- #1
greyd927
- 25
- 0
Is there a way to wind up a spring or coil to store mechanical energy and then release that energy slowly over a longer period of time instead of allowing the spring to release rapidly all at once?
greyd927 said:But a watch releases the energy in spurts, the second hand for example repeatedly moves forward and pauses. I'm looking for a more constant motion
QuantumPion said:You can use a dashpot.
James_Harford said:Start with the axle of the second-hand of a watch or windup clock.
greyd927 said:The elastic rod idea is interesting but I feel as if the constant stretching and relaxing of the relaxing of the elastic would eat up more energy and eventually warp the elastic. I hadn't thought of a governor though, that would be a pretty good idea.
I want to create a mechanical battery of sorts. Modern day batteries are getting more and more efficient but can only store the energy for a fixed period of time. While I don't need to produce a lot of energy I would like to store it mechanically in order to store it for a much much longer period of time then modern batteries allow.
This does not necessarily have to be a spring, but any from of mechanical / potential energy which I can easily convert to electricity quickly and smoothly.
I would most likely use this mechanical energy to move a magnet past a coil (doesn't get much simpler) but what if i built the magnet right into the governor as the weights for example? I could condense the design and possibly even prevent one energy loss.
thoughts on how such a design could be done?
greyd927 said:If I'm storing it in a spring or a weight i should be able to store it for a very long time, especially if i change the design to use a falling weight, then i could store it indefinitely.
greyd927 said:A spring or coil can be rewound over and over again whiteout the need for external electricity. Batteries only have one use or require existing electricity to recharge them.
And if i wanted to store it for a day the design could easily be changed to store it for a few months or even a year. Potential energy is pretty easy to store. A day is just a really simple easy interval to start out with.
greyd927 said:The idea is to be able to have on demand power for small devices dispute power outages and what not hence why mechanical energy is my approach
As soon as you start 'tapping' the electricity the magnet becomes harder to move relative to the coil. Lenz's Law. Because of this you might figure out a way to have your generator be it's own governor.greyd927 said:I would most likely use this mechanical energy to move a magnet past a coil (doesn't get much simpler) but what if i built the magnet right into the governor as the weights for example? I could condense the design and possibly even prevent one energy loss.
Mechanical energy is the energy an object has due to its motion or position. It can be released over time through various processes such as friction, combustion, or conversion to other forms of energy.
Mechanical energy can be harnessed and utilized through machines and devices that convert it into other forms of energy, such as generators for electricity or engines for transportation.
The amount of mechanical energy released over time can be affected by factors such as the mass and velocity of the object, the type of surface it is moving on, and the amount of resistance or friction present.
Yes, mechanical energy can be converted back into its original form through processes such as regenerative braking in vehicles or using generators to convert the kinetic energy of moving objects into electricity.
The release of mechanical energy can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. For example, the use of renewable energy sources that harness mechanical energy can reduce carbon emissions, but the burning of fossil fuels to release mechanical energy can contribute to air pollution and climate change.