Human batteries?

[concrete_hed]

If you have seen the matrix movies, you will know that the machines use the humans as batteries because the humans scorched the sky so no sunlight gets through.

 

Anyway, at some point in the first film morpheus says that a human has more energy than a 120volt battery and 120,000 btu's of heat energy.

 

So that got me thinking, would it be possible to run electronic devices of human power (im not talking about running on a hamster wheel to generate electricity)? How can 120,000btu's of heat energy given off from a human be used to generate electricity?

 

PS. im not sure exactly if it was 120,000 btu's exactly.

[H2SO4]

a btu is a british thermal unit. There is no way we can supply that much power. 120,000 btu's is a huge amount of energy. But maybe over a large period of time. Were they saying over the span of 24 hours or liek a minute.

 

Even if this stat was true, how would we harness it. The electricity in or body is minute, and we only produces 98.2 degrees farenheit (my last temp reading). It would be totaly lame.

[Sisyphus]

We "give off" heat because we're warm-blooded, and the body uses energy to maintain a certain temperature. And where does the energy come from? From breaking down fats and sugars, which have to come from somewhere. We don't magically produce anything. And even if it were really true that bioheat was the most efficient energy source (???), then why would you use humans, of all organisms?

 

God those were dumb movies...

[Sayonara]

I seem to remember a while ago reading about the "next generation" of mobile devices, which were worn on the skin and drew power from the body.

 

There were working prototypes but as usual the "next generation" is turning out to mean "the eighth generation from this one".

 

So essentially yes, but I doubt we'll be powering machine cities any time soon.

 

Don't forget that we convert food into energy because we need the energy. The heat we produce maintains a constant (well, near enough) optimum temperature for our biological processes, so you'd have to capture the waste heat that was radiated or convected away from the body in order to claim back any significant proportion of spare energy.

 

Some kind of "smartsuit" would probably be necessary, but you then have the problem of temporarily storing the energy.

[the tree]

So that got me thinking, would it be possible to run electronic devices of human power (im not talking about running on a hamster wheel to generate electricity)?

Have you never heard of dynamoes on bicycles? They're really common.

[ecoli]

Some kind of "smartsuit" would probably be necessary' date=' but you then have the problem of temporarily storing the energy.[/quote']

 

then, there are fashion statements to worry about.

[Psycho]

We "give off" heat because we're warm-blooded' date=' and the body uses energy to maintain a certain temperature. And where does the energy come from? From breaking down fats and sugars, which have to come from somewhere. We don't magically produce anything. And even if it were really true that bioheat was the most efficient energy source (???), then why would you use [i']humans,[/i] of all organisms?

 

God those were dumb movies...

I watched them liquify the dead to feed to the living.

 

I watch the matrix to much...............

[DV8 2XL]

Have you never heard of dynamoes on bicycles? They're really common.

 

So are self-winding watches, some even run small generators that in turn charge a battery. I also think that some work has been done with piezo elements in shoes.

[ydoaPs]

I also think that some work has been done with piezo elements in shoes.

for what purpose?

[DV8 2XL]

The study is here:

http://www.media.mit.edu/physics/publications/papers/98.08.PP_wearcon_final.pdf

 

Pompously titled: Parasitic Power Harvesting in Shoes

[swansont]

for what purpose?

 

To recover some of the energy used in walking.

 

I also recall reading about a backpack frame that recovered energy from hiking, and could be used to charge batteries. It was initially aimed at the military market because of the large weight in batteries the average soldier carries into battle.

 

The body does generate of order 100 W (or 340 Btu/hour), so you could conceivably slap some thermoelectric devices on someone and generate some electricity that way, too.

 

But humans overall are really inefficient sources of energy (especially when you are using meat as a food), so if it's not wasted energy you're trying to grab, you're often better off burning the food directly in some kind of engine rather than harnessing human labor.

[DV8 2XL]

...you're often better off burning the food directly in some kind of engine rather than harnessing human labor.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[the tree]

Taken the food out of my mouth, damn thief.

[Genecks]

Long ago, I was talking this type of human energy harvesting with someone.

 

I had come to the idea that piezoelectricity could be used in sidewalks. Perhaps a certain type of flooring could be created that asorbs the impact and creates electricity from it. This energy could then be stored.

 

Such flooring could be implemented in busy places such as New York's Wall Street or otherwise.

 

I've always wondered if a weightlifting gym could be powered by people working out; in other words, people using the equipment and the energy given up would be routed to a energy storage device.

[Psycho]

Long ago' date=' I was talking this type of human energy harvesting with someone.

 

I had come to the idea that piezoelectricity could be used in sidewalks. Perhaps a certain type of flooring could be created that asorbs the impact and creates electricity from it. This energy could then be stored.

 

Such flooring could be implemented in busy places such as New York's Wall Street or otherwise.

 

I've always wondered if a weightlifting gym could be powered by people working out; in other words, people using the equipment and the energy given up would be routed to a energy storage device.[/quote']

That isn't a bad idea actually, i think it would work better in shopping centres that are cleaned often and it doesn't rain, plus alot of people walk there.

[dirtyamerica]

 

Anyway' date=' at some point in the first film morpheus says that a human has more energy than a 120volt battery and 120,000 btu's of heat energy.

 

.[/quote']

 

It's a FICTIONal movie. All the other points I wanted to make were already discussed.

[concrete_hed]

what are thermoelectric devices? can u give me an example?

[alt_f13]

A heating element? Perhaps the opposite of a heating element... wiki

[swansont]

what are thermoelectric devices? can u give me an example?

 

A peltier cooler, found in the newer mini-fridges and coolers that you can plug into your car's lighter/outlet. They use the Peltier or Seebeck effect, depending on which way you are driving the cycle (they are each other's reverse process). If you put a temperature difference on a piece of metal, you get a voltage. If you put a voltage, you get heat flow. Add to that the thermocouple effect of dissimilar metals, and you get a thermoelectric cooler/heater.

 

More info

[Genecks]

About a year ago I discussed with someone on wikipedia the drawing of human energy. I had come to the point that nano-technology could be used to withdraw the energy from humans. The nano-tech would have a very low resistance; thus, creating a ground for energy. The person I spoke with called me a crackpot, but I believe this night holds for each and every one of us.

 

However, there is a more serious question: how much energy is still required for a human being to maintain homeostasis?

 

You must remember the Matrix was created after humanity's fight with artificial intelligence. An age beyond what we currently have as of this moment. The technologies we have today would look much different then. Perhaps an interesting liquid medium could have sustained life and yet took it away. A type of artificial blood consisting of iron atoms or a different metal, perhaps.

[SkepticLance]

Genecks.

If the technology of the Matrix time is that far advanced, so are other methods of developing energy. There is more energy in the deuterium in a human body for fusion energy than could be obtained by chemical processes throughout that humans life. And there is a whole ocean containing deuterium...

 

As someone said, the concept in the Matrix is just unbelievably stupid.

 

After watching Matrix I, I had a thought that might 'save' the series. At least make it logical. If the human/AI wars were actually won by humans (though this fact is kept secret), and one single human rises to power and controls the matrix, then having all other humans tied to a computer link controlled by him would create the ultimate dictatorship.

 

Then Neo could end up fighting a real (but evil) human, making the series much more rational. Sadly the producers had other ideas.

[Sayonara]

Then Neo could end up fighting a real (but evil) human, making the series much more rational. Sadly the producers had other ideas.

And then in the climactic duel of the final installment, Neo finds the baddie in the real world, runs at him with a flying kick, falls on the ground and gasps...

 

"I don't know kung fu!"

 

 

Then the baddie shoots him.

 

 

Ace.