Problem

We invented this invention because of the many disadvantages other forms of generating electricity poses. As most people know, the generation of electricity through conventional means such as fossil fuels result in the emission of greenhouse gasses and pollutants, which causes global warming. Not only that, it also uses a lot of water, a resource which is becoming more and more precious as the world becomes more and more overpopulated.

Even clean and renewable sources of energy have their disadvantages. Hydroelectric power disrupts water flow and may require dams to be built, which will have an impact on the environment. Wind power has the least impact on the environment, yet is not as efficient and requires a larger amount of land compared to other alternative sources of energy. Solar power also requires a large amount of land, and the manufacturing of solar cells has a large impace on the environment.

Compared to these, our invention has a minimal impact on the environment, though it's use is limited to doors and depends on how heavy the traffic is to generate electricity. It also has a much lower cost at about $20.00 and requires much less land than other sources of electricity. With the increasing need for power and growing concern over global warming, our invention is definitely relevant in today's society.

Alternative solutions

The zollinger door generator is another product we managed to find that shares some similarity with our product. However, our product functions on a different mechanism as this and is better in some areas. Our product is better concealed, and more efficient in energy conversion. Our product is more aesthetically appealing as it is concealed and will not be seen compared to the zollinger door generator which can be seen. Also, the zollinger door generator has an output of up to 50 watts per swing, and an average power of 25 watts. Even though we currently have a highest of 47.4 watts generated, it has an average output of more 39.8 watts, thus making it have a net higher energy output. Moreover, our tests were using a dynamo which was not the most efficient and could have a higher energy output if it was using a different dynamo.

The June Holidays

The June holidays was a time of fun and relaxation. But for Team Door Generator, it was also a unique and enriching experience. We spent the better part of the holiday creating the door prototype, which required us to learn many new skills we most likely would not have much time to perfect or even practice in school, like soldering, and designing products.

Besides that, we feel that this is one step forward for our group, towards a full complete prototype. Things we currently have include the main skeleton of our final prototype, like the generator unit, and the battery compartment. But to make our prototype functional and practical, we would need to crack our heads more, and figure out how to put in parts like suspension systems, and actually putting it out for experiments to see how effective it is in the real world.

We would continue to work on that but for now: Prototype V1.1
(insert picture which is to be taken)