The Effectiveness of Manual Electric

Generator (M.E.G.) as an Energy

Provider

Researchers:
Ronnell R. Repil
Mark Vincent Anam
Nhorie Mae Quidip
Roxanne Nacionales
Jericho Ado
Renelyn Abacan
Rickjanluis Vasquez
 CHAPTER I

THE PROJECT AND ITS BACKGROUND

ABSTRACT

Technology has completely transformed our lives today. Perhaps, one cannot

live without it since almost everything people do depends on technology. One

cannot eat without using stove, one cannot contact their friends without phones

and one cannot do assignments and projects without using laptops and computers.

Thus, technology makes everyone’s living easier.

In recent years, the progress and advancement in technology have been

evident. These rapid changes brought new and revolutionized ideas on how to

improve each and everyone’s way of living. It paved the way of inventing machines

and objects use by people daily. Thus, it denotes that voluminous amount of energy

is required to make these things work.

Energy, on the other hand, defined as the property that must be transferred

to an object to perform work. Energy is essential to life. Human beings utilize

energy to perform daily activities and routines. It also allows objects, specifically

machines, to operate and execute their natural work and functions.

 Based on this idea, the researchers started to have an initial observation on

how they can be able to generate energy to reduce electricity consumption. Due to

the rising value of goods and numerous amount of expenditures, they thought of

creating a generator that could help lessen household expenses. One thing more,

they also thought that creating this project could benefit people on remote areas

to have the electricity necessary to light their home. Hopefully, the project could

be utilized by everyone duly to reduce electricity consumption not only in the

Philippines but also elsewhere in the world.

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The researchers were motivated to formulate this project after having an

observation around their surroundings. They start to have the interest on how they

could generate energy without the involvement of electricity to reduce electricity

consumption. Curious as it was, they started to brainstorm ideas to obtain the

precise proceedings on how this study could happen. Subsequently, the

researchers came up on making mechanical energy to electrical energy through the

means of DC motor.

DC motor is a device that converts direct electrical energy into mechanical

energy. Its mechanism is mainly at its internal part, neither electromechanical or

electronic. When energy is placed in a magnetic field, it tends to have a rotation.

This rotation is known as the motoring action. The result of this motoring action is

the production of energy that could be utilized to make things work.

Meanwhile, to make DC motor work, a pulley or a wheel is linked to it.

Exerting an outside force allows the pulley to rotate. Rubber band then serves as

the taut cable, linking the DC motor and the pulley.

B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The project assessed the efficiency of Manual Electric Generator as an

electricity provider. Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions.

1. How does DC motor provide energy?

2. Why did the researchers use pulley or wheel?

3. How does energy produce through this product?

4. What are the other objects that can be powered up by the generator

made by the researchers?

C. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Electricity lights up the whole household. It allows appliances to perform its

work. Manual Electric Generator then was constructed by the researchers to

provide electricity. This electric generator can be advantageous to all people who
worries about the excessive usage of electricity which makes bills more expensive.

Aside from it, this project could also help people in remote areas reach by the

electricity.

D. SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This project focused on the effectiveness of DC motor as an alternative

electricity provider. Moreover, the project had certain extent namely the following:

 Only low wattage bulbs such as Christmas lights or LED light bulbs can be

powered.

 The amount of energy that will be produced, depends on how much force is

exerted upon turning the pulley.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies relevant to

the project. The researchers reviewed books, websites, and published materials

which provided them the necessary and relevant facts about generating electricity.

FOREIGN LITERATURE

According to Physics classroom (2017), mechanical energy is the energy that

is possessed by an object due to its motion or due to its position. Mechanical energy

can be either kinetic energy (energy of motion) or potential energy (stored energy

of position). Objects have mechanical energy if they are in motion and/or if they

are at some position relative to a zero-potential energy position (for example, a

brick held at a vertical position above the ground or zero height position). A moving

car possesses mechanical energy due to its motion (kinetic energy). A moving

baseball possesses mechanical energy due to both its high speed (kinetic energy)

and its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy). A World

Civilization book at rest on the top shelf of a locker possesses mechanical energy

due to its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy). A
barbell lifted high above a weightlifter's head possesses mechanical energy due to

its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy).

An object that possesses mechanical energy can do work. In fact, mechanical

energy is often defined as the ability to do work. Any object that possesses

mechanical energy - whether it is in the form of potential energy or kinetic energy

- can do work. That is, its mechanical energy enables that object to apply a force to

another object to cause it to be displaced. Numerous examples can be given of how

an object with mechanical energy can harness that energy to apply a force to cause

another object to be displaced. A classic example involves the massive wrecking

ball of a demolition machine. The wrecking ball is a massive object that is swung

backwards to a high position and allowed to swing forward into building structure

or another object to demolish it. Upon hitting the structure, the wrecking ball

applies a force to it to cause the wall of the structure to be displaced.

Kurt Schanaman (2017) on his published article on the “Sciencing” specified

that mechanical energy is produced when an energy source is expended to create

the physical motion of an object. In the case of a human being, the body burns

nutrients from food which is then used to perform work like pedaling a bicycle. In

this case, nutrients are converted into physical, mechanical force to propel the
bicycle. The mechanical energy can then be converted to electrical energy through

a generator where magnets and coils turn motion into voltage and current.

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, a common method of

producing electricity is from generators with an electromagnet—a magnet

produced by electricity—not a traditional magnet. The generator has a series of

insulated coils of wire that form a stationary cylinder. This cylinder surrounds a

rotary electromagnetic shaft. When the electromagnetic shaft rotates, it induces a

small electric current in each section of the wire coil. Each section of the wire coil

becomes a small, separate electric conductor. The small currents of the individual

sections combine to form one large current. This current is the electricity that

moves through power lines from generators to consumers.

An electric power plant uses a turbine or other similar machine to drive these

types of generators. Other types of turbines are steam turbines, gas combustion

turbines, water turbines, and wind turbines.

On the article issued in “Diesel Service and Supply”, electric generator is a

device that converts mechanical energy obtained from an external source into

electrical energy as the output.

 It is important to understand that a generator does not actually ‘create’

electrical energy. Instead, it uses the mechanical energy supplied to it to force the

movement of electric charges present in the wire of its windings through an

external electric circuit. This flow of electric charges constitutes the output electric

current supplied by the generator. This mechanism can be understood by

considering the generator to be analogous to a water pump, which causes the flow

of water but does not actually ‘create’ the water flowing through it.

The modern-day generator works on the principle of electromagnetic

induction discovered by Michael Faraday in 1831-32. Faraday discovered that the

above flow of electric charges could be induced by moving an electrical conductor,

such as a wire that contains electric charges, in a magnetic field. This movement

creates a voltage difference between the two ends of the wire or electrical

conductor, which in turn causes the electric charges to flow, thus generating

electric current.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT THROUGHPUT OUTPUT

DEVISING A PLAN TESTING THE

ON HYPOTHESIS
CONSTRUCTING
THE PROJECT
ACTUAL
INVESTIGATION
DATA GATHERING AND PORTABLE
EXPERIMENTATION ELECTRIC
GENERATOR
INQUIRIES
(STATEMENT OF PROCEDURES AND
THE PROBLEM) METHODS

FORMULATION OF OBSERVING THE

HYPOTHESIS VARIABLES

PELLEY DC MOTOR LED

HYPOTHESES

A. AFFIRMATIVE HYPOTHESIS

Since DC motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical

energy, it is possible to invert this process and create mechanical energy into

electrical energy and light a bulb. The Manual Electric Generator is an effective

source for small appliances. The possibility of producing large amount of energy is

determined by the number of DC motor used in building the product. Thus, the

more the DC motor is, the higher the amount of electricity that can be produced.

B. NULL HYPOTHESIS

It is not possible for the machine to have a consistency in producing

electrical energy making it not an effective source of electricity for mass usage.

Hence, the Manual Electric Generator is not an effective source for large

appliances.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms listed were defined operationally on how the

researchers used them on the entirety of the project.

 DC motor (Direct Current Motor)- any of a class of rotary electrical machines

that converts direct current electrical energy into mechanical energy.

 Electrical Energy-can be used to move charged particles through a wire from

a power plant to our homes and businesses. The movement of a charged

particle through a wire is called current, or more commonly, electricity.

 Electricity- the presence and flow of electric charge. Its best-known form is

the flow of electrons through conductors such as copper wires.

 Energy- the property that must be transferred to an object to perform work

on or to heat the object.

 Light- Emitting Diode (LED)- a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a p–

n junction diode that emits light when activated.

 Mechanical Energy- the sum of kinetic and potential energy in an object that

is used to do work. In other words, it is energy in an object due to its motion

or position, or both.

 Pulley- a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and

change of direction of a taut cable.

 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods executed in the project. Furthermore, it

shows the research design, how the study was conducted, the instruments used in

constructing the project, the undertaking acceptability test, and the studying the

shelf life of a product.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Experimental research design had been utilized by the researchers on

constructing the Manual Electric Generator. Hence, factors that may precede were

distinguished upon making the product. The content of the review of related

literature somewhat served as the scientific basis of the researchers in organizing

the whole concept. The aforementioned relevant data were used so as to achieve

a precise project. That information are as follows:

According to the third law of motion, the law of interaction, for every action,

there is an equal and opposite reaction. This concept had been observed by the

researchers on the mechanism of the project. As an outside force is exerted on the

pulley, rotation occurs on the DC motor. The occurrence of rotation on the DC

motor allows the production of energy or electricity. The action that is done on the

wheel has an equal reaction on the motor.

The inverted process demonstrated by the DC motor, on the other hand, has

a significant part on the project. Since any electromechanical devices are bilateral,

motor and generator can interchange its functions enabling the production of

energy. Once the rotor is rotated some voltage can be generated. The reason why

direct current motor was used by the researchers as the main component of the

project.

PROCEDURE

The procedures below were done by the researchers to construct the said

project, from the very beginning until the end. This enables people to have the idea

on how to create the project which they can use for specific purposes.

1. Prepare all the materials needed for the project. (optional: plug the loaded

glue gun to reduce the waiting time for it to get ready)

2. Using a marker, trace the circumference of the tape ring on the CD while

maintaining the center hole of the CD.

3. With the arrangement of ring tape between two CDs, insert an empty

marker to the hole of the CD up to the other end. (leave and allowance) Trace

the desired length of the marker. Remove it, and cut it with a sharp knife.

4. (Check the loaded glue gun. If it is too hot, remove the plug.) Using the glue

gun, glue the tape ring to the CD following the mark. Insert the empty marker

to the first CD. Fill the gap of the tape ring with clay. (Make sure that its flat.)

5. Insert the second CD and glue it to the tape ring.

6. In creating the structure, glue the dc motor and the stand for the CD on the

board. Make sure that the stands have enough space for the CD and are

aligned to each other.

7. Cut two similar tubes using the empty marker to create the hole of the stand.

Glue the tubes on top of the stand.

8. Use the pen as the holder of the CD. Insert the pen with the CD on the

created stand. Reduce the length of the pen if needed.

9. Create a hole in the pen using heated metal wire. Poke the heated metal wire

on one end of the pen. Create a pedal like structure using the metal wire.

Keep it in place using a glue gun.

 10. Place a durable rubber band between the CD. Stretch it up to the DC motor.

To avoid slippage, cut a thin piece of glue stick and insert it to the thin metal

of the DC motor.

11. Check if the CD and the DC motor are in sync when rotating the pedal.

12. To secure the LED light, create a tiny hole on the bottle cap and insert the

wires of the LED.

13. Connect the wires of the DC motor and LED light.

14. Rotate the pedal and check if your project is successful.

(Optional: To Make the LED light shine brighter, cut four pieces of CD recreating

a satellite-like structure and glue it on the bottle cap.)

UNDERTAKING ACCEPTABILITY TEST

The researchers had done numerous tests before they came up on a

seamless project. At the very start, various materials were involved in building the

project. Most of these materials do not really played a part thus, they had to

eliminate those and do another research. Eventually, they obtained information

which were necessary to achieve the product they want. The result was an

effective operating product. It was tested several times inferring that it certainly

operates well.
 Moreover, the potentiality of producing a voluminous amount of energy is

distinguished as well. Since the researchers already created a product that

produces a small amount of energy (lighting a 3V LED), it is possible to obtain a

large amount of energy to power up i.e. appliances by adding more DC motor.

Therefore, developing this idea made by the researchers could help broaden the

application of the product.

STUDYING THE SHELF LIFE OF A PRODUCT

The primary tool used in constructing the project was the seven volts Direct

Current motor. Seven volts DC motor was used because it could power up a three

volts LED light. The LED light was used because it only requires three volts of

electromotive force. Eleven by three and a half inches wood, on the other hand,

served as the base or the platform that holds the DC motor and other materials.

The pulley or simply the wheel (CD) with pedal served as the helm or the controls.

Holding the wheel, the two pieces of six inches wood worked as the stand. Linking

the wheel and the DC motor, rubber band acted as the chain in the project. The

instruments were utilized purposely in constructing the entire project. Manual

Electric Generator then was the finish product.