033 The Magic Mechanism For Wind Power

A Look at Seiko's magic lever and how it could be used in wind generation You can find the STL files
here
www.thingivers... - seiko mechanism
www.thingivers... - button mechnism
www.thingivers... - axial flux module
www.thingivers... - button generator
www.thingivers... - windstalk

[@ewmegoolies]

KZbin was made for your kind of entertaining and educational content! So happy to watch all your videos!!!!!!

[@monadyne]

In order to maintain consistent rotational output, perhaps steal another page from Seiko and add a windup spring mechanism. It could power the rotation of the generator, with the ratcheting input continually winding ups the spring. It may do that in fits and starts, but the rotational output would be smooth and continual.

[@PeaceProfit]

Always maintained if every bed in the world was fitted with a generator, there would never be a power outage anywhere on this planet. 👣🕊👽

[@kadmow]

The zoomers seem to be disapointing these energy trends, reportedly. Try game consoles or the phone touchscreen itself, they are rarely idle.

[@PeaceProfit]

There you go.. wrist mounted generators, that would cover the energy needs of the entire world forever. 👣🕊👽

[@tracypeters4252]

😂

[@tracypeters4252]

Loved that comment

[@Voidy123]

Rob, that mechanism is basically the mechanical version of a full bridge rectifier, the spring getting wound up is a capacitor. 4:18

[@goldbornmusic2025]

👍👍👍In order to maintain consistent rotational output, perhaps steal another page from Seiko and add a windup spring mechanism. It could power the rotation of the generator, with the ratcheting input continually winding up the spring. It may do that in fits and starts, but the rotational output would be smooth and continual.👍👍👍 I WAS THINKING THE SAME IDEA .

[@dirtbikecolton258]

Dear rob, please make a shake weight into a generator. You rock thanks for bringing your knowledge to the youtube community.

[@martynharveythepoet5114]

Hi Rob - Another great video! (Thanks) If I wasn't so busy writing and illustrating children's books, I'd definitely be putting more time into my interests in this area - Energy Generation/Recycling. I had an idea many years ago for a Gym which, instead of wasting the massive amount of energy asborbed by treadmills and rowing machines, turned it back into usable energy to POWER the building! I haven't googled it but I'm sure there are now people doing this. Anyway - what came to mind when watching this video was another adaptation of that Gym-based power conversion: Around 7:50 in this vid, you demonstrate the power generated by a pushing in and out of that button (linked to the Seiko mechanism)... so, in the context of Gym-power... surely there are 101 ways the various bits of equipment in a gym could be used? Imagine 50 gym users (or more) all driving rotary mechanisms linked to a Seiko-style central camshaft... linked to a generator??? To me, it's a no-brainer. Can't understand why ALL gyms aren't built that way yet! ;-)

[@stevestogsdill5791]

Set this up next to a railway crossing. The horn and the sound of the wheels could generate energy for running signals at the crossing.

[@kadmow]

This is true, especially at points as they actually have a range of relative motion with every progressive wheelset. (Resisting/generating power from the rail deflection on regular straight track itself (relative transient ballast compaction) may have unintended "costs".)

[@james130362]

You are out of this world. Good info

[@nightwing2012]

When I was young... Had a wheel sparkler that spun one way like this. Fun to see this!

[@MrNatural451]

Great video. I love the compilation idea to get all the info in one place. Good work. One suggestion for the "barleycorn" generator... The square flap may be giving too much wind resistance to allow the stalk to return upright. Try a different shape like cattails or barley. Look to nature!

[@gavinlynas2833]

Nope. He needs an even bigger one and a very stiff pole, and gears. Would be good if the paddle could split open in the middle when it hit the end position then slam shut again at the start position.

[@rockyrodriguez2351]

Gee!,… Robert I wish I possessed those knowledge and all the tools and equipment around you and I’m pretty sure I’ll help a lot of people because I always wanted to help others.

[@nicolazupo4444]

Very clever. Compliment from Italy.

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

Very good concept brought back and forth by cydem. but this suits me, it is a common savonius in the garden. rotor 134x75cm metal flange 70cm with 32 magnets and 30mm plywood board with 32 coils. this almost always works even in the forest and charges 12v batteries.. the power is not great but a constant small charge keeps and fills the batteries.

[@DFPercush]

Very cool! I like the push button idea, that's fun lol. If I may offer an observation, it looks like the wind catcher is spending a lot of time pegged to one side. That makes me think it would benefit from a pre-tensioner to adjust the stiffness of the springs or rubber bands. I'm thinking of a way it might even be possible for it to self-adjust to accommodate various wind conditions. When it bumps against the limit, there could be a ratchet or escapement mechanism to advance the tensioner by one tooth. This would gradually stiffen it up in a high wind condition. The trick would be to somehow slowly release that tension over time so that it could return to a low speed regime without manual intervention. Like a rotary damper on the end of a planetary gear chain or something. The tensioner wants to unwind all by itself, you'd just have to limit how fast it could do that. I also considered a ratcheted rack and pinion design (in place of the seiko arm) to increase the travel distance rather than the pre-tension. That would allow the springs or bands to reach their high load state simply by being stretched farther. In higher winds it would have a bias toward one side or the other. That would make the thing bigger, but it might be simpler than some kind of tensioner clockwork.

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Very dapper suit sir. And a magic wee contraption.

[@dannyobrian5957]

I like the philosophy kind of thinking you have

[@BlackFoxLovesYou]

Hi Bob, been watching your videos for quite some time now. I wanted to make the friendly suggestion to move your episode numbers to the end of your titles. Something like "The Magic Mechanism For Wind Power Ep. 033" When I was a new viewer, I was very confused by the numbers at the beginning. In my feed suggestions when you would pop up I would see titles like "1894 Tide And Wave Power" or "1904 Flux Switch Generators" And I thought the episodes titles were implying the video was about some technology from a specific year that may still have modern uses. Now that I've had a look at your channel, it's plainly obvious they are just episodic numbering, but for any new viewers who are just seeing you in the sidebar and on the suggested/browse pages they may pass over you thinking "some old guy talking about old tech" when in reality they are missing out on a brilliant engineer who never seems to stop working!

[@jasonmorello1374]

I am thinking of a cradle expansion set for you, that is basically a bobbin winding set up, maybe with a counting wheel set, that can be run by hand or maybe by linear motion. tricky bit is the tension works, but I think some feedback form on a threaded segment, like they use for sewing machines. Primary hiccups I see is making sure the feed doesn't add twist over time and strain the wire, as well as an expansible assembly to trace the former. With all the coils you wind, it might save some labor. also fun mechanisms of several kinds to bring it about.

[@markkolmorgan7728]

Oh yeah! Wave motion generator, the ocean generates lots of motion that could convert.

[@johnbarry8185]

Hey Rob, drill a hole through the grey center of the ratchet mechanism, and place your wind 'leaf' part through the hole. That should make your wind 'leaf' mechanism work, no matter which way the wind blew the 'leaf', of 'feather', or whatever you call it. I believe that it will work better than the 'Scottish Yoke'.

[@linuxonbute]

I've thought more about this and think that if we had several Seiko mechanisms with jut the one wheel and each arm spring loaded the end of each one could be pulled by a number of tree branches to give a more continuous rotation.

[@rickwillcock5181]

You are the best buddy! What a fun video just packed w energy harvesting ideas

[@anthay-buchanan3057]

In Berlin in the 70s the Rajneeshies had a disco where the dancefloor harvested energy.

[@MikaelIsaksson]

@TnTOmnibus Well, how about if you build something like an old computer joystick. So you have the stick going down a hole where it have a joint in x and y direction. Then below that hole you connect it to a drive in x and a drive in y direction via something, maybe a belt or maybe a gear like you have but one direction maybe need to be in a ball or something to move along with the other direction. But the joystick analog would give the part that sticks down below the hole to have leverage. If you have a long stick up you can multiply that force quite a bit, therefore have a lot of resistance down below in the form of a large generator or high gear ratio to get some speed up.

[@ianmathieson65]

I can imagine a bank of your wind-driven rotational devices each set up as a coil winder. One person could patrol them and remove full coil formers and replace them with empty formers. Coil winding with zero energy consumption because the wind is free.

[@rlb96]

I know the point of this experiment is to get away from rotating motion, however, a simple windmill design with a cam at the bottom of the drive shaft to push the button and the return springs reinstalled, would be much more efficient, or at least it seems to me that it would. Might be an interesting video to see if it would work. The push-pull mechanism looks to be a great force multiplier over a direct drive.

[@austinmesta9862]

I'm really considering making a bigger one and attaching it to the leaf springs under my RV to generate when I walk through it or drive over a bump or roll over in the bed. That would be cool!

[@kennethcfogarty]

Big round of applause!!!

[@clickbaitnumberone1403]

Great one again!

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

A ball socket rocker would better soak up the randomly directed wind force. What you need is a lever which, no matter which direction the end blows, will always directly move. In the case of a ball socket, especially if you make full use of the leverage, you simply put your ratcheting mechanism below it, aiming more vertical than horizontal, and you can by all means get the force of the wind in all directions. This idea came up to me very long ago, only using hydraulic force, and pneumatic force, as those require fewer complex moving parts.

[@SheplerStudios]

An fluttering airfoil might work better, which would be able to generate lift off of the wind, verses simply pushing a flat plate? Perhaps a linear alternator more be more efficient than the rotational generator used?

[@kranzonguam]

Thanks for this! Lots of great ideas!

[@Zane.Wellnitz]

The long swaying rod as a wind generator. You can use a hollow rod with 4 rods inside. 2 of the inside rods being the coils. The other two having the magnets. As the outer rods sway the internal rods will bend at different rates. Put your hands together with your index fingers together and keep them together as you bend your fingers to the right and left and you will see that one bends more than the other and you will see what I am saying

[@skills2nv55]

I have three wave energy converters -- oscillating water column's tied to my dock. When the wave comes in (push) when the wave goes out (pull) I think I will try your little device! Thank You!

[@tonyhardy-kp4os]

I was thinking merge the ideal of the flat wind turbine from video 024 with this ideal of the oscillating pole. When the pole reaches its maximum swing at full extension it triggers the flag at the top of the pole to turn 90 degrees allowing less resistance for the return causing it to oscillate more/faster. Then when the pole reaches its maximum at full return it turns the flag 90 degrees back to its original vector allowing the cycle to repeat over and over. Because in strong gusts of wind the pole will just max out at full extension and stay there overcoming the rubber band. But if the flag is turned 90 degrees at that point it returns even in full gusts of wind. Seems a pity to not get them extra cycles out of those huge gusts of wind. I am not sure the best way to make it happen but there is a way to make it happen. IF i think of an elegant way to make it happen you will see another comment later.

[@chiperchap]

That ratchet one way doohickie is almost like a mechanical bridge rectifier lol

[@doubleooh7337]

Ive made something that can can turn 2 way movement into just 1way forwards thrust ising gears, i was gonna make a scooter with it on but never got round , basically can take a pendulum movement back and forthe and turn it into just a forward movement but probably work with your thing aswell, the wind should act on a pendulum with abit of weight be better than a standing stick which could fall over

[@RyanLebeck-td5ft]

Piezoelectric at the heel, and triboelectric at the pad of the foot. That would give you quite a shoe that could charge something mate! Even on a pedal bike that would be something to see.... Could you cobble up a mock up of something like that? I am confident that you could.

[@chuckmayes2294]

I would make the square able to spin and a two more and have them independently move around ... I think you would get more movement... Also you could get more out of it by making it move in any direction to collect more movement side too side is limited too one path for the wind.

[@GeorgeOzier-gr5zq]

Why not flexible rod magnets set into a coil where airflow is directed through the magnets. Like the branches of the tree? Just something I've been thinking about for a long time. Springlike rod magnets waving in the breeze...

[@user-xz1np6rr2q]

When I seen this I thought it looks like a good match for a electric bicycle using the18 magnetic generator for the front wheel maybe have a couple smaller ones for the shock system and regenerative braking and some bladeless wind turbines in the frame if possible and a lot of this I'm sure would end up being over kill so I'd like have your advice as to what kind of motor would you choose to power the rear tire not looking to run a race maybe 5 10 mph with a 250 load+bike if possible main concern is reliability and any advice on a storage system for the power supply thank you for your time and knowledge

[@jimycarey4751]

Can this be purchased complete as built in this video? Great useful content. 😊

[@1crazypj]

Neat, a 'pullmepushyou' machine. I guess power transmission to rotating ratchet gear is limited by strength and flexibility of arms? Something attached to a three year old would be interesting, they seem to be in a state of perpetual motion 😁 Something that has puzzled me for years, why isn't anyone putting a wind turbine inside all the cooling towers around the world? They have a venturi and generators have been vertical shaft over 100 years so you would get 'something for nothing' plus blade shape could be developed to be somewhat efficient plus hidden I know there is some research going on with thermal wind generators with ' cold end' and 'hot end' different heights on mountains but cooling towers have waste heat when 'whatever' is running and an upward flow.

[@barrywilliston7293]

Hi , Have you considered hanging the mechanism upside down to also let gravity bring your flutter back to center

[@salilsahani2721]

Thank you :)

[@cjmatulka8321]

Or, add an additional recombinant bar to the rotating ratcheted wheel, doing more work for the same actions device.

[@randycarroll-bradd4894]

Seems to me that the paddle catches the wind and moves with it only as the wind is moving perpendicular to it. That requires the wind to reverse direction in order to move the paddle back to its original position. Looking at the plant, I think the better orientation would be parallel to the predominant wind direction so that the paddle flutters.

[@nickush7512]

Great video :)

[@Jack__________]

Maybe use stronger rubber bands. The point is to get it oscillating just far enough to move those levers. So it’s ok if there’s plenty of tension after a certain distance. Or maybe mount a bracket with springs at a point higher than the rubber bands. Leave a gap to allow movement, and when the lever moves far enough, it hits the spring and then has both the spring and the rubber band pulling it back the other way. Or maybe if the vane on top is somehow spring loaded and or shaped so that it can partially turn. When the force in one direction is too great, the blade will turn partially and then the rubber band will have a chance to pull it back and create that oscillation. (Just brainstorming.)

[@kilokilos]

Back to the hamster, it worked a treat with humans during the industrial revolution.

[@cheesynuts4291]

My family and I just took vacation in a highly touristy area. The number of cars was insane. Imagine if they were all running over electricity generating pads. Harvesting wasted energy to power all the ridiculous lights and attractions.

[@sevilnatas]

I wonder if instead of the plate all the way at the end of the rod, which results is big more violent movements, more of a reed style armature? More like the plant you were standing next to. It seems like it would create a higher quantity of movement that was less percussive. Also, a whole forest of those devices would suck up every bit of wind that happens to be blowing by. Anyway, my 2 cents.

[@mattelfstrom9506]

now if you would please, place a rotating offset weighted disc so that it wobbles and you can capture centrifugal force also

[@TheAdeybob]

step machines for power...? I think I'm having a rick and morty reality attack.

[@mikelittle5839]

had a spinning top as a kid, pump it up and down and it would go round and round, recipricol to rotational

[@TnTOmnibus]

on my main channel mate kzbin.info/www/bejne/eITWm2Woea9lqtU

[@pauldent3059]

Would adding a coil on the other side of the magnet ring be an easy way to double output as copper is cheaper than magnets

[@dissonantiacognitiva7438]

So if you use a mechanism that turns when it reaches a point and its weight pulls it back to the original position where it turns to face the wind then it would work

[@mjones7947]

They do make iron filled PLA filament so you could just print the backing's. Don't know the ins and outs of it though never tried it, should make a difference in current output. Not sure how you work that into the winding holder unless your printer software have multi material settings.

[@donscottvansandt4139]

I wonder if it would work with the toothbrush gears you made before to reduce the noise...?

[@thistles4u]

Would it work attached or modified on a toilet or a door handle

[@linuxonbute]

I have been looking for some way to harness the energy from tree branch movement. This looks to be just right🤔

[@SPIRITatom]

Hi. Could we use the same principle's that kite surfers use to design a mechanism that could control a kite connected to a generator in and out of the power zone.

[@GETPICKER]

I don't see how you have it connected. Could you show that? I love all the things you teach us, but it doesn't help if I don't see all of it. It looks like it's not connected in the video. Thanks

[@TnTOmnibus]

if you mean electrically then it connects the same way all these things connect mate and i have done several vids showing that connection and how to make it - I can't redo every video everytime i make a video mate - sorry

[@kingmasterlord]

3:35 so much friction. can we use magnetic cogging effects for that ratcheting?

[@carlunderguarde8268]

instead of teeth, smooth disk and pads that have more friction one way than the other way might help

[@flipinfish]

I wonder if you have thought of rats or mice to generate power. Id love to see that laugh as the rat went turbo, haha😂

[@davidgeiger]

So the ball bearings on the outer rim are just for weight? Why not just put the magnets there and simplify the design a little more?

[@justtinkering6713]

I guess that noise would drive you nuts in short order.

[@themaneman2938]

Hi great video as always! Would it be possible to have access to your Tinkercad design directly on Tinkercad? as it is much easier for us to modify, scale, and change things like it was before!

[@andreycham4797]

Some engineers calculated the amount of energy which could be generated, if those types electricity generating machines were installed under railroads and Metro lines lots of free energy

[@parislawrence]

Could this be integrated into a vehicle's suspension?

[@3D_Printing]

Newton energy is energy so energy is added to walking, etc

[@edwilliams2808]

Have you thought about trying the wind and peizeo?

[@ChandrashekarCN]

💖💖💖💖

[@magapefarmshomestead6453]

You indicated that the winder would be made available but it doesn't seam to be in your notes

[@cimpeanmd]

u could make something that rotates the wing when it goes in it's max , or just remove that blokage of the wing so it can oscilate, if the wind blows same power u get nothing,, u have to make it to reverse, hope u understande what my wine trying to say... cheers!

[@Clintimtired]

Is this your new channel when you put all the videos of a project in one video instead of having a few separate videos on the same subject

[@crazyguysadvice]

brothels could be an execellent source of energy. real energiser bunnies.

[@dDoOyYoOuUtTuUbBeE]

But with a turning turbine, we use the momentum provided by the gusts.

[@HM-ts3hi]

hook it to an electric bicycle for example and lets see a real world application of this amazing idea .cheers

[@buzzwerd8093]

They tried piezo boots years ago and dumped them. They suck your stride and slow you down, what soldier goes to war with boots that tire him out? Isn't battle hard enough?

[@ArjayMartin]

Spin the magnets one way, and the windings the other way, using reversing gears on the one action = more output.... no?

[@ArjayMartin]

Oh, maybe you are doing that already?

[@dylanl2258]

What if street light poles were used as wind buffer generators?

[@colleenforrest7936]

If you ran it in reverse, with the wheel controlling the poll, you'd gave a fish fin 😅. Coule that configuration work as a driver?

[@jamesjonnes]

Too complex for the sole of a shoe. What is needed is a linear generator that's able to grab more electrons as a function of torque without increasing its size. Maybe an extremely thin coil or something.

[@paulc.3333]

could you make a pump that way?

[@shanemccoy4283]

What about piezo electric materials

[@hoofheartedicemelted296]

Metal plates would generate magnetic eddie's and the permanent magnets would wrestle with the field's generated in the coil, so you are wise to stick with plastic Mr Smyth. If small circular coils were used and a diode and transistor ( transistor connected to hall sensor or optical timer ) a diode to redirect the flyback generated by the mini coils to a couple of capacitors to charge a small battery 🤔

[@stewartjones2173]

That's where having a bonk comes from, it's onomatopeia. In the day of cheap or ex-army bedstead in the action of making love the bed would.bang the frame against the wall.

[@australiaray]

wave gen or water gen work better

[@stevenbliss989]

4V is nice but how much current can it produce? Really shocked that UK has walking power units at traffic lights?? ....FAR OUT! :)

[@grantofat6438]

Have you ever hard of a bicycle, and a dynamo?

[@SBDI]

Philips make the cat system to power a light with skweesing

[@seamuscharles9028]

Springs and shocks in a vehicle

[@johan96149]

A flexible flag will provide far more vibration, than a rigid plate.

[@jussikankinen9409]

Gym goers could spin big slave wheel like Conan movie

[@dr_ned_flanders]

Could harness the power of dogs wagging their tails.

[@dylanl2258]

If you were to put the coil winder on a wheel, you could halve the effort again, I think.

[@raloed.363]

5 watts?!! No way 😮