Video: Engineer turns energy from swinging pendulum into electricity

Engineer and YouTuber Tom Stanton has successfully converted the potential energy of a swinging pendulum into usable electrical energy, achieving a peak output of 80 volts. Stanton, an aerospace engineer with a passion for 3D printing, demonstrated this concept by initially swinging a magnet over a copper block to induce current, which generated heat due to opposing magnetic fields. He then replaced the copper block with wire coils to capture the current, adding a bridge rectifier and capacitor to convert and store the energy as direct current, allowing LEDs to remain lit between swings. Scaling up the setup, Stanton used a heavy pendulum bob, precision bearings, and powerful magnets arranged in a Halbach array to optimize the magnetic field direction. He 3D-printed custom components to create six pickup coils connected to rectifiers and a large capacitor for energy storage. The system generates about 51 joules (0.014 watt-hours) per swing from a seven-inch lift, enough to power six LEDs for three minutes or run