The Green Rail
Submitted by bonham000 on Sun, 09/21/2008 - 11:40.
Last updated on Mon, 05/18/2009 - 14:16.
Vital Stats
ongoing project
08/01/2008
05/01/2009
People Involved: 1Money Raised: $0.00
Project Video
The Problem
The Green Rail I have envisioned would act primarily as a device to educate citizens and inspire them to help the environment. The first time I rode in a Toyota Prius I was enthralled by the LCD display that betokened a real time calculation of the car’s energy efficiency. It was a great satisfaction to have the physical assertion that my transportation was working towards preserving the environment.
An impetus must be created that will inspire the holistic implementation of the green technology that already exists. The monopoly of the gas and oil corporations are sustained by profit, profit that is blind to the environmental casualty it is racking up. Everyday citizens will not have sufficient opportunity to engage in sustainable living unless the overall market begins to shift towards eco-friendly technology. As it is now, a standard solar power system for a home could cost around $40,000, an impractical cost for the median U.S. income of $50,000. In fact, any ‘natural’ goods are exorbitant compared to mass-produced products. For example, Whole Foods is more expensive than Wal-Mart. The Green Rail is intended to provide social motivation against these dynamics.
I hope to induce a sense of environmental accountability in businessmen walking up to their office, commuters traversing a subway station, and students walking to class. I believe I am qualified for this venture because I am committed to the cause and feel a strong connection with nature that I intend to act upon. Furthermore, I am currently enrolled in a senior Engineering class, which is purposed to support design projects such as this. This class enforces my work on this project and also provides valuable time and resources to contribute to the creation of the Green Rail.
Why It's Important
The Green Rail is an optionally engaged mechanical device that utilizes the upward motion of human movement to generate electricity. Anyone who has climbed multiple flights of stairs can relate to a burning sensation in their quad muscles after reaching the top story. Even for the human body, one of the most energy efficient systems known to man, such an upward journey is straining. The Green Rail takes advantage of this arduous task and harness some of the energy produced in climbing stairs.
Essentially, the Green Rail would replicate the technology of a hand crank flashlight set on a track. The Green Rail would move according to a sliding mechanism, and through a sequence of gears a permanent magnet would rotate around a coil of wire, inducing a current that could be collected and stored. After reaching the summit gravity could do the job of returning the Green Rail to the ground level by means of a vertical shaft. The Green Rail would be set on a closed loop ensuring safety and stability. The energy collection could be designed either through a wire connection in the rail itself or through a type of docking station where the Green Rail would transfer its stored energy into another system.
The energy obtained by the Green Rail could do two things. It could power a lighting system for the area it is located or it could store electricity and transfer the electricity to the energy grid of the building it is located in. The question of energy use would be a technical question that can be addressed later.
In addition to energy production, the Green Rail would serve a greater function. The Green Rail would act as a key educational source for sustainable technology. Ideally, the Green Rail’s design would house a small LCD display screen that would monitor the device’s energy output. This feature would connect Green Rail users to their involvement in environmental preservation and encourage further action. In addition, informative posters could be positioned near the Green Rail that relate the Green Rail to the Energy Crisis and elucidate the role of everyday citizens in aiding the environment. Furthermore, the handrail would be situated in high-traffic areas where it would receive optimal operation.
Essentially, if a simple design of this concept could be perfected and mass-produced, it would affect a plethora of citizens at a relatively low cost. In the long run, it would benefit the goal of shifting the financial market towards sustainable technology greatly; hopefully setting the capstone for a world that sincerely respects nature.
The Plan Of Action
For the most part, the design of the Green Rail remains in the conceptive stage right now. However, that will inevitably change. As aforementioned the Green Rail will be the apotheosis of an Engineering class I am enrolled in. I have already conceived many possible design solutions, and begun drafting thumbnail sketches, meanwhile initiating market research to begin exploring the sorts of similar technology that already exist.
My plan for designing and engineering the Green Rail is as follows: I will first continue with market research, developing a comprehensive list of the technology and concepts I will need to understand to complete this project. Subsequently, I will begin drafting preliminary design blueprints of the Green Rail. I will follow up these designs with design matrices to sort out problem solutions and determine a particular design concept. I should have this aspect of the project complete by late October. After completing the hand drawn detailed annotated sketches I will transfer the sketches to 3D working drawings using AutoCAD software. I should have a detailed working model of the Green Rail by December. During this time I will also research the technology and principles (electrical wiring and electricity storage, electrical induction, and magnetic flux) that I will need for this project, and gather materials needed to assemble these various parts into a functioning model.
After completing the design stage I will begin construction. First I will experiment with the components that generate electricity, and once that process is complete I will begin to compile the exoskeleton around internal the electronic components. I would estimate that by late January I would have the majority of the design information, tools, and knowledge to begin assembling a functioning Green Rail.
Due to my fledgling status and knowledge it is hard to predict the progress of invention so far in the future. I would say that by March I would have a working model of some sort, and by the end of the year in May I would have completed the Green Rail to the best of my ability.
Project Updates
01/14/09
Update: The first working model is complete, and demonstrates mainly that the principle is effective and that this device is capable of producing electricity.
This model generates less than 5 volts AC current. A refinement of the gear system, the addition of a second generator, and possibly more circuitry and a rechargeable battery will improve its energy output. I plan to begin developing these immediately.
03/24/09
Update: I have been working on designing the Green Rail with computer software and have completed a decent construction of what it will look like, including electrical generation components, circuitry, and the track line system. There are still some details that I am unsure of, such as whether I will be able to distribute the power to the surrounding stairway or if I will only use the electricity to power a light on the hand rail itself. I have collected materials for a final prototype, and have been testing the induction generators I have equipped on my first prototype. I'm expecting to get a maximum of 2-4 volts per generator. I also have two different gear ratio setups that I am planning to use with the final prototype for efficiency. I have begun assembly of the track line but have not made significant process on the track yet. I expect to have the final prototype in working condition within the next few weeks.
05/13/09
Update: I have made a new prototype that uses two generators instead of one that power the same thing. It takes more effort to move the device because it is moving a larger load now, so I had to adjust the design structure to accommodate the large force required. With the increased power I am also able to light up a brighter LED then with the first prototype. The problem with this design is that I am unsure if I will be able to fit two generators into a hand rail. Instead it is more likely I will have to use one generator with a solid gear series to increase the end torque.
05/18/09
Update: This is my final prototype and it is the first to utilize an intermediate battery unit in the setup. There is a simple track that it is modeled on top of which does not accurately represent the hand rail concept but it works in principle. This prototype has a strong set of gears which utilize a maximizing torque gear ratio to achieve a higher energy output. This gear set is also all assembled upon a small thin plate of metal. This piece of metal holds the gear assemblage together and the gears in place as the turn at high speeds. The final gear turns an induction based generator, which transfers electricity to the rechargeable battery unit which is connected to a set of four high efficiency red LED lights. The problem with this prototype is that the generator would be in the way of the hand rail track and would not allow the generating device to fit inside of the rail. Although this is a problem, if the device was secured inside of a rail the rail would hold it in place when it is moved up along it which would be advantageous. 
Final Grant Update
05/18/09
Sean Smith
Number of people impacted: ~10. My enginnering teacher and class, as well as the MLK Green Club were all impacted by this project as I worked on it this year.
Describe the impact the grant had: Winning a DoSomething grant greatly enabled me to make much more progress on my project than I would have otherwise. Although completing a truly practical working model was very unlikely, I did complete a basic working model with the tools and materials I was able to purchase with the grant.
Project highlights: Creating my design on computer CAD software was one highlight of my project. It was really enjoyable making my idea in a 3D environment. Another highlight was researching the principles in involved in the engineering/physics of my idea. I got my father's college physics book and electrical engineering textbooks and researched basic principles of electricity, circuits and wiring, as well as Faraday's principle and Tesla's generating motors. This research all helped my in the implementation of my idea. The third highlight of my project was the building of the working model. I really enjoyed working on completing the working on the physical portion of this project and seeing my ideas in reality. It was also enjoyable working with the actual electrical components and making circuits and seeing them work.
How did the project unfold and develop? My project developed as I worked on it individually and in the Engineering class I was taking this year. I first developed thumbnail sketches of my ideas, and then detailed annotated sketches. I adapted this sketches based on the dimensions of the materials I was going to be working with to 3D CAD sketches on computer software. On the computer I completed a scale model of the design with working drawings that displayed the dimensions. After I had the dimensioned drawings I was able to start prototyping. The first working prototype I had embodied the principles of my design effectively and demonstrated that it would work. Although it was not entirely practical it displayed effective theory. I completed more prototypes that further demonstrated this principle however I did not successfully get the small scale working model I was hoping to complete. As I worked on my project I was also involved with the MLK Green Club and in some of our meetings I explained to them what my project was and how I was progressing.
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