Gravity Battery
Gravity can generate energy, in this tutorial we are gonna generate enough power to light up a LED. For one meter high you'll get around 10 seconds of light which are not very useful in most scenarios but we are here for a demonstration!
Let's get into the details.
Supplies
You'll need the following materials
- A small weight ~300g
- One M3 screw ~10mm
- A rope >1m
- A LED
- Conductive wire
- DC motor 12v
- A high and solid support where you'll screw the Holder
- 2 small screw
3D models printed
- Holder
- Manivelle (not mandatory, it is to reroll the spool)
- Spool
Depending on your motor you may need to adapt the spool yourself. Post your STLs in comments!
Mounting the Component Together
- Solder the LED to the DC motor with two wires
- The orientation doesn't matter as you'll choose it when rolling the rope around the spool
- Put the DC motor inside the holder and tighten it with the M3 screw
- The DC motor have one side empty between the pieces of metal, the screw need to be in between just to avoid horizontal movement
- Don't screw until the end as you'll break the motor's gears
- Make a knot by going through the spool with your rope
- Fix the holder to a wood
- Assemble the spool on the shaft of the DC motor
Trying Your Gravity Battery
- Knot your weight to the other side or the rope
- Check the direction of your motor by turning the spool manually, you should see the LED lighten up
- Roll up the spool in the opposite direction
- Drop the weight and watch it making light!
Your Gravity battery is ready !