How does a wind-up generator work?

[Don A. Gilmore]

Hi guys:

How does a wind-up generator (like in a wind-up radio) work? Is it
simply a dynamo that charges a NiCd battery, or is energy stored in a
power spring (or neither)?

Thanks for any replies.

Don

 

[Don A. Gilmore]

Hi guys:

How does a wind-up generator (like in a wind-up radio) work? Is it
simply a dynamo that charges a NiCd battery, or is energy stored in a
power spring (or neither)?

Thanks for any replies.

Don

....Just to clarify. I realize that a power spring can't produce
electrical power. I just wondered if the mechanism truly winds up
(like a wind-up toy) and then this mechanical energy is converted into
electrical energy somehow.

Don

 

[John]

...Just to clarify. I realize that a power spring can't produce
electrical power. I just wondered if the mechanism truly winds up
(like a wind-up toy) and then this mechanical energy is converted into
electrical energy somehow.

Don

I have a FreePlay radio with both wind-up and solar power sources.

The wind-up mechanism on this radio works like a clock. You wind the
spring and it drives a small DC generator (via a speed control
mechanism) to power the radio for about 30 minutes.

Other "wind-up" radios may have NiCad/NiMH cells and either use the
spring mechanism / DC generator to charge the batteries, or use a
crank-driven DC generator to charge the batteries directly (not
exactly "wind-up", but does use a hand-crank ;-)

John