Hi, I am a bit FuzzyToo on this.
First, off the cuff, a treadmill is a horzontal device for walking on the spot(Or do you mean something else?). The almost horizontally running rubber belt creates a lot of friction...I do not actually know how much, but if you have a 150 kg guy(or heavier) then the friction could ad up. Any drive will be sized to easily overcome the friction and not to run too hot. On producing energy here...forget it. The horizontal component of the walking force of the person on the millwould have to overcome the friction plus the generation torque on the generator to produce any power. It won't work, unless you redesign the system to produce power...at most 0,5 kW if you are lucky...more likely 150 W steady state(big guy). The mill will have to be a steep incline...somethinhg like a stairway, and be almost frictionless.
On the bicycles it is different, mechanically. Bikes are highly efficient machines(Think of the Global Explorer over the English Channel).
OK, the 100 Watt output average= 50*100 W = 5kW.
At 10 h/day is 50 kWh/day and fetches $ 6/day. OK, but that is the saving as you would use the juice internally
Now the problem. Think of the investment for the equipment and the control systems for distribution per gym. The 5 kW output could be used to run a few treadmils, and maybe a bit of juice for the beer cooler.
I think I will scrap my plan to open a health club power station....Wel, I thought about it: NO.
I say it in a different way but I am sure this is what you meant: Not going ahead with the investment is more economical than building and operation the Health Club electric power plant for reducing the electricity consumption.
Conrad
AI
