Compressed Air Powered Light

[langforg]

Possibly, some of you have seen the emergency flashlights that can be powered by spinning a revolving handle. There is a miniature generator within the flashlight's housing providing just enough electricity to power the bulb. It seems as if it would be possible to adapt this mechanism to a compressed air tank and have a constant source of light without having to worry about batteries. Has this already been thought of? It just popped into my mind while reading the forum today.

Brad

 

[alphonsis]

I think the issue would be the matter of using up our precious air.

But beyond that, it would be fairly complicated. Considering the moving parts of the generator, and such. That and the more complicated things get, the more likely they are to break down.

I like my simple and reliable dive light.

 

[wilkie]

Most likely more trouble than it would be worth, in the "real world", but sure it could be done. With a low demand air motor, coupled to a small generator, perhaps a regulator, some electronics, ect.......Brain Candy ! Rube Goldberg would love it.

 

[Red_5]

interesting idea. air source would be my largest concern (from where?)

other than it being an interesting idea, why "re-invent the wheel"?

now,if you could create something that operated off of something you had an unlimited supply of (water) and could do so w/o causing any harm to the environment, then you might have something that would net you some big money.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Possibly, some of you have seen the emergency flashlights that can be powered by spinning a revolving handle. There is a miniature generator within the flashlight's housing providing just enough electricity to power the bulb. It seems as if it would be possible to adapt this mechanism to a compressed air tank and have a constant source of light without having to worry about batteries. Has this already been thought of? It just popped into my mind while reading the forum today.

Brad

If you could reverse that proccess I think it might be more useful. If you can figure out a way to make compressed air out of light shoot me an email, I want in on it.

 

[alphonsis]

If you could reverse that proccess I think it might be more useful. If you can figure out a way to make compressed air out of light shoot me an email, I want in on it.

Photovoltaic cells that are especially efficient with blue light, feeding a electrolysis system. But where to get the nitrogen from? Maybe feed the o2 into a CCR.

 

[underwasser bolt]

if you have seen those lights you shake for 30 seconds and then have a few minutes of LED light, maybe that would be a good concept in dive light form for back-up; LED does not take much electricity. the piston motion could be done with air, and is not very complicated. much the same way a palm nailer hooks to an air supply in order to drive nails; those are not expensive. neat idea, i think it is something that would be easy to make, with absolutely NO market as a back-up light with an LED lasts a LONG time.

 

[langforg]

I really don't think it would take that much air. I'm imagining a hose coming out of the first stage and going straight to the flashlight. There would be some kind of orifice at the flashlight end concentrating the air into a steady stream. After that, would be some kind of very small "turbine". The air would spin the turbine and start the generation of electricity. (Similar to how a power plant works.") I think that with the very small amount of electricity needed for the modern LED's that the idea is fairly feasable.

Here is an example of a hand cranked LED flashlight.

Hand Cranked Dyanamo powered LED Flashlight. No batteries to replace. No bulb to replace. A lifetime of light!

 

[Scubakevdm]

Why wouldn't you just waterproof one that you shake or crank then?

 

[ClayJar]

Unfortunately, stock dental handpieces use much lower pressures than the IP coming from a first stage. If I could find an inexpensive low-power air motor, I'd love to slap a few rare earth magnets on it, put it in a coil, and make an air-powered dive light.