Electric Motors as Generators? - Could this work?

[captain nemo12]

[color=#000000]Hi guys,

I was thinking about a way of generating small amounts electricity to power small light bulbs or LEDs located on a model sub's conning-tower, and I thought about this]

[aeroengineer1]

Perhaps the voltage or amperage

Perhaps the voltage or amperage supplied were not enough. This method though is not the best way to do this. You are taking electricity and then transferring it to the main motor to do work. Some of this work is used to turn the generator (which is less than a 100% energy conversion) and then you transfer it to you bulb. You are adding 2 elements that are both going to reduce the efficiency of the transfer of energy to your bulb. Basically it amounts to a lower run time.

Adam

[himszy]

I'm not sure on this,

I'm not sure on this, so please correct me if I'm wrong. But I believe a dc motor is an ac generator.

Michael

[Guest]

Nope. A dc motor can

Nope. A dc motor can be used as a dc generator.

[anonymous]

Yes the reason you are

Yes the reason you are not getting anything is due to losses. If you stick a mulitimeter on it you detect a current. I remember a school experiment where we turned a motor by hand to light a bulb