When starting to the ‘Designing for Disasters’ assignment through the research, conducted during early stages of the process by the group, I found that one of the major issues that was experienced during the recovery and rebuilding process was communication. The ability to constantly keep the tools for communication charged and ready to go. The issue was that aid workers were not able to carry around extra batteries around them due to the fact that this added extra weight that they could not afford to have in the environment. \
I went to try to address this issue of not being able to charge on the go and out in the field. The main way they would charge would be to return to main bases and connect to diesel generator systems. I also wanted to address the issue of having to bring the generator and fuel in after a tsunami to charge personal electrical tools. I conducted research on ways of producing energy while moving, using the human body which produces a combined 200 watts of energy just when walking. To harness this energy while doing physical movements would provide clean, cheap, and individual electricity while the worker did anything.
Kinetic Energy Generators are the way that this would be able to be accomplished. These generators employ a process that employs the Faraday Effect which is where a magnet passes through a wire coil apparatus, this then creates a magnetic field which is caught by the wire coil and is then turned into an electrical charge. Once the magnet has passed through the coil it hits a spring and an oppositely charged magnet and the moving magnet passes back through the coil. This process provides clean and unending supply of electricity as long as the user continues to move.
After finding the technology to create electricity the appropriate place was needed hold the charger. Early designs were to be attached to a tool eg. a hammer or axe, but it was deemed that they would make the tool too cumbersome and get in the way of the natural movement of the tool as many of its uses are in cramped locations during the rescue and rebuilding process. The final design has the unit strapped to the upper arm near the shoulder. This placement was decided on due to weight being strapped to this area has the minimal amount of strain on the body while also providing a large amount of movement too. This area was also suitable due to the upper arms large surface area which was needed to support the size of the generator. Also it is out of the way on the body still allowing the user to use the hands freely and without any strain.
This arm band generator is designed to be employed by aid workers in tsunami affected areas as a way for them to be independent of the constant need for electricity to properly coordinate their efforts. Without communication in tsunami disaster areas the process of relief and rebuilding is very slow and difficult due to the complete destruction all around workers. The usual way to keep charged is for workers to go back to a central area to change batteries or charge; the other option is to carry more batteries which are more weight that they can’t afford to be carrying in a dangerous and complicated area. By carrying the independent generator a worker has the ability to go longer without having to go back to base due to a dependency on a generator. This also provides a relief on the need for a diesel generator with has a large damaging effect on the environment from the actual production of electricity but also the transporting of the generator and the fuel needed to run it.
Workers have the ability to become independent from the need to constantly charge their electronics at a base but can do it on the move while doing the more important and necessary works that they are there to complete.
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