Because of the growing demand for electricity and our desire to limit fossil fuel emissions, we seek to take advantage of alternative sources of energy. Children enjoy producing the motion of playground equipment such as merry-go-rounds. The goal of the project is to use the kinetic energy from a backyard merry-go-round to a hand crank generator that can charge a cordless drill battery. The drill battery can then be used to charge phones and other devices that run on small rechargeable batteries. Our device consists of a rubber wheel, to be installed in contact with the underside of a merry-go-round, mounted on a shaft connected to a gearbox with gears configured to increase the RPM, thereby multiplying the output voltage. A pin shaft connection is used to join the gearbox output shaft to the hand crank generator.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Martin, James
• Bonelli, Erica

Subject

• Energy
• Sustainability

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 106536
• E-project-042723-160941

Keyword

• Playground Equipment
• Energy

Advisor

• Cobb, Eben C.

Year

• 2023

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Date created

• 2023-04-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Source

• E-project-042723-160941

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-15