power generation in steps

Thanks for not asking "power generation in 11KV steps"

A stepper motor can be used to drive a generator or alternator. For example you can take a 555 timer and pulse the driver at the right frequency.

A stepper motor seems to be very strong but will simply loose steps when overloaded.

Note that the stepper is not driven by the pulses but that the driver chip must switch the (external) power.

Rather use a transformer (and rectifier)

why not use the energy used to step your motor (via a driver) for generator power output, instead of wasting it on powering a stepper motor?

You could use one phase for powering stepper in the steps you want, and use the other remaining phase/s to generate power. Just avoid using the word "overunity" and/or "100% efficiency" in your project and you have a nice toy to play and experiment with.

Some clarification please. Are you talking about using something like a piezo-electric crystal to convert mechanical motion into electricity? If so, then when someone "steps on a step", or the "steps one takes while walking"?

Totally unclear (especially after reading previous posts).

I was stupid enough to think that he wants to go walking and generate power while walking.......silly me!!!

As you say, 'Totally unclear'

It's really interesting to observe how one's experience skews one's reading of imprecise text...

I was assuming the OP wants to use a stepper motor as a generator. Must be a PM type stepper, as I believe most are. If so, the answer is just use a diode bridge on each phase to convert the AC into DC. The outputs of all the bridges can be used to charge a capacitor or battery.

If that's what he wants to do, that is the correct way to do it....

I have read somewhere that using stepper motors in this manner is also relatively efficient too, what is your take on that?

I haven't done any measurements, but just feeling how much the torque needed to turn one increases when the leads are shorted shows that it is generating a fair amount of current. The large number of poles means it will work well at much lower speeds than many generators.

I just tried a short-stack size 23 (2.3" OD) motor (200 steps/rev, removed from an old dot-matrix printer), and it took special effort to spin the 1/4" shaft with my thumb and forefinger SLOWly enough to NOT light a green LED at each step. Its low voltage, but the phases are totally isolated, so with four phases one of them is going to be at essentially Max Voltage all the time.

I think that is what he is asking. I also don't think he can find his way back to this thread.

See: http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/42371/Power-Generation-on-Steps

Guest OP sounds like the same bloke to me.

Some people will never learn.

Byeeeeee