permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

API for Pedal Power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN6iqicgaXI
Video for innovation contest sponsored by Google and Specialized.

The device is a standard indoor bicycle trainer resistance unit modified with the addition of a pulley to the flywheel, 
and with replacement by the mag unit with a second pulley. The two belt-driven pulleys power either a laundry spinner 
for water extraction or an electric generator.

Proposal: tweak existing trainer designs by (1) putting a V-belt groove in the flywheel edge (2) designing toggle to 
lock out resistance (less)

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connected to recycled modified washing machine to spin dry clothes - could 
also work
as a big salad spinner for market farmers - alternatively, reconfigured to 
generate electricity

another possibility:
build a small windmill and connect the bicycle to that, add a small solar 
panel and storage batteries
use the power to automate valve adjustment in timed cycles on zoned arrays of 
micro spray or drip irrigation systems
on a market farm - low volume irrigation to heavily mulched crops in raised beds - no spray to evaporate - water 
conserved in high OM soils and layers of mulch - also use the system to pump irrigation water from storage tanks or 
earthen impoundments to crops or to gravity flow storage units