Power Generation Concepts Efficiency Our research has ascertained that bicycles are the most efficient way

for people to create mechanical power. Our task is to transform the mechanical power into electrical power suitable for powering the Earth Hour concert as efficiently as possible. To do this we need to choose the best generator and most efficient method of transmitting power from the pedals to the generator. Choosing the generator The first requirement for the electricity generator is to be able to connect to the Grid Connect Inverter that will then feed the power into the electricity grid. Grid Connect Inverters are primarily designed for solar panel installations and so take DC electricity in the range 54-400V. This requirement also immediately rejects automotive alternators as they maintain a constant 12V (24V for trucks) output. We are using a Conergy WR3300 Grid conect inverter which has an input voltage range of 150-500V and can convert up to 3.6kW of DC electricity to AC. The next option is the permanent magnet alternator. These are commonly used for low power wind and hydro power generation, similar applications to bike power. There are many permanent magnet alternators (/motors) available, but the ones that caught our eye were Fisher & Paykel Smart Drive washing machine motors. These motors are very configurable, allowing us to tune them to give maximum efficiency at the correct power point and are reported to have reached 97% efficiency when tuned correctly (More Info (external pdf)). Weve tested these motors extensively and have found that the motors have peak efficiency at a particular current. This current can be increased by wiring coils in parallel, but cannot be decreased from the point of the unmodified motor. The voltage the motor generates is proportional to the number of coils and the rotation speed. This allows us to predict the most common power level the cyclists will output and tune the system to be most efficient at that point. Power transmission We have reviewed a number of options on transmitting the power from the pedals to the generator. The main requirements are comfort for the rider and efficiency of transmission. To keep the system accessible for all riders, and allow them to choose their own cadence (ie, how fast they cycle), we have decided to keep the bicycle gearing on the bikes. This gives us a rotation speed of approximately 150 RPM on the rear wheel of the bicycle. To step this up to a more useful speed we are running the rear wheel of the bicycle onto a 260mm friction wheel. This is in turn connected to the generator. There will be one generator per bicycle to avoid the difficulties inherent in mechanically linking the bicycles together. We reviewed other options for linking the bicycles to the generators drive shaft like using pulleys or geared wheels but our tests showed that the friction wheel was most efficient as well as the simplest. Inertia The large friction wheel also has an important advantage over other drive systems inertia. As a cyclist spins their pedals, the power they create is not constant. Nearly all of the power comes from the down stroke on the pedals and almost no power is generated at the top of the stroke, when the feet are moving forwards and backwards. On a system with not much inertia, the generator will rapidly consume all of the mechanical power stored in the system and make it difficult to move the feet around before start of the next down stroke. This results in the pedals slowing down at the top of the stroke and speeding up during the power stroke, making for an irregular, uncomfortable and unsustainable cycling experience. If we give the system some inertia, it will greatly assist the cyclist in continuously generating power. This means at the start of the power stroke, they are not starting from scratch again