Generating Electricity from a Bicycle Dynamo

written by: Swagatam • edited by: Lamar Stonecypher • updated: 5/8/2013

The proposed mini-electricity generator project is very simple to build and can be used
by students as a school project, or just for hobbyists. The set up can be used to charge a
battery with electricity produced from wind power.

A dynamo is a type of alternator commonly associated with bicycles for generating

electricity that is used for lighting a small head lamp. The unit eliminates the need of a
battery and provides an easy alternative for illuminating a lamp whenever the bicycle is
in motion.
A dynamo is a pretty interesting little generator which starts generating pure electricity
the moment its wheel is rotated. Basically, it works on the fundamental principles of
electromagnetism where current is induced in coils of copper wire under the influence
of a rotating magnetic flux, generated by alternate shifting of the magnets North and
south poles.
Before we move on to the actual project, interested enthusiasts may try building a
homemade dynamo with the help of the explanation provided in the following section.
Image Credit - http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/bicycle-dynamo-with-bracket-6v-
3w-p-798.html

How to Make a Homemade Dynamo

You will need the following materials:
A flat iron bar = six inches long, half mm in thickness,
Super enameled copper wire = 28 to 30 SWG, 25 meters approximately,
Small magnet bar = square in shape, 1.5 square inch, half mm in thickness.
Suitable spindle, clamp, wheel mechanism set-up as discussed in the text and in
the diagram.
Torch Bulb = 3 Volts
Procedure:
Bend the iron bar in “U" shape with dimensions as shown in the diagram.
Cover the horizontal portion of the “U" with a reasonably thick paper former or insulate
it with some kind of PVC tape.
Wind the copper wire neatly and gently over the above dressed section of the “U"
channel, through uniform overlapping steps, until you have at least 6 inches of wire ends
left for external connections.
Take the magnet and fix it (by gluing or some other suitable method) over a central
metal rod and arrange the mechanism just as directed in the diagram.
Connect the coil ends to a small 3 volt torch bulb.
Now it’s just a matter of rotating the central rod/magnet assembly as fast as the
mechanism permits.
If the winding and the mechanism specifications are perfectly optimized, it will instantly
produce a nice glow over the filament of the bulb.

Your homemade DIY dynamo is ready.

However, the above make cannot be even close to a readymade dynamo as far as
efficiency is concerned, so for our next main project, we would want to procure a good
quality readymade bicycle dynamo.

Construction Clues

In one of my previous articles we discussed the construction of a windmill generator

using an ordinary motor. In the article I recommended the use of the anemometer
principle while designing the propellers. The reason behind this was to avoid the
inclusion of cumbersome rudders and complicated pivot mechanism. The propellers
associated with anemometers do not depend on wind directions and are capable of
producing consistent, unidirectional, high speed revolutions under most wind
conditions.
Although the use of a stepper motor has an advantage of driving the load (charging
batteries) directly, without the need of an external circuit, the device is costly and
requires higher wind speeds for optimum saturating levels. Moreover, new electronic
enthusiasts often get confused with the specifications while procuring them.
Here, the use of a bicycle dynamo makes the procedures very simple, however since the
unit generates electricity at relatively lower levels, it may require an external voltage
booster circuit for driving a load consistently. In the present application we are able to
use the generated voltage for charging many Ni-Cd cells (1.2 V each) in series.
The mechanical set up illustrated in the diagram is self-explanatory and quite simple to
construct. As per the law of the moment of inertia, longer propeller shafts will help to
generate greater torque and consequently higher currents from the dynamo.
Practically though, you will find, only at optimum speeds, the generator produces
voltages above 4 volts. Therefore, in order to get this voltage, which is ideally suited for
the application even during dull wind speeds, we will require a voltage booster circuit or
what is popularly know as the “charge pump" circuit.

The Charge Pump Circuit

The simple charge pump circuit shown here is simplicity in itself. By interconnecting six
NOT gates or CMOS inverters, in the way shown in the diagram, you can boost any
voltage at its input to more than twice the level at its output.
Now it’s all about fixing the stages in order and acquiring the required results.
Parts Required
You will need the following parts for making this wind mill dynamo circuit:
All capacitors are 22 µF / 25 V,
All diodes are 1N4007,
The six NOT gates are from the IC 4049,
Dynamo is 6 V, 3 Watts, standard bicycle dynamo.
Cup and spindle mechanism as given in the diagram.

References
Authors own experience. Images - Drawn by the author
Activity: How do generators produce electricity? [Print]

Key Learning Points:

1. Electromagnetic induction
2. AC generator
3. Outline of AC generator in power plant
4. Communication

Teachers' notes: [ZIP] Typical results and students' worksheet.

Introduction:

In this activity, you will

 do an experiment with a simple AC

generator found in a school
laboratory to display the waveform
of the electromotive force on a CRO
 identify the different parts of the
generator and explain their functions

AC generators in power plants are much

more complex than those found in school
laboratories. However, we can still gain a Fig. 1 Simple AC generator found in a school laboratory

heuristic understanding of their basic

structure and operation in this activity.

Part I

Notes to teachers: The students may actually do the experiment, or observe the experimental results on the
video clip.

Video of the experiment

Procedures:
Apparatus: AC generator in school laboratory, CRO.

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in

Fig.1.
2. Turn the handle of the generator and
note the brightness of the light bulb.
Turn the handle faster then slower to
see how the brightness changes.
3. Connect the output of the generator
to a CRO. Turn the handle and adjust
the time base of the CRO until a Fig. 2 The generator connected to a CRO

waveform is displayed on screen. Take a photo of the waveform and put it on the
student worksheet.
4. On the worksheet, identify different parts of the AC generator on the photo with those
labeled on the schematic diagram.
5. View the Flash animation below and prepare a short presentation to explain to the
class how the generator outputs the AC current, and whether what you observed on
the animation is consistent with what you observed on the CRO.

Flash animation: Simple AC generator

Discussion:

1. What happens to the brightness of the light bulb when you turn the handle more
rapidly? Explain this in terms of the principles of electromagnetic induction.
2. What does the waveform on the CRO look like? What happens if you turn the handle
more rapidly?
3. Is the waveform you observed on the CRO the same as that in the animation? Why
and why not?

Part II

Looking at a power plant AC generator

In Part I, an AC current was generated by turning the coils of the generator in a magnetic
field. The magnetic field was produced by two stationary permanent magnets.
In a power plant generator, however, the
conducting coils are stationary and it is the
magnets that are turned. Also, the magnetic
field in power plant generators is produced
by electromagnets (instead of permanent
magnets) with current supplied by an
external power source. The functioning of
the coils and electromagnets in power plant
generators to produce a high AC output are
very complex and will not be discussed
here.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a power
plant generator. Work out how it functions
and explain this to your classmates in a short
presentation. (Fig. 4 shows an illustration of
a real power plant generator.)
Fig. 3 Schematic diagram showing how a practical generator
produces electricity. The rotating electromagnet produces a
changing magnetic field which induces a current in the
surrounding coil. The windings of a real generator are much
more complex.

Fig. 4 Illustration of a real power plant generator. Stator refers to the part that does not move, and rotor refers to the part
that is rotated inside the stator. The rotor is a large electromagnet with windings inside to produce a magnetic field. As it
rotates inside the stator, induced current is generated at the windings of the stator