Gravity

My BayGen flashlight has only a 3V output. I want to connect a spring to a larger generator, for example the very small hand sized 24V generators I have. The spring winder is the first step, but inside this flashlight is a death symbol because the spring could literally cut off your head if not controlled. I need a way to control the potential energy before I begin.

Offered by Aron.

The wound flat spring generator works well for portability and extremely small amounts of power. The problem is that these units are not that easy to build before or after the pole shift. One would need good spring steel strapping material. For extremely small amounts of power one might be able to use a lawn mower wind up starter unit. I think a more powerful unit could be built using a different technique, enough to keep a small flashlight bulb burning for a while. For example:

A small bicycle generator with a proper gear ratio attached to a water pipe made into the shape of a crank. Wound around the pipe would be a rope attached to a heavy rock, bucket of water, bag of dirt or any thing heavy that is available. This unit would be blocked up in the air using a tree or other structure. A crank and a one way ratchet would allow one to crank the heavy weight into the air. The natural weight of the heavy mass would then turn the pipe and gears or belts to the small generator. Once the mass fell to the ground one would crank it up again. Potential energy stored would be proportional to mass times height. I think you could build this to store more energy than with any typical wind up spring. This could be built to be portable, but would work better if permanently located.

Offered by Mike.