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Author Topic: Alternative Energy in the projection suite David Graham Rose Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Cambridge, UK Registered: Sep 2002 posted 05-20-2003 02:23 PM                     Greetings All I have recently been sitting on a Film Council board here in the UK and one of the tasks awarded to my research group has been the investigation of the use of alternative energy sources in the projection room. As a prelude to my forthcoming round of research on this matter, I would like to take this opportunity to ask members of this forum whether or not they have had any experience in this matter. The only instance of 'alternative' energy sources that I have encountered over here is back in 1958 when the Star Group of Companies, who operated a number of theatres in the UK at that time, attempted to convert the motor-generators at the Studios 1&2 Milford Haven, Pembs., to run on water power. This involved the use of water wheels, geared favourably and coupled to the rotor of the a.c. motor. A contactor was used to power an electromagnet which in turn held a large an arm at the end of which was a water wheel. On failure of power the contactor would open, thus killing the power to the electromagnet causing the arm to drop and the water wheel to lower into the race of the adjacent flour mill. Unfortunately for Star Cinemas, this system did not work, since the time between the power failing, and the wheel gaining sufficient momentum to provide the necessary e.m.f. in the motor generator was too great. Possibly, but having not yet carried out any calculations on a hypothetical mathematical model of this system, a sustained immersion in water and an auto changeover switch for power failure would have been more succesful. I have pictures somewhere of this system, but at present the I.T. Department has my scanner in for repair, so I will post them when next it is retrieved.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-20-2003 03:42 PM                        Since the light source often uses the most energy of any component of the projection system, it would be interesting to study the feasibility of a solar light collector to use as a light source during daylight hours. Possibly something like a large parabolic mirror that could be aimed at the sun and focus the light onto a fiber optic bundle to transmit it to the projector. Feasible, but probably not practical. A bit more whimsical would be a theatre powered by its audience using treadmills or stationary bicycles -- lose weight while you watch the movie.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-20-2003 05:58 PM                    I could seriously see someone doing that. It would generate (yes, a pun) a huge amount of publicity. Each bike/generator would have a meter that expresses how much power they are generating while a sign would explain the total amount needed to keep the show on. Depending on the attendence you could make the audience responsible only for different tiers of power, from just the projector motor, to the entire amount including platter, soundrack, and lamp. You'd only cut the lamp over to them when there is ample power that isn't going to drop out. Blowers of course would be on the utility at all times!  |  IP: Logged Greg Pauley Expert Film Handler Posts: 173 From: Huntington, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2000 posted 05-20-2003 06:16 PM                        Would this make people buy more concessions because they are working off calories or the fact that sweat and popcorn don't go together would cause less sales?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-20-2003 07:51 PM                     Sounds like somebody's been watching too much of The Matrix!  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-20-2003 08:02 PM                    Quit yer nay-saying and lets make with the power calculations! We could always tie to the grid (since it would be alternator / rectifier / inverter anyway) and simply display what percentage of the load the audience is generating (or exporting to the neighboring conventional screens).  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 05-21-2003 12:07 AM                        quote: ...simply display what percentage of the load the audience is generating (or exporting to the neighboring conventional screens). Sure, then people would be saying, "It cost me $13.50 to get in, $22.00 for concessions AND they sold the power I generated for them while watching the show!" David, just out of curiosity, how is the use of alternative energy sources different for a theatre than any other commercial application?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-21-2003 08:42 AM                    Realistically the most likely alternative energy use in a theatre would be solar assisted heating. A related topic although not really alternative energy would be cogeneration where a gas-fired engine provides electricity while the waste heat from the coolant and exhaust supplies heating in winter and in summer can be used to run an absorption chiller for air conditioning. The pedal power theatre is still a great idea although more for publicity as well as a way for people to exercise while watching a film. I really think someone could get some good mileage from this concept.  |  IP: Logged Robert Throop Master Film Handler Posts: 412 From: Vernon, NY USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-21-2003 09:08 AM                     I've always felt that there must be some way to harness the heat exhausted by the xenon lamphouses. 3kwx20 screens is an enormous amount of heat that's wasted.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 05-21-2003 09:18 AM                        quote: I've always felt that there must be some way to harness the heat exhausted by the xenon lamphouses. 3kwx20 screens is an enormous amount of heat that's wasted A heat exchanger would not be that hard to implement. (Must still vent the potential ozone vapors outside). Using outside air to cool the lamps, rather than conditioned indoor air would also save energy. Air-to-Air heat exchangers: http://www.deschampstechnologies.com/products/productRecord.php?product_ID=22& http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/refbriefs/ea5.html  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-28-2005 03:39 PM                 It has been 649 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Don Cross Film Handler Posts: 97 From: Charleston, WV, USA Registered: Jan 2005 posted 02-28-2005 03:39 PM                     Time to bring this one out of the archieve... Even with the large power requirements of a theater for: the electrical power mostly going to the booths, heating and cooling, etc... It would still be very easily possible to run a theater from alternate energy sources. Even in an area that has mostly cloudy skies most of the time solar cells would work for most (if not all) of the electrical. Depending upon the square footage of the roof, it could also work in properly heating the building. A "green house" type of concept could be used for heating and also to pull the heat from a building in the summer. Such systems have been made to work for houses of all sizes, and for assisting in commercial and retail applications. Most systems could easily pay for themselves in about ten years.  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 02-28-2005 03:59 PM                     I could see this with the current "spinning" wave at the gyms and workout clubs. You go, workout, and watch your favorite movie while you provide the power. Also, has anyone thought of degsigning a projector like a car...with a alternator or something of the such...I know it probably wouldn't make much sense, but maybe something could come of it.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-28-2005 04:28 PM                        I use solar panels at a cabin in the desert and it's pretty expensive to get power that way. I am able to produce about one 20 amp 110vac circuit using 5 panels (420 watts total @ 16 vdc). That not much for all the batteries and solar panels that I've had to buy (about $6000 for all the stuff including inverter) One of the problems I had was the inverter not putting out a "true" enough AC sine wave. IMHO it would be pretty much out of the question to juice all the equipment necessary to "put on a show" using solar. At the Seattle Center Science Pavilion they had a bicycle generator hooked up to a bank of light bulbs, that you could get on and pedal. It was all I could do to run one 60 watt bulb BRIEFLY. It really makes you appreciate how much "energy" it takes to produce a little electrical power  |  IP: Logged Wolff King Morrow Master Film Handler Posts: 490 From: Denton, TX, USA Registered: Feb 2004 posted 02-28-2005 06:11 PM                        The simple solution is to use a self-contained nuclear reactor unit. Those puppies will power your projectors for 5000 years and only costs about a hundred bucks to install. The only minor problem is your booth staff melting, but you can sweeten the pot for them by upping the pay rate to 7 bucks an hour. They have to memorize the manual on nuclear physics in order to deserve such a high pay rate though...  |  IP: Logged

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