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Forum Post: We need some MIT engineers working this problem to generate legal power for medical tent, computers and a bit of heat.

Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 28, 2011, 11:28 p.m. EST by therising (6643)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Any engineers out there?

62 Comments

62 Comments


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[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

MIT

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Need engineers

[-] 2 points by monjon22 (508) 13 years ago

There is no suchthing as LEGAL power. The safety issue was just a ruse. Bloomberg has so much egg on his face, he is desperate to force the protestors out.

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

We need to get some power in there for medical tent, computers and warmth. Need that heat source that's like a campfire to prevent frostbite.

[-] 1 points by monjon22 (508) 13 years ago

I go snowmobiling in zero degree weather -- riding 50 mph in the open air. With the proper clothing, the weather is not relevant.

[-] 2 points by StevenRoyal (490) from Dania Beach, FL 13 years ago

Damn, I just went to Stevens. Sorry. But I'll wave at you from across the Hudson. Hi!

[-] 1 points by Augusts24 (1) 13 years ago

Stay warm by looking for cans to recycle and cleaning up after yourselves.

[-] 1 points by AtomicZ (149) 13 years ago

Michael Moore is a film maker - he is also now active in #OWS - film makers rent / own trailers to serve "film crews" on location / trailers vary from cable to dressing rooms / trailers also have showers / generators / telecommunications vans / etc... Ask MM to park some of his friends film trailers next to Zuccotti Park - you're wired - problem solved! peace AtomicZ...

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Brilliant!

[-] 1 points by AtomicZ (149) 13 years ago

Sparkle Happy Zuccotti Park!!! peace AtomicZ...

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

READ THIS!!!!! This will work!!! :). And would be a super cool visual http://occupywallst.org/forum/call-to-action-please-help-recruit-serious-cyclist/

[-] 1 points by Armyoutsider (17) 13 years ago

I can send some candles

[-] 1 points by ARod1993 (2420) 13 years ago

MIT freshman, studying electrical engineering and computer science. I don't know that much, but I can think of a few ideas. First of all, a bicycle generator is probably not the best idea for doing something like this because it's not particularly practical. As Nate suggested, it would be a great idea to look into solar battery chargers and alternating banks of car batteries to see if that would provide enough power for most of what you need.

If that doesn't work out, you might try buying or building a Stirling engine to generate power. It's different from an internal combustion engine in that it doesn't require anything to be burned inside of it; it merely requires a temperature gradient across it. They sell small novelty ones for a couple of hundred dollars apiece that you stick on top of coffee cups to spin little propellers. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get a larger one that you could run off a garbage can fire or makeshift oven, but a few of the latter could give you a great deal of power with no extra emissions. You can find out more about them here: http://www.stirlingengine.com/faq

[-] 1 points by NateNine (23) 13 years ago

I'm no MIT engineer, but I was thinking about this problem even before Bloomberg's goonsquad took away the generators under flimsy pretenses. The stationary bike generator idea is cute but very impractical; I suggest looking into solar battery chargers and seeing if they can meet your needs:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/coleman-58050.html

Do a general such for this and other models; Lowes or Home Depot may or may not have something like this in stock at brick-and-mortar stores. I'm no solar expert, but to my knowledge these kits require direct sunlight to charge 12V car batteries with anything resembling efficiency, and a wintery, overcast NYC sky is far from optimal even when you don't have a bunch of skyscrapers blocking out the sun half the day. I recommend tracking one of these kits down, hooking it up to a fresh car battery, and either switching to 12V cooking and heating devices or seeing how long a typical 110V AC device drains a full battery through the kit's included inverter. If you can't get enough sunlight to make a few of these kits work you'll have to get creative - I would start with finding a crate of car batteries with wall outlet chargers and some volunteers to take them home, plug them in, and haul them back the next day.

Please keep us posted about this pressing issue, and keep up the fight! All but the most cruel and callous Americans support you!

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Need power from something that doesn't use combustable fuel.

[-] 1 points by littrellb (199) from Hillsboro, OR 13 years ago

Bicycle generator http://youtu.be/lcJ97dwpQME

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Good call. Thanks :)

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 13 years ago

You can actually use two methods. I have camped in snow many times and I am not kidding about the battery brigade. You have to have offsite charging, then delivery and exchange, with people on site.

You can do the same with larger hot water bottles....heat offsite, deliver and exchange, and re-heat.

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

All sounds good. Thanks!

[-] 0 points by puff6962 (4052) 13 years ago

You're going to need a 12 volt battery brigade.

[-] 0 points by YuckFouHippies (189) 13 years ago

Well. I guess this answers the question: did anyone from OWS get a degree in anything useful.....

[-] 1 points by Armyoutsider (17) 13 years ago

As you know and see over there in OWS. You can not smell there any degree. They are uneducated most of them greedy looking for free meals

[-] 0 points by YuckFouHippies (189) 13 years ago

There are surely some bitter women's studies majors in the crowd. ;)

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Thanks!  There's another dollar for Occupy Oakland.  This is fun :) http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-have-monetized-trolldom-for-the-benefit-of-the-/#comment-223231

[-] 0 points by YuckFouHippies (189) 13 years ago

Go for it. Sounds like Oakland is making better use of the funds. A half mil raised in donations and you idiots can't get power online? You guys are doomed.

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

Thanks!  There's another dollar for Occupy Oakland.  This is fun :) http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-have-monetized-trolldom-for-the-benefit-of-the-/#comment-223231

[-] 0 points by Democracydriven (658) 13 years ago

Why don't you just ask an electrician. Generating power isn't really a new technology

Or go to home depot.

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

That's where I bought the two generators 4 weeks ago (home depot right before Holland Tunnel). Delivered them to park and now Bloomberg stole them. He owes me a lot of $.

[-] 1 points by Democracydriven (658) 13 years ago

Is the problem with generators fumes or noise. How does Boomberg justify taking them

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

"safey". Like he was real concerned with safety when peaceful protesters were pepper sprayed or dragged off to jail.

[-] 1 points by Democracydriven (658) 13 years ago

Did he use all of the steps required by law. Notices, warnings etc.

If he broke the law I am sure the ACLU would jump right on this. This could turn into a real eye opener to the public when it got some press

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

I agree. Check out this genius idea from efschumacher's though. This could confound the mayors across U.S. http://occupywallst.org/forum/genius-idea-from-efschumacher-heres-how-you-can-wi/

[-] 0 points by TheTruth2011 (7) 13 years ago

Yes but I didn't attend MIT... sorry.

[-] 0 points by OWSForObama (151) 13 years ago

Gasoline or Diesel Generators?

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

I dropped off gas a month ago and city thought they were safe until now. They're saying no combustible materials. Would diesel qualify under those rules?

[-] 1 points by OWSForObama (151) 13 years ago

Diesel is combustible, but the flash point is pretty high..

Heating oil is diesel. Heating oil doesn't have road tax btw.

But anyways, good luck igniting it unless you compress or vaporize it. I would say that it is safer than gasoline.. I am not an expert..

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 13 years ago

I think diesel is considered far safer. The problem of course is that at this point Bloomberg would call anything that's helping protesters illegal.

[-] -1 points by Frankie (733) 13 years ago

Dude! The giant human hampster wheel generator! lol