Door Motion Energy Generator Using Flexible Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for generating electricity from door motion are inefficient, bulky, and require complex integration into doorways, failing to maximize kinetic energy capture and generate significant power due to their design limitations.
Innovation Solution
A modular energy generation system utilizing a flexible member connected to a generator at the point of greatest door sweep, allowing for high angular velocity and continued electricity production after the door is closed, without needing significant modifications to the doorway or hinges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional electrical generators are integrated into doorways, then electricity can be generated from door motion, but the system becomes bulky and requires complex integration into the doorway structure
Solution Approach 1:
The generator is extracted from the doorway structure and mounted externally on the wall adjacent to the door opening. This separation allows the generator to be positioned where it can be efficiently driven by door motion through a flexible member, while avoiding complex integration into the doorway itself. The generator becomes an independent module that captures kinetic energy from the door's natural movement.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible member (such as a belt or cable) serves as an intermediary between the door and the generator. This flexible connection transmits the kinetic energy from the door's motion to the generator's drive mechanism without requiring direct mechanical coupling or complex integration. The intermediary allows for simple attachment to the door while maintaining efficient energy transfer.
2Power
If the generator is positioned to capture door sweep at the hinge side, then integration is simpler, but the generated electricity is maximized less because the sweep is much less than at the side opposite the hinges
Solution Approach 1:
The generator is positioned in a different spatial dimension - mounted on the wall adjacent to the door opening rather than within the doorway plane. This dimensional shift allows the generator to be located at the optimal position for capturing door sweep (opposite the hinges where maximum motion occurs) while maintaining simple installation through external mounting and flexible connection.
3Ease of manufacture
If the generator is mounted remotely from the door, then ease of installation is improved, but the efficiency of energy capture decreases due to loss of kinetic energy
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible member (belt or cable) connects the door to the remotely mounted generator. This flexible connection efficiently transmits kinetic energy over the distance between the door and generator with minimal energy loss. The flexible member can accommodate the spatial separation while maintaining tight engagement for efficient energy transfer, and allows for easy installation without rigid structural modifications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system efficiently captures and converts door motion into electricity with higher yield and ease of installation, enabling continuous power generation without the constraints of prior art designs.
Implementation Method 1
The sweep of the door causes the flexible member to impart rotary motion to the generator, thereby generating electricity
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating electricity from the motion of a door is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes an AC or a DC generator acted upon by a flexible member coupled to at or near an edge of a door opposite a hinge. The sweep of the door causes the flexible member to impart rotary motion to the generator, thereby generating electricity.