Creating Power From Your Home Fan? I have been trying to find on the internet a way to connect a small generator up to you home fan. Since you use your home fan anyway, why not connect a generator up to it to create power to run you laptop, charge your ipod or cell phone. If anyone has tried this or knows of a web site on this, let me know. Thank you

Best Answer

Unfortunately that will not work. the laws of thermodynamics will not allow it. This would be considered a perpetual motion machine, which do not exist.

Basically, the fan is being turned by x amount of power. If you connect a generator to that fan, the generator would never get more than x amount of power from it. In fact it would be less than x because of heat loss due to friction. Considering it is an isolated mechanical system (no special chemistry happening here), you will never get more power out than what you put in.

Asker's Rating:

Thank you, that makes sense but I think the generator could make enough to power my cell phone or ipod. That way I would save a little on my electric bill.

Other Answers (2)

• You will use more electricity to power your generator than you will be able to get out of it.
  
  Not only will you fan now have to consume the power to run your lap top, but it will also need additional power to overcome the friction of the generator.
  
  You would do better if you attach a perpetual motion machine to the generator.
• dmx is great