Educational + classroom Systems
Stem bike generator energy curriculum
Our high-level classroom curriculum can be adapted for alternative energy with pedal power bike generators. These lessons can be taught in any order. If you can share other lessons or offer suggestions – your help would be greatly appreciated. Send suggestions / additions to pedalpowergenerator@gmail.com
Additional information is available if you would like to use an Arduino to make a power monitor that is equivalent in function to the WattsVIEW power monitor. This would be used to show students how much energy is being generated from the output of their bike generator. Contact us for more information.
Green Bronx Machine
We designed and installed this system in a classroom located in the Bronx New York. It allows students to make their own smoothies with pedal power blender systems. It also displays Watts for each bike during the “Power Race” competitions.
There is also STEM rocket over head, powered by the students who pedal to make an air compressor pressurize the rocket. This is a horizontal rocket that shoots across the room on a string above kids heads. The StratoLauncher is easy to purchase on the web. Also the 12V Air compressor is easy to install too.
OBJCTIVES:
1.Give students a solid understanding of what alternative / sustainable energy is by allowing them to power up different items such as light bulbs, blenders, television, cell phones, or STEM rocket.
2.Give students a hands an experience where they can “Feel” what generating a WATT of power is like.
3.Integrate lessons of potential energy and kinetic energy into hands on intriguing classroom activity
4.Give learners opportunities to develop programming skills by implementing code to acquire power monitoring sensor data from devices such as the ARDUINO UNO and others.
Spark interest in engineering solutions that involve solar panel energy and wind turbine energy by letting the students power spot lines that shine on a solar panel that drives a fan.
6th Grade Classroom
In this solar panel activity, two exercise bike generators are powered by two students. Their mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy. Each bike generator is powering up two spotlights. Four students hold the spot lights and point them at the solar panel and watch the little fan start to spin. The students gain an excellent understanding of what solar energy is as they point the lights onto the panel.
The graph on the WattsVIEW screen shows the output of the bike and the solar panels in Watts. This is a custom system so contact us if you want to write a grant for a system like this. The cost is not cheap, so if you do not have grant money for your classroom STEM system and want to save money by building your own for cheap then contact us, we will help you with free plans.
Traveling Pedal Power System
Dual interactive educational Power Station Used By Power Companies Across the Country (Made for AES Huntington Power Company in California)
There are three different light bulb types: LED, CFL, and Incandescent. The LED is easiest to light up and requires the least amount of energy. The CFL is a little harder, and the Incandescent is the hardest to light, requiring the most pedaling power.
The bernoulli effect
This floating activity ball demonstrates the Bernoulli effect - a fun way to teach kids about alternative energy.
This experiment can be done with a bike generator or a hand crank generator. As students pedal, they’ll create a steady, strong jet of air using a tube and a high-powered fan. They can then place a small beach ball or a ping pong ball in the stream of air. The stream of air moves at such a high speed, that it actually travels around the ball, keeping it in the center of the air stream.
Slot Car Racing
Science Fair STEM Night in Gilbert, AZ.
CSee how a DC pedal power generator & DC hand crank generator dynamo were used to teach K - 8th grade kids about alternative energy.
Each child learned that to make their car race successfully, he/she would need to pedal at a speed where approximately 6 volts DC was being generated. If they pedaled too fast, the cars would get too much voltage and fly off the track. If they pedaled too slow, the cars would not move.
This track was sold by Artin. Now it has been discontinued, but you can buy them via eBay. There are also many other brands that are equivalent like Hot Wheels, Carrera, and Mattel.