[Peripherals] Alternitive Power for Developing Countries

[Alfonso de la Guarda]

Hello,

In the COS (www.cos-la.org), we are working some months ago in some options
for that, specially with a portable solar panel trying to reduce their cost
(about 60 dollars each).  The device -commercially available as cell
charger- is really small and can charge the XO without any problems.  In a
field test in Junin and Arahuay (Perú) the panels works great, in fact, in
the recent event of FLISOL in Huancayo (Junin-Peru) for the OLPC project, we
test the solution (commercial) between 3400 mts and 4500 mts (Ticlio).
Antonio Ramirez, Carlos Reinoso and who writes now are working in our breaks
on this task (reduce the cost for about 25 dollars each).




2008/5/5 Caryl Bigenho <cbigenho at hotmail.com>:

>  Hello Javier Rodriguez and, all the other folks on the peripherals list,
>
> After seeing the creative things Arjun Sarwal is doing with cow-power in
> India, I started thinking of other possibilities. I remembered my
> grandmother's old treadle sewing machine and how excited she was to have it
> electrified.  Later, I saw many being used 35 years ago in regions in the
> Yucatan where there was no electricity.
>
> Here is a link to a picture of what they look like.  It is the one on the
> left.
>
>
> http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade%2DLiterature/Sewing%2DMachines/
>
> Many of these machines still exist.  i see them at estate auctions every
> summer in Montana.  There must be thousands throughout the world.  I have
> twice tried bidding on just the treadle mechanism of one on ebay. I lost out
> on the bidding for both, but have hopes of finding one in Montana this
> summer.
>
> When I get one, I intend to try to set it up as a combination desk/power
> source to run an XO.  If it works and doesn't cost too much to set up, it
> might be something that could be replicated all over the world where these
> old machines still exist...some probably still being used without
> electricity.
>
> Javier, have you seen any of these machines in rural Peru?  Are they still
> being used to sew?  Would there be a need to try to design it to continue to
> be used as a sewing machine but to generate power at the same time?
>
> It might also be possible to manufacture a similar mechanism, at a modest
> cost.  But, the idea of recycling the old ones has a lot of appeal. I was
> also wondering if an old automobile generator could be adapted to work with
> it.  Perhaps it would require too much torque to work.
>
> It may be just a crazy idea, but if cow-power works, maybe this will too.
> If and when I do this project, I will probably need some advice from you
> folks.  Any suggestions for starters?
>
> Caryl
>
> BTW, Could AJ's Cow-power generator be adapted to run on Llama power?  How
> about donkey power?  Goat power?
>
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>


-- 

--------------------------------
Alfonso de la Guarda
COS
www.cos-la.org
www.delaguarda.info
Telef. 97550914
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