International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 31 Number 4- January 2016
The Green Energy Exerciser
R.Vishal
Student, III semester, Mechanical Engineering, SASTRA University
Thirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu 613401, India
Abstract - I am Vishal, a second year Mechanical
solution to this problem. The GEE not only helps a
Engineering student from SASTRA University,
Thanjavur. This article is my humble attempt to save
the planet from the harmful effects of many electrical
and electronic gadgets that deteriorate the quality of
human life day after day. This is based on a mini
project which I did during my III semester holidays in
December 2015. More than being an engineer I realize
my responsibility towards mother earth and vow to keep
contributing my little to her in every possible way. I
express my heart-felt thanks to Mr.Chandra Sekhar, my
mentor at Tecniq Design Group, Secunderabad for his
able guidance and support.
person burn calories but also converts the mechanical
Key words: green energy, electrical energy, bridge
rectifier, alternative energy, variable gear ratio, bio
mechanical energy
discharge mode which are indicated by green and blue
energy generated due to continuous pedaling into
electrical energy through a series of gears connected to a
12 V DC generator. The generated electricity is then
stored in a (6V, 4.5AH) DC rechargeable lead-acid
battery with the help of a discrete component charge
control circuit which is controlled by a switch. The
switch is used to shift between charge mode and
LEDs respectively. The output from the battery is then
given to a female (host) USB port where a multi-pin
charger can be connected to charge a mobile or any
THE GREEN ENERGY EXERCISER
other device which can be charged via USB.
Introduction- the fitness concern
Fitness has always been one of the most important
requirements of our life. Long shifts of work by
employees in most of the sectors lead to many health
problems if people do not find time to take care of their
fitness. According to figures from Weight Watchers, an
American multi-national company, an average person in
UK spends around 50 minutes a week working out
which accounts to a little more than 43 hours a year [1].
This is more or less the same case in most parts of the
world. This ismuch below the set standards of 30
minutes a day. This is either due to the fact that people
are lethargic to go to the gym or that they think twice
before shelling out bucks on equipment due to their busy
life.
The main component of the discrete circuit is a bridge
rectifier which gives DC output of the single polarity for
varying input polarities. An LDO is also present in the
circuit which regulates the output voltage so that
constant voltage is fed to the battery bank. The current
GEE- the perfect solution
goes from the DC generator to the battery in charge
The green energy exerciser (GEE), being a compact
device which just occupies a foot space, is the perfect
SSN: 2231-5381
mode and goes from battery to the USB port in
discharge mode. Resistors and diodes are also connected
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 31 Number 4- January 2016
in the circuit in order to prevent damage to the battery
due to high voltages produced by fast pedaling.
The GEE is also an excellent way to produce alternative
energy as it makes the generation of power easy and
pollution-free. The GEE produces an average of 11V
DC at 90 pedals per minute with a gear ratio of 1:60
which means one revolution of the pedal results in 60
revolutions of the gear present inside the DC generator.
The voltage can be increased by increasing the gear ratio
of the gears connected to the generator which in turn
The decline in costs of generation of renewable energy
in many parts of the world in the past 5 years due to
increases the electricity generation.
sustained
technological
processes
and
improved
One of the main reasons due to which power generation
financial conditions further ensure the growth in use of
is easy is that some of the physical motions of the
alternative energy to a whole different level. Although
human body such as pedaling, arm swing etc. produce a
there may be initial setbacks in implementing a full
considerable amount of biomechanical energy. The
scale renewable energy usage due to factors like
compactness of the device also adds to its arsenal
shortage of financial support and the difficulty which
making it easier to use both at home and work.
people face in abandoning conventional ways of power
The GEE is easy to construct and as a result, costs much
lesser than most of the fitness equipment used today.
With an efficiency of more than 70%, its variants can be
pretty much used to run any low power to medium
power appliances. It fares much better when compared
to solar energy due to its high efficiency and reliability.
Along with the luxury of variable gear ratio and highly
efficient DC generators, the GEE emerges as one of the
most promising alternative energy generation methods.
generation, technological innovations are bound to occur
which will definitely make sure that alternative energy
becomes the major source of power by the beginning of
the next century. One of the first steps towards the
development in the green energy sector is the
biomechanical energy harvest carried out on a small
scale by devices like the bicycle apparatus which is the
main principle behind the GEE. Even though the energy
output provided by today’s prototypesis sufficient to run
only small appliances, improvements in the efficiency of
Conclusion - Towards an eco-friendly future
According to a report from International Energy Agency
(IEA), the share of renewable energy would witness an
increase to around 26% by 2020 from 22% in 2013
DC generators and new innovations to reduce frictional
losses may well make it one of the prime sources of
alternative energy in the near future.
References
which is a remarkable increase in such a short period of
time.[2]
1)
2)
SSN: 2231-5381
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/7738663/Brit
ons-spend-more-than-14-hours-a-day-sitting-down.html
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/11/asia-pacificrenewable-energy-market-to-hit-535-2-gw-by-2020globaldata-report/
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