i think i need a spring energy-storage mechanism. Maybe a very large
wind-up clock motor?
[snip]
the concept is to use a cargo bicycle, maybe with trailer, to carry
the items down to the bottom of the mountain, "winding up the clock"
on the spring-storage.
at the bottom, the load is transferred to buyers. the now very-much-
lighter bicycle is to be driven UP the mountain, using the stored
energy.
Any cat which will catch the mice is fine with me. I'm just thinking
that anything involving electricity, hydraulic fluids, etc, will be
too involved, and losses throguh two conversions. Capacitor storage
might be feasible, if there's high quality ones being sold. The charge
doesn't need to held for long amounts of time. Down the hill, then
back up.
You're up against the energy density problem. You don't quantify
anything here, but you are potentially looking to store a large
quantity of energy. Flywheels make good energy storage "buffers"
much like capacitors, but they don't do large energy storage well.
And they have losses as well. Folks have suggestsed various
forms of cable driven machines, and that has the advantage that
you'll use the energy when you generate it. Alternately, you
can store the energy in a fixed location and resuse it through a
cable system. And cable systems will have their significant losses
as well.
It would seem that what you are after actually is any reasonably
efficient storage system, and then use it to move ALOT of
material. That will increase the difference between the mass
being lifted, and that being lowered. This will allow you to suffer
fairly significant losses an still accomplish what you are after.
This system you envision will work because you plan on harvesting
the potential energy of materials already elevated on the mountian to
do work. So you'll want to harvest large amounts such that you can
stand the losses in the conversion and use.
Off a cliff your easiest way is a 50 lb bucket with a 60 lb
counter
weight all hanging on a single pulley. Fill bucket, it goes down,
weight comes up. Empty bucket, weight goes down, bucket comes up.
You can do something similar with a cable, a car, and a track. Other
than that, my bet would be on any of the existing regenerative braking
systems already in existence.
