envirothink
Walt Disney said “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Who would have thought everyday things like revolving doors. algae or biowaste could generate energy? Ten years ago these ideas would have sounded ludicrous or bizarre.
With today’s concerns surrounding climate change, carbon footprinting and skyrocketing fuel prices, these creative ideas show real practical application.
Two New York architects – women with no scientific or engineering backgrounds – have created a revolving door that, with one day’s rotation, generates the equivalent of a 150-watt light bulb running for 100 hours. Created by Carmen Trudell & Jennifer Broudin as part of a research project for their Masters degree in Advanced Architectural Design at Columbia University, the Revolution Revolving Door converts human energy into electricity.
It’s about new ways of using energy, the door’s creators said. The prototype – one third the actual size – debuted in March at New York’s Eyebeam art and technology center. Its power lit up a dazzling array of 500 LED lights.
The moving parts – the gear and flywheel assembly, a rotating magnetic wheel resembling the wheel you spin for prizes at a raffle, and a wire coil wheel – sit atop the door’s central shaft.
The Revolution Door runs slightly faster than a standard revolving door and pushes easily. “It’s only a matter of time until (developers) want to invest,” says Trudell.
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