Mechanical Energy Generation

Commenters brainstorm impractical or humorous ways to generate electricity from mechanical systems like flywheels, reverse motors, wind-spun objects, lifted masses, and human-powered devices, often critiquing thermodynamic losses and perpetual motion claims.

📉 Falling 0.3x Science
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Keywords

KERS AFAIK F1 wikipedia.org energy generate wind electricity lift power turbine gravity motion turbo

Sample Comments

AnthonBerg Aug 15, 2023 View on HN

Throwaway idea: Maybe it can be an energy-storage flywheel at the same time?

makmanalp Feb 8, 2010 View on HN

I wonder if this could be harnessed to be used as some sort of physical force generator.

justavoice May 16, 2017 View on HN

Sounds like a great way to collect wind/solar energy...

klipt Jan 5, 2010 View on HN

Would save even more energy if they were attached to a generator...

kwhitefoot Mar 24, 2019 View on HN

My guess would be that they use the motors as generators.

nhebb Nov 7, 2012 View on HN

Maybe they pee onto a turbine to recharge the battery.

gameswithgo Sep 9, 2020 View on HN

seems the water could be a secondary energy source, and the cable energy wouldn’t be wasted, thats just more mass to lift and drop.

fulafel Oct 9, 2023 View on HN

You could always generate the power for the compression using wind.

mrfusion Nov 21, 2018 View on HN

How about using these as solid state wind turbines to generate electricity.

lovemenot Sep 21, 2019 View on HN

Spin them all up when the wind blows and convert their kinetic energy to power during a lull.