries have about 10 W-hr capacity, and if we neglect conversion losses). So adding 2% load to the walking effort should do the job. How comfortable these shoes will be is another question.
There were attempts to use the energy harvesting inside shoes, but the results were not very impressive, 3-4 mW.
There are even instructables how to make "shoe generator" out of parts from rechargeable flashlight, so this method likely generates more than few milliwatts.
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Technically, a person with mass of 100 kg walking in 1-m steps at 2 m/s (about 4.5 miles per hour) has to generate/use about 500 W of power, as this article illustrates. So if you have some device embedded into your shoes, harvesting extra 10 W should be doable, especially since you need the charge for 1 hour only (smartphone batteries have about 10 W-hr capacity, and if we neglect conversion losses). So adding 2% load to the walking effort should do the job. How comfortable these shoes will be is another question.
There were attempts to use the energy harvesting inside shoes, but the results were not very impressive, 3-4 mW.
There are even instructables how to make "shoe generator" out of parts from rechargeable flashlight, so this method likely generates more than few milliwatts.
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
Technically, a person with mass of 100 kg walking in 1-m steps at 2 m/s (about 4.5 miles per hour) has to generate/use about 500 W of power, as this article illustrates. So if you have some device embedded into your shoes, harvesting extra 10 W should be doable, especially since you need the charge for 1 hour only (smartphone batteries have about 10 W-hr capacity, and if we neglect conversion losses). So adding 2% load to the walking effort should do the job. How comfortable these shoes will be is another question.
There were attempts to use the energy harvesting inside shoes, but the results were not very impressive, 3-4 mW.
There are even instructables how to make "shoe generator" out of parts from rechargeable flashlight, so this method likely generates more than few milliwatts.
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
edited 7 mins ago
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
answered 20 mins ago
Ale..chenski
24.7k11857
24.7k11857
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
Philip is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Philip is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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I won't say too much, but I will point to this link: newatlas.com/…. It is a stationary bike. A person riding this can generate 200W of power - for your situation (5V @ 2A), that is only 10W of power - 5% of what the bike could generate. So I would take a gamble and say it is possible. But no idea how (probably more suited to a mechatronic/mechanical engineer).
– DSWG
3 hours ago
Probably a more efficient hand device is a crank generator. These aren't squeeze devices, though, and I think they are all mounted in some fashion. But I've seen units ranging from 10 W to 65 W (though I don't know how long you or me might keep up with a 65 W generator.) Your total is 10 W, so crank devices exist in the right range for continuous, direct operation. Efficiencies can be as high, so I read, as 80%. But of course, human biomechanics has more/less efficient positions during a crank, and in any case humans are NOT efficient converters of energy, themselves. See Patent US7893551B2.
– jonk
3 hours ago
Google hand crank radio, see if you can get a power output figure? You don't have to generate the full 10W, as long as you have USB port circuitry sophisticated enough to report how much current it can generate.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
1
If you get one of those squeeze devices and measure the force it takes to squeeze, you can then estimate the power -- energy = force * distance, power = energy/time. So figure out how much energy per squeeze, then figure out how fast you can squeeze the thing continually. You'll want to switch off your right and left hands, or you'll look like Popeye on one side and Olivoil on the other.
– TimWescott
2 hours ago
Your biggest challenge will be keeping cool, not working up a major sweat.
– analogsystemsrf
2 hours ago