Alternative Electricity Production

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Allen
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:07 am
Occupation: Student: 10th grade
Project Question: How can we perform an experiment proving hair and fingernails can be an alternative source for electricity? What are some directions, methods, paths we can take? How feasible is our method, how can we improve it?
Project Due Date: March 4th, 2011
Project Status: I am conducting my research

Alternative Electricity Production

Post by Allen »

Me and my partner, Sang Woo is working on our science fair project, attempting to transform the energy in every day wastes like finger nails and hair to a usable form, ultimately to create an alternative energy source.

Though we are currently researching on our project, we would like to request guidelines from experts.

One major question that we really need an answer is "what suggestions would you give us to perform productive experiments?"

Thank you for your help,
Allen Lau.
deleted-71709
Former Expert
Posts: 265
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:36 am
Occupation: Engineer - Product & Technical Development Executive Director
Project Question: n/a
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Alternative Electricity Production

Post by deleted-71709 »

You've come to the right place, Allen, to get an answer to your question "what suggestions would you give us to perform productive experiments?"

Just go to this link on the ScienceBuddies web site, and you'll learn how to do a really good science project:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ?From=body

The section on "Experimental Procedures" should be of particular interest to you.

Have fun!
Ed Neu
Buffalo, MN
deleted-71360
Former Expert
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:58 pm

Re: Alternative Electricity Production

Post by deleted-71360 »

I really hate to deflate you good intentions, but this is old science and old technology and has been around for a century. It is called burning garbage and recovering the heat to power a boiler and run a steam engine. There are a number of industrial processes that are essentially powered from their own waste products, a sawmill is the prime example. Take a tree, cut it into useful boards, and burn the sawdust and trimmings to run the power plant that provides the steam for a power plant that generates electricity to run a major portion of the sawmill. Another term is cogeneration.

Your intentions are good, but it is difficult to show this on a science fair project scale. Let me think about this for a few days.

Bob
Allen
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:07 am
Occupation: Student: 10th grade
Project Question: How can we perform an experiment proving hair and fingernails can be an alternative source for electricity? What are some directions, methods, paths we can take? How feasible is our method, how can we improve it?
Project Due Date: March 4th, 2011
Project Status: I am conducting my research

Re: Alternative Electricity Production

Post by Allen »

Thank both of you for replying with these suggestions, we will consider it carefully.

Allen Lau
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