5 Questions
What purpose did the windmill serve in this chapter of the text?
To charge mobile phones
How did African cities like Nairobi and Kinshasa offer phone charging services during blackouts?
Through stalls powered by extension cords
Why was a Step-up Transformer needed in the windmill experiment?
To increase the voltage from 12V to 220V for phone charging
How does a Step-up Transformer work based on the text?
Through Mutual induction
Why were car bulbs used instead of incandescent bulbs in the house?
Due to different power requirements
Study Notes
- Without wind, there was no light on calm nights, prompting the need for a car battery to power the windmill.
- The windmill was used to charge mobile phones, inspired by the business model of charging phones in markets without electricity using long extension cords.
- In bigger African cities like Nairobi and Kinshasa, stalls powered by extension cords offer services like phone charging, photocopying, and printing during frequent blackouts.
- The windmill's Dynamo produced 12 volts, insufficient to charge a phone requiring 220 volts, leading to the need for a Step-up Transformer to boost power.
- A Step-up Transformer works through Mutual induction, where voltage from one coil induces a charge in another, increasing the overall voltage, a concept demonstrated by Michael Faraday in 1831.- The primary coil required 200 turns while the secondary coil needed 2000 turns for the experiment.
- The inventor connected Dynamo wires to the primary coil and wired the secondary coil directly to a phone charger.
- The inventor built a plug using an AC outlet from an old radio to charge phones, which attracted many people.
- To charge a car battery with AC power from the Dynamo, the inventor used diodes or rectifiers found in radios.
- The inventor used car bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs for lighting due to the different power requirements.
- The lights in the house were connected in a parallel circuit, ensuring that if one bulb burned out, the others would still work.
- The inventor built a light switch using bicycle spokes, iron strips, and flip-flop buttons, following a design from books.
- The inventor faced challenges with the quality of wires, using scrap yard materials which led to sparking issues.
- A circuit breaker was created using electromagnetic coils, a lollipop magnet, and a tripwire to prevent overloads.
- The inventor faced safety risks with a malfunctioning windmill chain causing injuries and had to find solutions using pulleys and belts.
- By using a belt system with pulleys, the inventor solved the windmill chain issues and improved efficiency.
Explore the innovative approach of using a windmill to charge mobile phones in African cities during blackouts, including the use of a Dynamo, Step-up Transformer, and unique design solutions. Learn about the challenges faced and solutions found by the inventor in this remarkable project.
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