Difference between revisions of "Muscle power versus modern consumption"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m (Sisussman moved page Cycle power to Animal power without leaving a redirect) |
|||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
[[Category:Energy Use]] | [[Category:Energy Use]] | ||
| − | How much power can a cyclist generate | + | How much power can humans, and other animals, generate? |
| + | How much do we consume? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Energy guru Vaclav Smil claims that trained individuals can generate 4 or even 5{{sp}}KW of work for a few seconds, and almost 2{{sp}}KW equivalent in sustained running.<ref> | ||
| + | "Energy - A Beginner's Guide" by Vaclav Smil, Oneworld Publications, 2006 - 2017, ISBN 978-1-78607-133-0, page 71</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | However a practical experiment finds that an Olympic cyclist struggles to generate enough power to run a 700{{sp}}W toaster for a couple of minutes: | ||
| + | |||
| + | <youtube>S4O5voOCqAQ</youtube> | ||
| + | |||
| + | One horsepower is defined as 745{{sp}}Watts, and good horses can sustain 700—800{{sp}}W of work power. Oxen, by comparison, may be capable of only around 300{{sp}}W for smaller animals.<ref> | ||
| + | Smil, ''op cit'', page 81</ref> | ||
| + | |||
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p8469 BBC TV's "Bang Goes The Theory"] conducted a practical demonstration: | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p8469 BBC TV's "Bang Goes The Theory"] conducted a practical demonstration: | ||
Revision as of 15:25, 23 May 2020
How much power can humans, and other animals, generate?
How much do we consume?
Energy guru Vaclav Smil claims that trained individuals can generate 4 or even 5 KW of work for a few seconds, and almost 2 KW equivalent in sustained running.[1]
However a practical experiment finds that an Olympic cyclist struggles to generate enough power to run a 700 W toaster for a couple of minutes:
One horsepower is defined as 745 Watts, and good horses can sustain 700—800 W of work power. Oxen, by comparison, may be capable of only around 300 W for smaller animals.[2]
BBC TV's "Bang Goes The Theory" conducted a practical demonstration:
- A Bang Goes the Theory special event showing how much electricity we use and abuse without even thinking about it.
- This massive experiment attempts to power a house for an entire day solely through human pedal power - while the unsuspecting family inside go about their normal Sunday routine. Will they drive the Human Power Station to meltdown?
The whole programme
The electric shower segment
