- #1
budd
- 16
- 0
hi guys, would it be viable to rig up an exercise bike to run say your tv?
Home-Made Energy: Exercise Bike for TV?
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the feasibility of using a home-made exercise bike to generate electricity for powering a television. Participants explore various aspects including technological viability, economic considerations, and potential health benefits, while also considering the environmental impact of such a setup.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Technical explanation
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- Some participants suggest that it is technologically possible to rig an exercise bike to power a TV, but it may require significant physical effort and training to generate sufficient power.
- Others argue that while generating power from pedaling is feasible, the economic sense of such a setup is questionable, as food energy is generally more expensive than electrical energy.
- A participant mentions that a human can generate around 75W, while a typical television may require about 200W, raising questions about the practicality of sustaining power for longer viewing periods.
- Some contributions highlight that there are existing examples of individuals successfully using exercise bikes to power devices, indicating that the concept has been realized in practice.
- Concerns are raised about the cost of the necessary equipment, with some participants speculating on the market potential for such devices and questioning why they have not become more popular.
- One participant proposes using a small portable TV that operates on lower voltage and suggests the use of efficient converters to optimize power generation.
- Another viewpoint emphasizes that trading human energy for industrial energy has historically been impractical and remains so today, although some see value in the exercise aspect.
- Health implications are discussed, with one participant advocating for the potential benefits of encouraging physical activity among children and addressing obesity issues through such initiatives.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a range of views, with no clear consensus on the viability or practicality of using an exercise bike to power a TV. While some agree on the technological feasibility, others raise doubts about economic and practical aspects, leading to a contested discussion.
Contextual Notes
Participants mention various assumptions regarding power generation capabilities, costs of equipment, and the environmental impact of using human-generated energy versus traditional energy sources. The discussion reflects a mixture of technical reasoning and personal opinions without resolving these complexities.
Who May Find This Useful
This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring alternative energy solutions, fitness enthusiasts considering innovative ways to combine exercise with energy generation, and those concerned with environmental and health issues related to energy consumption.
- #2
Dale
Mentor
- 36,705
- 15,620
Hi budd, welcome to PF
That depends entirely on what you mean by "viable". Is it technologically possible, yes. Can a human generate that much power, also yes but not easy and may take some training to get in shape. Does it make economic sense, certainly not, food energy is much more expensive than electrical energy. Is it environmentally friendly, probably neutral, the extra CO2 you emit is probably more than the CO2 emitted from the power plant but it didn't come from fossil fuels.
That depends entirely on what you mean by "viable". Is it technologically possible, yes. Can a human generate that much power, also yes but not easy and may take some training to get in shape. Does it make economic sense, certainly not, food energy is much more expensive than electrical energy. Is it environmentally friendly, probably neutral, the extra CO2 you emit is probably more than the CO2 emitted from the power plant but it didn't come from fossil fuels.
- #3
budd
- 16
- 0
DaleSpam said:
thanks for the reply. i was thinking along the lines of people keeping fit and using the energy instead of wasting it. maybe a niche market for such devices. would the technology be cost viable?
- #4
xxChrisxx
- 2,056
- 85
On the plus side you'd become fitter.
Edit: SNAP!
Edit: SNAP!
- #5
fatra2
- 475
- 1
Of course. Everything is possible in this world.
- #6
Hootenanny
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 9,621
- 9
I hope that was a sarcastic remark ...fatra2 said:
- #7
fatra2
- 475
- 1
Half way. But, setting a pedale bike to run your TV is not that much of an impossible mission.
- #8
hokie1
- 33
- 0
A television set uses a certain amount of power. I saw a flat panel rated around 200W. A human on a bicycle can generate 75W.
These are watts or power units: energy per unit time.
So it seems possible to find a TV in the desired range. Some of the generators I've seen are in the range of $500 US. Even if electrical costs were $.20 US for a kilowatt hour we'd have:
200W = 0.2 kW
1 hour of television uses (0.2 kW)(1 hr) = 0.2kW hr
this costs (0.2kW hr)($.20/kW hr) = $0.04
These are watts or power units: energy per unit time.
So it seems possible to find a TV in the desired range. Some of the generators I've seen are in the range of $500 US. Even if electrical costs were $.20 US for a kilowatt hour we'd have:
200W = 0.2 kW
1 hour of television uses (0.2 kW)(1 hr) = 0.2kW hr
this costs (0.2kW hr)($.20/kW hr) = $0.04
- #9
OmCheeto
Gold Member
- 2,504
- 3,490
It's been done.
Badda bump.
Badda bump.
Last edited by a moderator:
- #10
budd
- 16
- 0
the home exercise market is massive and only getting bigger. why has this not taken off? i can only think it must be the cost. what are we looking at here. people would be buying the bike anyway. just the added costs of converting the energy. if its double the cost of the bike surely it's still viable?
- #11
budd
- 16
- 0
i see it's already been done! £1200 is just to expensive though. I'm sure a few on her could knock something up on here and get on dragons den. this time next year MILLIONAIRES.
http://www.gaj-it.com/6032/human-dynamo-two-ways-to-save-money-and-exercise/
http://www.gaj-it.com/6032/human-dynamo-two-ways-to-save-money-and-exercise/- #12
Bob S
- 4,662
- 8
Get a small portable tv that runs on 12 v dc (under 50 watts). Use (buy or build) a pulse-width-modulated (efficient) dc-dc converter for the generator (dc pm motor running as a generator). The generator voltage is linearly proportional to RPM, so you need a good dc-dc converter.
- #13
Lojzek
- 246
- 1
1 vs. 1 trading of human energy for industrial energy was not practival even in the second half of the 18. century, when Watt invented the first usefull steam engine. And of course is even less practical now. However it may seem reasonable to buy that bike if you like a lot of (indoor) physical exercise and you enjoy in a childish thought that you are doing something for the environment.
I have a better idea: why don't we drive to work with a bike instead of a car (sadly, most people are too lazy)? This action has a much better ratio of trading of human energy for the industrial energy.
I have a better idea: why don't we drive to work with a bike instead of a car (sadly, most people are too lazy)? This action has a much better ratio of trading of human energy for the industrial energy.
- #14
budd
- 16
- 0
Lojzek said:
i'm one of the none lazy people who does bike to work
... people are to lazy and with the uk adult population at 30% obese nowadays i was more thinking of the health issues than the environment. imagine if kids today had to bike for 30 mins to watch tv or play xbox. obesity would be 10% within 5 yearsSimilar threads
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