Generating Electricity W/ Only a Motor & Household Supplies

The concept of using a DC motor in reverse is a relatively familiar one; but I have devised a way to do so using easily accessible "trash" found around the house. This tutorial shows how to make a small, economical model of this phenomenon (the idea of which can be applied to things such as fans, computers, hair dryers, etc.).

The science behind it: DC motors are rotary electric motors that use the force of magnetic fields in order to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Essentially, when they are attached to a battery or some type of power source, the internal gears and magnetic field allow the shaft to rotate on the other side. In this project, we basically turn the device into a generator instead of a motor by reversing the process: instead of electrical to mechanical, we will make the motor go from mechanical to electrical. This can be done by rotating the shaft directly, which generates electricity and can be used to power something like an LED. On a larger scale, this can generate even more power, but this is just a model. To avoid rotating the shaft manually, we will construct a wind turbine.

DC motor (6 to 12 volt)

Christmas lights or an LED (high intensity)

a deck of cards

pencils

thin, scrap wood (ex. paint stick)

a cup

rubber bands or glue

Tools: drill, carving knife (opt.)

The first step is to take two pencils, which will serve as part of the blades, and attach them across each other. To do so, I used a carving knife and carved out some of the wood of the pencils (see picture) in order to make the two pencils better fit together in their centers (this is optional). I then drilled a small hole through the two pencils and secured them together with super glue and a rubber band. I let this dry overnight.

Next, I selected four cards from my deck and bent them in half. I used superglue along one side on the back and attached them to the pencils, making sure to stay consistent with their directions.

This step is relatively simple; requiring some rubber bands, a cup, and scrap wood. I first flipped the cup upside down and then attached two pieces of wood (which I got from breaking a paint stick in half) to the cup with a rubber band. Later, I added a smaller rubber band to the top to help support the motor.

In order to get an LED, I deconstructed a bulb from some Christmas lights (you can also buy them online). But note: make sure your lights or purchases are labeled "high intensity" because this allows the LED to light up with less mechanical energy required. To attach the LED, thread its wires through the terminals on the motor. Make sure to put the shorter wire through the negative terminal (identifiable by the side vents). Again, make sure your motor is 6 to 12 V in order to ensure it can combat the resistance and is strong enough to light the LED. After this, you can test to see if the motor lights the LED by spinning the shaft quickly in one direction.

Take your motor and fit its shaft into the hole you drilled into the pencils, making sure it fits securely enough to allow it to turn with the blades. Then, place the motor onto the top rubber band on the base and angle it upwards so the blades do not make contact with the cup while spinning. Finally, test your project by placing it in front of a fan or outside on a windy day to see if your LED lights up!