Reaching toward simple electricity

I remember reading a book as a youth about how people may survive if there was a devastating war or a disaster. I thought the book was interesting because it described a dome over the last surviving city which kept radiation out. It was pretty far out there for the 70’s. That’s probably why it appealed to me. It got my imagination going as to what could be possible and what man could create.

The rebel in this book ventured outside of the city, away from the protective dome. He was curious about what he may find given the fact that everything was supposedly destroyed. In this journey, everything seemed baron around the city until he decided to head toward the vast mountains.

He saw very little life except for an occasional bird or small rodent. Which, to him, was odd given that there was not supposed to be any life existing outside of the city.

Once he reached the mountains and started to explore, he came upon streams with fish. This was paradise to him. Then he found a hermit who figured out how to produce electricity by using a bicycle to turn a generator. He used this method to run the machines he needed to make things easier.

Since I read this book, I have continually looked for ways to create simple electricity.  Having lived through the New York City black-out, I could see an application for this. (Gottlieb and Glanz 2003) But, until recently, I didn’t have any ideas as to how this could be done.

I have been raised to believe that to create energy, you must create friction. Turbines used for wind and water energy create friction, which in turn creates electricity.

Then I was introduced to the concepts of a Stirling Engine by a fellow employee.  (Unknown 2006) This employee purchased a small replica of this device, then engineered his own machine and attached a light bulb.

This was amazing to me. While the concept was really cool, the light it produces was not sufficient to read by as the light pulsed as the wheel turned. But still, it allowed my creativity to be reborn.

After exploring this theory, I found that this exact theory has been used to create emergency electrical systems for yachts and for use in cryogenic cooling systems. In 2005 Southern California’s Edison agreed to purchase Solar Powered Stirling Engines to produce electricity. (Unknown 2006) Wow, this is amazing.

I began to wonder if there was a way to produce electricity without having to rely on ma Edison.  What untapped resource haven’t we fully embraced?

I kept searching while our world changed around me. Is there simple free electricity available for everyone? Have we just not tapped into the wealth of information before us? Or, has it been out of reach until now?

References

Gottlieb, Martin and Glanz, James, (2003, August 15) The Blackouts of '65 and '77 Became Defining Moments in the City's History, (article), New York Times (The), (NY), http://nytimes.com/2003/08/15/nyregion/15HIST.html, last accessed, September 28, 2010.

Unknown, (2006) Today’s Stirling Engine, (article), Stirling Engine Society (USA), SESUSA.org, http://www.sesusa.org/, last accessed, September 28, 2010.

Unknown, (2006) Stirling Engine, (article), Copyright NJK, Max Energy Limited, http://www.solarnavigator.net/stirling_engine.htm, last accessed, September 28, 2010.