Comments on: BEAM style harvesting could kill batteries. http://britishengineeringsystems.com/2007/02/23/beam-style-harvesting-could-kill-batteries/ Blog of an Engineer (amongst other things) Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:16:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: The (Other) Craig http://britishengineeringsystems.com/2007/02/23/beam-style-harvesting-could-kill-batteries/#comment-6 The (Other) Craig Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:13:44 +0000 http://britishengineeringsystems.com/2007/02/23/beam-style-harvesting-could-kill-batteries/#comment-6 I like the idea I spotted in Sci Am a few months ago. Small cylinder with coil warpped round outside. at each end fix small bar magnets in middle fill with ferro-fluid (nanoscale iron fillings suspended in inert oil) and place another bar magnet such that it will be repelled from either end. you now have a near frictionless system which oscillates widely upon the slightest of movements. I believe that large scale versions are being trialed in places such as weather bouys where the waves can keep them powered (solar panels apparently get caked in seagull crap after a few months) I like the idea I spotted in Sci Am a few months ago.

Small cylinder with coil warpped round outside.
at each end fix small bar magnets

in middle fill with ferro-fluid (nanoscale iron fillings suspended in inert oil) and place another bar magnet such that it will be repelled from either end.

you now have a near frictionless system which oscillates widely upon the slightest of movements.

I believe that large scale versions are being trialed in places such as weather bouys where the waves can keep them powered (solar panels apparently get caked in seagull crap after a few months)

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