How Can You Design an Effective Hand Crank Generator?

[tandoorichicken]

Hello all,

I have to design a hand crank generator to produce power for some downstream application. The amount of power is on the order of that needed for anything between a heavy-duty flashlight to one of those desktop mini-fridges that hold one soda can.
Thing is, I'm drawing a blank on the physics of an electric motor. I need to know what variables power generation depends on, i.e., number of coils, speed of rotation, torque of rotation etc.

Also, I was planning on connecting the hand crank to an electric motor type device to produce power, but does anyone have any other suggestions specifically for the hand-cranking mechanism?

Can anyone help me out please? Thanks in advance.

 

[TVP45]

Many people sell hand crank generators similar to what you ask for. However, if you want to build one, get an old car generator (VW bugs had small ones) and a bicycle rear wheel/crank to drive it. A lot of radios have been run off that combination.