Electricity.
Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting. Brenda Ou December 10, 2011 Submitted as coursework for PH240, Stanford University, Fall 2011 Introduction The search for a clean, reusable source of energy has caused a spike in interest in the exploration of piezoelectricity.
Further research into its uses has significantly increased in the last few years. Piezoelectricity takes advantage of the charges in a piezoelectric crystal (such as quartz). Currently, smaller projects have been exploring new applications for piezoelectric energy. Piezoelectricity Piezoelectric materials are used to obtain energy from exerted forces or vibrations. Current Uses In 1989, LA times released an article: "Piezo: Tough Plastic With a Sensitive Side : Technology: A high-tech super-polymer is tough, clear, able to withstand harsh environments--and it can sing. " Research Projects Another project in Japan attempts to fully utilize the power of human movement. Conclusion © Brenda Ou. References [1] J. Wind electrifies art. New Bill Could Allow California to Harness Power Otherwise Lost as Cars Travel Over Pavement.
Workers installing road piezoelectric devices We’ve been presenting over time how piezoelectric devices could harness energy from different sources, and I think we were right supporting this technology.
The following is a Press Release sent to us by California Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who proposed a new bill that will implement piezoelectric technology already in use in Italy and Israel to harness energy from road vibrations. “Hybrid vehicles capture the energy lost while slowing down a vehicle and use that energy to power the car independently from the engine for significant stretches of time.
But what if we could capture the energy lost as all automobiles move along a stretch of pavement and place that power into the electrical grid? A bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) would do just that. “A major source of renewable energy is right beneath our feet — or, more accurately, our tires. Gatto’s bill, the Roadway / Highway Electrification Act pilot project, is AB 306. Reading Accenture: Plug-in Electric Vehicle Pilots.
Accenture’s Energy Group released a report on the 17th about the challenges of plug-in electric vehicle pilots around the world.
Jeff St John at Gigaom took a look at the issues around the cost of the battery and concluded that, “cutting the cost of the battery out of the cost of owning an electric vehicle could be a key way to push electric vehicles into the mass market.” I am going to focus on the charging network issues in this post. The report identified three key challenges: Cost: The business case for investing in public charging infrastructure is weak due to high costs and initial consumer preferences for home charging. Pilots reveal a risk that consumers may not use public charging spots at rates required to recover costs, which range from approximately $5,000 per charging station to $50,000 for units capable of fast charging a car in approximately 30 minutes.
Central Valley Business Times. ‘Electric’ highways may be close SACRAMENTO April 27, 2011 7:44am • Venerable physics principal may be used to generate power • Highways could become latest source of alternative power California’s motorists could become small generators of electricity as they drive about the state some day.
Piezoelectric Effect to power California's roads? Piezoelectric. Green diary rescue: Will a clean energy standard be a good thing? Agriculture, Gardening & Food Food and Water Watch asked Is Washington Gambling on Food and Water Safety?
: "…it seems that some overzealous budget hackers on Capitol Hill are trying to cut funds that support critical food and water safety protections, which could seriously threaten public health. " Eclectablog alerted us to the Hiding of bucolic animal slaughterhouses: "Americans have come to learn in recent years that factory farming, particularly of livestock and poultry, is a gruesome, animal-torturing enterprise. When the cubic footage of a chicken's cage is scientifically calculated to maximize egg production, you can damn well be certain that the chicken's level of agony is not going to factor into that particular equation. Powering our Homes with the Roads we Drive on. Bill Finds An Unlikely Renewable Energy Source: Non-Hybrid Vehicles. Assemblyman Mike Gatto has introduced AB 306, the Roadway / Highway Electrification Act pilot.
As of press time, the Sierra Club has taken no official position on it, but may be reviewing it in the coming months. The new bill proposes California invest in 'piezoelectric generation,' to capture the energy lost as traditional automobiles move along a stretch of pavement and place that power into the electrical grid. While hybrid vehicles capture the energy lost while slowing down a vehicle and use that energy to power the car independently from the engine for significant stretches of time, for the many non-hyrbrids on the road, that energy is wasted.
Piezoelectric generation can produce as much as 44 megawatts of electricity per year from one single-lane, one-kilometer stretch of roadway -- enough to power 30,800 homes for a year. The science works as follows: When a car or truck passes over pavement, the pavement vibrates ever so slightly.