Centripetal Generotor
Please note COSI's Generotor will close for the 2009 season on November 1.
Ever wonder what it would be like to stick to the side of a building like a superhero? You can experience this at COSI on the amazing Centripetal Generotor!
As you revolve inside, your body’s inertia presses against the centripetal force exerted by the rotor’s wall. The result is a force called static friction. When the Generotor reaches a top speed of 17 mph (33 rpm), the floor drops away as you remain stuck to the wall with friction equivalent to three times the force of gravity or three Gs!
** Generotor Riding Conditions |
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| Riders must be at least 36” tall | |
| If between 36” and 42” tall, riders must have an adult accompany them | |
| Riders must be able to support their weight | |
| Pregnant women and people with broken bones should not ride | |
| The Generotor is not operated when the heat index is 105+ degrees Fahrenheit | |
| The Generotor is not operated when it is raining or the temperature is less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit |
How is the Generotor G-force calculated?
The force of Gravity (G) on Earth is used as a baseline for measuring these forces of acceleration. The force of gravity when you sit, stand, or lie down is considered 1 G. In normal activity, we rarely experience anything other than 1 G. As you exert more Gs on the body, your weight increases correspondingly. Your 10 pound head will weigh 90 pounds when you pull 9 Gs!
If you continued to pull high Gs, the G force would push the blood in your body towards your feet and resist your heart's attempts to pump it back up to your brain. You would begin to get tunnel vision, then things would lose color and turn white. Finally everything would go black as you experienced the onset of Gravity Induced Loss of Consciousness (GLOC). Riding the Generotor will NOT result in GLOC.
Generotor G-force Calculations
1) The speed of the Generotor: 1 revolution / 1.82 seconds = 33 rpm (rotations per minute)
2) The Generotor's drum radius = 7.5 feet or 2.29 meters
3) This translates to: speed = 2 x π x 2.29 / 1.82 sec = 7.9 m/s (meters per second)
4) Acceleration = speed x speed / radius = 7.9m/s x 7.9m/s / 2.29m = 27.3 (m/s)/s
5) Since 1 G = 9.8 (m/s)s = 27.3(m/s)s / 9.8 (m/s)s = the G force of 2.8G, which is ~ 3 Gs
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