An electric generator is an electric device that uses mechanical energy as an input and then converts it into electrical energy as an output. An electric generator allows us to use electricity other than the mainline supply.
Industrial generators are used to supply electricity to homes and businesses in electricity breakdown. It is also used to supply electricity to the areas where the proper electric grid is not available to provide electricity.
However, it is not possible to design an industrial generator at home as it requires a huge amount of energy to operate. Although, the components it requires for the construction process would be expensive too which will not be affordable for everyone.
However, you can design an electric generator at home. Yes! You heard this right. At home!! If you are living in an area with a shortage of electricity or with no electric grid, then what’s more interesting than to design an electric generator at your home?
Although this generator is not sufficient to produce a high amount of electricity, but will be enough to glow a low voltage LED bulb brightly with the use of commonly available components.
The components used to design an electric generator at home
The following components are required to build an electric generator at home from scratch.
- A cardboard; for the building of frame cardboard is required.
- Measuring scale; for the measurement of your frame, a measuring scale is required.
- A marker; to avoid any imbalance in the measurement of cardboard, a marker is required.
- Glue; required to fix the magnets onto the shaft.
- Metal shaft; the metal shaft is required for the release of electrons by changing polarities of the atoms within the metal to produce electricity.
- Wire; the wire is required for coiling purposes to generate energy.
- Cutter; a cutter also required to strips the ends of the wire.
- Bulb; to check the proper output of the generator a bulb is required. However, led can be used in case of low power generation.
- Socket; to hold the bulb, a socket is required.
Construction of Electric Generator
After arranging all these components, your next step is to start the construction of your generator.
Start your construction with the measurement of cardboard with scale and then mark it with a marker to make a frame for your generator. You need to make a rectangular box of 8cm in height and 3.5cm in depth out of the cardboard for the exact spacing of other components.
After making a rectangular box, you need to make a hole in the exact center of the wide external surface of your box. Then insert the metal shaft or a nail into this hole and let it come out from the other end of the hole.
Glue the magnets to fix it onto the metal shaft as magnets must be at the stationary phase. Wrap the wire around the rectangular box, cut the ends of the wire with a cutter to remove it insulation then connect these ends with bulb or socket. The number of turns of the wire around the box is equal to the energy your generator will produce.
Working of Electric Generator
Start to rotate the shaft manually; the wire tends to create electricity. To produce current, you need to rotate the shaft faster so the magnets glued onto the shaft can spin rapidly. This spin will force the atoms in the metal shaft to change their polarity to release electrons from it. Thus, the current will be produced.
If your generator isn’t lighting the bulb, increasing the number of turns of wire around the box. Maybe, this generator will not be enough to light your high voltage bulb, so in this case, you can use a led instead of a bulb. A drilling machine can be used to rotate the shaft; it will also force your generator to produce a good amount of electricity. Although, in this way, there will be a chance of your homemade generator falling apart.
While using a drill machine, make sure to use it on low power. There are also many other ways to design a generator. You can even make an electric generator from an electric vehicle.
Design Your Generator From An Electric Vehicle
The motor of an electric vehicle also consists of coiling wire and magnet. In this motor, electricity is passed via coils and then causes magnetic spin. This spin and the axle transfer power to any device which is associated with it. If you have an old vehicle, you can easily use its motor to work as a generator.
Nowadays, electricity has become our basic need. In every school project, there is something related to electricity. As the need is increasing day by day, people come up with new ideas like to generate electricity from recycling stuff, from wind power and so on… Now you can also take part in this productive league by designing a generator at your home, or you can also follow the method discussed in this article for your science project.
