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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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File: 16 KB, 234x278, hpg_biker.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
642126 No.642126 [Reply] [Original]

So I try to keep fit in between my own /diy/ projects, jewelry, and wasting all my time on 4chan and making excuses for not going out for a bike ride.

Then I thought, if I could be bike riding a kilometer for every 4 minutes I spend on 4chan, id get my daily quato of exercise and beyond done in a flash.
Then I thought, wait why the fuck not?

I have a shitty old laptop that I'd like to hook up to a diy bike generator or something of the sort.
How would I go about creating such a thing?

>> No.642164

You'll need a battery and an inverter.
A flywheel would probably help.

>> No.642172

You'll never power a laptop with your bike but you could probably find some way to cut the power supply to one or turn one off if you are pedaling too slow.

>> No.642191

>>642172
>You'll never power a laptop with your bike
why not?

>> No.642202

>>642191
>>You'll never power a laptop with your bike
>why not?
I don't know that one could "never" power a laptop, but it will probably require more power than you could comfortably produce.

laptop power bricks have the power consumption on their labels, usually 100-200+ watts

most casual bicyclists can put out somewhere between 100 ~ 150 watts for an hour, maybe more.

>> No.642246

>>642202
maybe if you run a 20" desktop replacement, small laptops consume 35W tops but since you're just browsing you'll probably won't even come close.

Nowadays we have these things called switching power supplies which convert with over 90% efficiency.

Powering a normal laptop would be no problem at all.

In fact my 8 year old dell laptop has a 65W power brick which can power the laptop indefinitely AND charge the battery as well.

>> No.642262

Don't mistake what im asking, I don't so much as want a charger, but more a method of stagnating the charge so any drop in activity will risk having the laptop power off or at least drop what little charge it holds

>> No.642264

I wouldnt bother with an inverter, find a generator that puts out 12V and use a car adaptor

>> No.642287

>>642202
The key is to not power the laptop but have the bike movement run through something that allows power from the wall to keep it running.

>> No.642320
File: 146 KB, 2312x1288, Stationary Bike Generator Power Diagram 01.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
642320

>>642126
It is fairly easy, electronic-wise. Much like Legos. The hard part is making the supports and frames for everything.

Since you'll be using a laptop with a battery it'll be a little easier. You won't need to use AC or an inverter. Just look at the AC-DC wall power adapter and see what the output voltage and current are. Just shoot for that in your electrical design. I recommend a charge controller though in order to keep the voltage from going too high.

There's also this thread: >>640112

>> No.642322

>>642202
>>642172
I built one. I can power my laptop with it. Though, I choose to charge my 12v 105ah marine battery, so I can use the stored power for more things than just my laptop. Most laptops are energy efficient and only require 50 watts or less. Mine uses a 12v 3amp wall adapter (36 watts) and the laptop itself is rated for 36 watts, but it only draws about 14 watts.

36 watts is very doable on an electric bicycle generator, especially one with normal gears.