Two of our students have sent very interesting information to our practice forum for unit 2, which I'd like to bring here as well, for you to read.
Sandra Karina Romo Quezada told us about this amazing " stadium in Japan that collects people's vibrations and then generates energy":
Misako Park Stadium, stadium capable of generating energy through the vibrations of the fansPosted Mar 10, 2010 by Ken
Several systems are currently used to generate energy cleanly from the most popular based on solar panels or windmills to others not so famous, such as those that are fed by vibration.
(UpVery.com) Mar 10, 2010 -- Several systems are currently used to generate energy cleanly from the most popular based on solar panels or windmills to others not so famous, such as those that are fed by vibration.An example of this type of system (implemented recently and still in testing) can be found in the football stadium Misaki Park Stadium in Kobe (Japan), home of Vissel Kobe, which uses the vibrations produced by the fans for energy . You what?Let me explain. What they have done is install a number of special plates located at the foot of fans able to collect the energy generated by their jumps and other movements (eg, a stomp of anger caused by a red card) which is stored for later use. The numbers obtained in the first test is not bad, in a match that lasted produced 8400 watts per second on average and the completion of the flow continued, there were 2320 watts per second.Although not the final solution seems like a great idea, are using the energy generated by the home crowd with its vibrations to feed on the same stage and thus reduce the consumption of energy generated from other less environmentally friendly. To see if hopefully the example is copied by other countries in the world man.
On the other hand, Cristina González Angos told us in the same forum "yesterday I talked with a girl from Oregon about alternative energies (...) and she said to me that in her country there is a gym where you can generate energy when you are running in the machine. I was amazed and she gave me the web page: http://rerev.com/howitworks.htm
The gym environment is an ideal setting to capture a large amount of consistent kinetics with little up front cost by utilizing existing infrastructure.
HUMAN ENERGY Kinetic energy from your workout is converted to DC (Direct Current) and sent to the ReRev System.
CURRENT CONVERTS ReRev converts the DC current into AC (Alternating Current), the form of electricity used by homes and businesses.
RENEWABLE ENERGY The electricity can then be used to power the building.
Thanks for your gripping contributions, it's good to check we are all thinking of alternative energies and ALREADY using them in some places not to exhaust, our so much battered planet!
The article sent by Sandra Karina demonstrates that the idea of the apparently crazy man of the dialogue of this unit is in no way crazy, but it is related to a technology that is already working in some places. As for that gym in Oregon, I've always thought that all the energy people wastes practising sports should be put to better use, and this seems a suitable way. I hope one day we will be able to charge our mobile phones with the power generated by our steps, or... But, why to daydream? The most fantastic invention regarding the energetic saving already exists: the bicycle! All we have to do is changing the agressive, depressing, dirty, noisy, unhealthy cars for these lovely machines for which their inventors should have monuments erected in town squares and their names honored all around the world. What are we waiting for?
ReplyDeleteHello Victor,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about bicycle and I think that not only the environment would be grateful for this change, our bodies would be much more healthy, obesity would be considerably reduced... but unfortunately, our lives are too busy and a lot of people depend on the car to arrive in time to their jobs, picking up their children, going to shopping...
I can remember when I was a child, bicycle was my live. The times have changed and now, for example, the traditional tricicle has been replace with a battery toy where the child don't do exercise.
Cheers,
Cristina González Ángós
You are right, Cristina, the way of life we have established prevents us from using bicycles in the cities instead of cars, but note that it is so just because the whole planification of the cities has been devised regarding the use of cars: employers don't care how far do their workers live, politicians allow builders to raise new housing estates far away from the city centre so that their inhabitants need to drive every time they need to buy or do anything, large commercial centres are built in every city outskirt... But it would be also possible to design a city were bicycles were a suitable means of transport for almost every one and every need. But I'm afraid Spain is, in this respect, the last country in Europe (and especially Madrid; have you been to the newly opened park above the M-30? Fantastic, but Gallardón, tell me: WHERE THE HELL IS THE CYCLEWAY??)
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Hi Victor;
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the whole planification of the cities. Our politicians only have in mind doing the cities more and more bigger and the villages more and more smoller. It's a pity to see how lovely villages are getting without inhabitants. Enormous shop centers, gigantic companies, big schools, theatres, cinemas... are being building in the big city and our villages are more and more poorer. I think that our lives would be more healthy if all that resources were more distributed. Fortunately, I live in a small town with more or less 10.000 inhabitants. I am lucky enough to be able to go to take my children at the school, go to the library,go to the music school walking but I am conscious some villages from my region are more and more smaller. In summer there are quite people because a lot of people from the city come here but in winter the population is considerably reduced.
And I wonder whether our quality of life has been increased in the same proportion that our life expectancy.
Cheers,
Cristina González Angós
Oh , yes, I wish we could cycle everywhere, at least in medium-size cities...I love this initiative on the use of that generating energy in gyms or stadiums but I have always found a bit strange that we must go to the gym to keep fit while we take the elevator, use the car (for short drives)of just are a couch potato. Bikes and stairs would save our life!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I’d like to point out my own short experience which comes to my mind when I read about cycles and that sort of transport. In my town they just built a long way along the Ebro River that is about 15 kilometres maybe a bit more where you can go biking. It’s really a nice way to exercise during our fee time and also enjoy the nature. Normally my husband and me took the car and went the same road up to the end of the river and used to make a kind of picnic there. Since that biking way is finished we both take our bikes and drive all way up to the end and we make the same ritual as we used to do when we went by car. It’s just to point out that if we make a try we all can choose a healthier way to spend our weekend or spare time and believe me if you ever decide to come to El Delta del Ebro you will notice the difference since that way is built . Please take that new way if you come and you will enjoy like heaven. It’s really amazing how many birds and new things you can enjoy during the trip. Also they have placed kinds of resting benches where you can stop and have a drink or a break. It’s really enjoyable and it also helps the shores to be protected against overflows into the rice fields. Hope you don’t mind I step a bit aside of the central topic but it is just something that came to me when reading this.
ReplyDeleteZahily it sounds a wonderful place, what a pity you do not mention the name of the city!!
ReplyDeleteIt would be great we all had such a nice way of exercising and enjoying our free time. Thanks for sharing, anyway!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteZahily, I know a place like that but in Girona I normaly go with my boyfrend and the dog. It's very funny because we take some food for us and some drinks and we don't forget to take the same for the dog.
We normaly take a plants book and every so often we stoped and try to guess the tree name.
The true is that we really have a lot of fun. We make so exercise , we breathe so clean air and we don't espend a lot of money. We have to remember tht we are in a crisis.
Nice contribution Mari Carme!!
ReplyDeleteIncredible! I'm not so keen on alternative energies...by I find this post really interesting!Why not doing contribute to the environment and exercise at the same time? Why are not scientists trying to apply this to every single activity in our lives?
ReplyDeleteWell, it's quite interesting to read an learn about alternative energies since, wether we like it or not, this is our future (we will end up running out of oil sooner or later, right?), so it's great to see that it's not just up to the sun or the wind, but that actually all that energy produced by our bodies could contribute too!
ReplyDeleteThe japanese idea made me think that this would be very successful let's say in Spain, in a Madrid-Barcelona football match... Imagine the amount of "vibrations" produced there!
María Badía Santiago