jiggle-watt

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The jiggle-watt is an attempt to transform the kinetic energy of the human body into electrical energy, creating an endless source of portable power able to recharge the personal mobile devices.

The kinetic flashlight is a device that has a magnet in the handle. When the flashlight is shook the magnet passes back and forth through a coil of wire causing an electrical current to flow. The two ends of the wire coil are connected to the AC inputs of a diode-bridge rectifier.  The DC output of the rectifier is connected to a high-density capacitor. When the flashlight’s switch is pressed the electricity stored in the capacitor is allowed to flow through the LED creating an impressive amount of light after only a few shakes.

Inspired by the kinetic flashlight’s the ease of electrical generation though minimal movement, I decided the jiggle-watt should employ small magnetic-induction systems placed strategically on the body in order to convert the everyday movements of the body into electricity. 

I started with two types of magnet wire, 75feet of 26gauge green-enameled wire and 200feet of 30gauge red-enameled wire. Wrapping the two types of wire around two separate 1/2inch acrylic tubes I got a coil with about 1500 turns of the red-enameled wire and a coil with about 575 turns of the green-enameled wire. I was eager to see what the difference in electrical generation would be between the two different coils.

High-power “8lbs” magnets were inserted into each tube to induce current when they pass thought the surround coil. Instead of just closing off the ends of the tubes or putting rubber bumpers at the ends of the tubes like in the kinetic flashlight, I wanted to take advantage of the repulsive force of like poled magnets to act as bumpers. At the ends of each tube I placed a magnet with its like pole facing the moving induction magnet, this created a very elastic bumper force that kept the induction magnet suspended within the acrylic tube.

The ends of each jiggle-watt coil were soldered to long wires that could extend from the feet or hands to the pants pockets in order to unobtrusively charge personal mobile electronic devices. Each extension wire was then soldered to the AC inputs of a diode-bridge rectifier. The DC output of each rectifier was soldered to a common capacitor. A switch was plavced between the capacitor and an LED to illustrate the power capabilities of jiggle-watt generators. After shaking the jiggle-watt system with hands or feet, the switch can be thrown to light the LED.

The practicality of the jiggle-watt system lies in the ergonomic design of the magnetic induction coil system so as to most efficiently transfer the movement of the human body into the motion required to move the magnet through the induction coil. I imagine curved or flexible tubing with round or spherical magnets sewn directly into clothing or shoes.  As to the electrical storage and charging features of the jiggle-watt, I would expect a circuit that would actively monitor the electricity stored in the capacitor and only begin charging the personal mobile electronic devices when the voltage was high enough. I could see this being done with zener-diodes or a small IC.

kinetic flashlight
open-circuit voltage: 3V
short-circuit current: .1mA

Green jigglerator
open-circuit voltage: 3V
short-circuit current: .1mA
75ft 26 gague wire

Red jigglerator
open-circuit voltage: 4V
short-circuit current: .1mA
200ft 30gauge wire