Smart Ways to Generate Electricity from Traffic
Engineers at Lancaster University are working on the development of piezoelectric ceramics, which are smart materials that will be embedded in the road surface and convert vibrations caused by passing automobiles into electrical energy.
Engineers at Lancaster University are working on the development of piezoelectric ceramics, which are smart materials that will be embedded in the road surface and convert vibrations caused by passing automobiles into electrical energy.
According to Professor Mohamed Saafi's research, a system that can recover 1 to 2 megawatts of energy per kilometer on a road with a traffic density of approximately 2000-3000 cars per hour, or regular traffic density, would be developed in the near future. If this energy is preserved, it has the potential to power 2000-4000 street lights. Additionally, this is advantageous in terms of environmental conservation while also saving money on taxation.
At the moment, the cost of powering 2000-4000 streetlights is approximately £1800-3600 per day for the appropriate number of units. As predicted by industry analysts, installing and operating the new equipment that will generate energy from roadways will cost approximately 20 percent of the total cost of the project.
They will, according to Professor Saafi, develop novel materials that will take use of the piezoelectric effect. For example, a substance that generates voltage by causing physical stress on the road surface as vehicles pass by is used to generate voltage. According to Saafi, such materials must be capable of withstanding high levels of stress while also providing a good balance between energy and cost.
According to Saafi, the ceramic-structured technology he developed might be utilized to power traffic density monitoring systems, street lights, traffic signals, and electric car charging stations, among other things. After the technology has been fully developed, it will be used in field trials in the United Kingdom and other parts of the European Union.
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