Something I happened across today: MIT team creates shock that recharges your car

Basically it’s a shock that generates electricity from the energy it absorbs rather than just converting it into heat. They’re talking about using it on large vehicles, but is there any reason you couldn’t have a miniaturised version on bike shocks or forks, to recharge your GPS or power your (smirk) electrically operated gears?

Their version works by forcing the oil through a turbine instead of the normal valving; could you put a teeny tiny turbine in the leg of a fork? Or going in another direction, generate power through induction from a coil wound around a shock shaft or somesuch?

The article says one of their shocks on a normal road can generate up to 1kW; given the gnarly terrain a mountain bike can be ridden on it might be sufficient to power a few odds and ends.

Just thinking out loud, thought it was an interesting idea… 🙂

Phil

Very interesting idea. I suspect the scale of things on a bike might make things rather troublesome – whilst you might be on gnarly terrain, the actual travel is probably less than on the truck they mention, whilst the loads are a huge amount less. I also note the weasel words “up to”!

I reckon you could fit a dual oil chamber in your shoe heels with mini turbines in that pump when you walk.

and regenerative braking too please! (far more power available there)

Maybe you could rig up some sort of dynamo affair to be rotated by your bike tyre and generate electricity to charge up your lights.
Now there’s a fresh idea for yer!

ahh, you miss the point potdog.

Dynamos take energy where there once was none lost. The systems suggested above are recylcing energy that would otherwise have been wasted in heat.

Yes sir, we do sell lightweight carbon framed bikes…..carbon bars, stem, seatpost all for lightweight. Air forks and shocks cos there light too.
Or if you can’t stretch to that, how about a fairly light, but cheaper bike?

And can we interest you in a system that regenerates energy from various clever devices in your fork/shock and connected to your brakes as well to turn the kinetic energy into electrical energy…..?
Cost: Lots……
Weight: 8lb……

Oh………..erm, no thanks I’ll just buy a slightly bigger battery.

regenerative braking?
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/07/panasonic_makes_electric_bike_with_regenerative_braking-2.html

I reckon you could fit a dual oil chamber in your shoe heels with mini turbines in that pump when you walk.

Already better ways of generating power from walking
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.02/baylis.html

Self sufficient speedo. Very clever idea and potentially could be extremely useful but if you think for one second that you’ll be taken seriously with it, think on sunshine!