Engineering Project

[Brown Dude]

I would like help regarding a personal project. I want to incorporate crank mechanism into rubix cube so that I can provide charge for a mobile phone. Please help me to go about this. I have a prototype submission due in a month

 

[zeusfaber]

A few questions to get you started:

Do you want to expand a bit on "incorporate crank mechanism"? Crank mechanisms don't generate electricity themselves and I'm struggling to picture what role one might play in transforming the motion in a Rubik's cube to drive something that does.

How much electrical power (W = IV) do you need to charge a mobile phone?

How much mechanical power (W = Tω - but average the figure over time) can a player put into a Rubik's cube?

How efficient does your energy conversion mechanism need to be for this to be a useful way of charging a phone?

A.

 

[IRstuff]

1> you need a motion activated generator, not a crank
2> you'll likely had problems getting the charge out of the cube without wires

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[waross]

This seems to be a subject best discussed far into a night of heavy drinking.
With any luck it will be completely forgotten in the distress of the next morning's hangover.Get some friends together and try it. (The heavy drinking)

--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[IRstuff]

Oh, and
> Have you done the math on the energy generated by manipulating a Rubik's cube and how much effort will have to be added to provide 10W of charging to a phone?

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[srini1785]

Get yourself a 10ft by 10ft cube magnet and place a coil at the center of the cube to produce some decent volts while moving the cubes. Oh btw, no idea on the mechanical assembly part.

 

[Brown Dude]

My deliverables are that I have to come up with a prototype that can atleast give 5% of charge from the rubik cube (A proof of concept). Also, what I meant by crank mechanism was that the rotating of the lever that is attached to a small generator to give the power output. I was thinking of a synchronous motor. Do yall reckon that is a good idea?

The idea I have is that, the face of the cube will be attached to the generator, so as we spin the face, it will provide charge. I have to come up with the circuit for it of course. I am gonna get 2 motor, attach in parallel on the breadboard with a usb circuit and connect the phone.

I got the idea for this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUlXzgcyeE&ab_channel=NoSkillsRequired

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Plan on putting a gear train within the cube to get enough rotation... or use a really large cube.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Brown Dude]

@ MacGyverS2000, can I bother you to tell me approximately what gear would you use? I may not get the one with exact teeth but atleast I could get the concept right

 

[waross]

Spread thermo-couples throughout the cube. Harvest the heat of friction directly as electrical energy.
Great idea. Let's have another drink.
Wait, how do we keep the cool junctions cool.
I dunno. Let's have another round and think about it.
How do we connect to the thermo-whatsits?
No, we're not out Bubba. There's more beer in the other fridge around the corner.
How about we mount the TCs in the stationary interior and let the moving parts rub over them. That will give us even more friction. Maybe.
I gotta wizz. Save a beer for when I get back.
How about cooling?
How about what? hic
Gotta think outside the box.
What box?
My box is a two-four. (Two Four, a standard package containing 24 beer bottles.)


--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[IRstuff]

Some people lube their cubes to minimize the friction, though.

I was thinking of a synchronous motor. Do yall reckon that is a good idea?

Have you done ANY calculations?

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[MacGyverS2000]

can I bother you to tell me approximately what gear would you use? I may not get the one with exact teeth but atleast I could get the concept right

Not a gear, gear train. You'll need a lot of speed to generate any useful/harvestable energy, more than you'd get with just twisting a coil by hand directly. Multiple gears together are likely required. And you have to fit that into a box the size of a Rubik's Cube that already has a lot of stuff already in the box. And you have to do it for 6 axes.

In short, you're not going to get this done in a month. Frankly, I'd consider a different project.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com