The Missing Link of Power Generation

[ssanzone]

i figure i must be missing something...

if i hung a weighted line in the water with a float attached a few feet above the weight and ran that line up to a pulley and back down a flywheel with a belt connected to an alternator...

dosnt it make sense that the line would bob in the water, pulling the line, turning the flywheel, spinning the alternator and charge the batteries?

the cost would be under a few hundred for everything to fabricate this including a 120v alternator.

adding multiple flywheels would result in more turns of the alternator per 'bob'.

it would not be a persistent power source and the output would new be on par with a big solar panel but kinda a perpetual kinetic trickle charger to keep the house bank topped off.

-steve

[ssanzone]

something like this scratch drawing...

[SV THIRD DAY]

Problem 1: The anchorages I stay in don't have enough "bob" to do much
Problem 2: Where are you gonna put all of this contraption?
Reality 3: A 140W solar panel is so damn easy/cheap and clean, how can you beat it?

[sailorchic34]

Just a weighted float on a geared bar driving a freewheel powering a 12V generator could be made to work.

Energy produced would be proportional to the surface area of the float. It would not be many amps in general, unless you increased the surface area a bit.

The problem is, who wants to sit in a bouncy anchorage.

[MarkJ]

The Europeans use wave power for generating, so yes it works?

But cruiser anchor in bays out of the waves

[barnakiel]

Build a proto from scrap parts, see where it gets you.

I like your idea.

b.

[Stu Jackson]

Wouldn't you need some sort of clutch, since you'd want the belt to be turning the shaft only in one direction?

[a64pilot]

Done large scale in the 70's I think with huge buoys? Not economically viable, now economics aren't necessarily the issue here as Solar panels aren't viable either.
Somebody else awhile ago on the forum thought of a large weight in the boat that would generate power as the boat rolled back and forth, not only would that work, it would also be a stabilizer,. Somebody else I'm sure said just buy a Cat

Lots of things are possible, just not practical.

[denverd0n]

I was thinking the same as Stu, you need something to keep it turning in one direction. You will also need a generator that produces electricity at a VERY low RPM. Otherwise you would need to add gearing, and my guess is that you would then get enough resistance that the weight would just be pulled up and down and the generator would not turn.

Anyway, interesting idea.

[ssanzone]

A clutch might be necessary but I think a spring loaded pulley will always keep the line moving in the correct direction (and serve as a supercharger).

The information I was hoping to obtain here was really about the kinetics of the design as I assumed the resistance of the weight against the float would put the line into perpetual motion. (think about one of those silly desk things with the balls on a string).

I think the mechanics can be sorted and the mast / pole could slip in and out of my outrigger holders.

-steve

[GuidoY]

While you're at it ad the ability to capture lateral water movement also, from tide/current changes and boat traffic. Maybe like the attached or a vertical version in more of a paddle wheel configuration. The possibilities are many, but efficiency needs proving.

[ssanzone]

Looks like I am just gonna need to build some prototypes and see what kind of power and what consistency I yield from what configuration.

-steve

[ryon]

A well-funded, professional ocean-power effort that I fail to locate now that the info is useful, was canceled just last week as being impractical. Wikipedia has a long list of interesting technologies that at present are still not practical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power.

If you have something better then those on this list, maybe you can attract the funding to learn what mean, nasty things the ocean can do with Man's hopes and dreams.

[ssanzone]

Originally Posted by ryon

A well-funded, professional ocean-power effort that I fail to locate now that the info is useful, was canceled just last week as being impractical. Wikipedia has a long list of interesting technologies that at present are still not practical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power.

If you have something better then those on this list, maybe you can attract the funding to learn what the ocean can do with most of Man's hopes and dreams.

now i am a smart guy but... c'mon!

this is a great link. kinda defeating to think that all these great ideas have fallen apart but... i do like a challenge (i.e i am foolish enogh to not learn from other's mistakes).

[Hudson Force]

Adding a variation, the energy recovered from pumping water to a higher level could be considered. many years ago bellows of bilge pumps were powered by this same "bobbing" motion of moored boats.