Exploiting the traffic of cities to realize energy? It is possible thanks to piezoelectric materials put under the roads where vehicles pass every day. The so-called “piezoelectricity” is the capacity to produce electric current when subject to a mechanical stress, i.e. the movement of vehicles on the road. The company Innowartech, which launched the innovative idea, is now making test road in Israel.

The innovative system, relying on a “parasitical collection of energy”, could highly contribute to solve the energetic global crisis in an environmental-friendly way. Indeed, normally the total amount of mechanical energy produced by millions of vehicles moving on the roads all over the world is practically wasted .

A coat of piezoelectric crystals which produce electricity when these are crushed is installed under the first asphalt layer. Piezoelectric generators collect energy and accumulate it on batteries located along the road edges. This energy could be used by people, houses, offices etc.

According to Innowattech, the electric generator Piezo (the IPEG) should be able to produce 200 KWh, thus a four-lane road produces about 1 MWh of electricity, enough to supply energy to 2500 families. Considering that Israel has about 250 kilometers of roads where it is possible to install this type of technology and considering the traffic volumes and their increasing trends, we can adfirm without any doubts that a great amount of energy could be produced in this way.

The same technology could also be applied on runways in airports and on railways. The system could also provide real-time information on weight, frequency and speed of vehicles passing over and also the distance between them.

The system was revealed for the first time last year, and it is now one of the really exciting projects the bigger corporations for green power and the environmental organizations are examining and evaluating. What it is most interesting in this energy production system is that, in spite of other systems, this one does not require to build new infrastructures (i.e. poles for the production of wind power, solar panels).

Lucy Edery-Azulay, the project manager, says that the technology is based on piezoelectric materials which allow the conversion of mechanical energy exercised by vehicles’ weight in electric power. Therefore, this way of producing energy relies only on existing roads and exploits mechanical energy that otherwise would be unused and wasted.

Related articles

• http://it.emcelettronica.com/produrre-elettricit%C3%A0-mentre-si-guida-utilizzando-i-materiali-piezoelettrici http://www.innowattech.co.il/

Related articles

• Piezoelectric MEMS boosts vibration harvester by ten times (nextbigfuture.com)
• CA Highways could be a source of green energy (reviews.cnet.com)
• Calif. highways could be source of green energy (reviews.cnet.com)

London Municipality – Major Boris Johnson and the transport commissioner Peter Handy – unveiled the project of renewing the “Routemaster” in order to meet the 21st century environmental challenges. Transports by now account for 20% of the overall London CO2 emissions and 5% of all transport emissions created by buses will be cut down through the new hybrid model of the “double-decker bus”.

The new “Routemaster”- co-designed by the Wright Group and Thomas Heatherwick – is powered by the latest technology in hybrid-diesel motors: they can capture the energy released while braking and store it in battery packs for a boost produced by its electric motors. Tests revealed hybrid red double-deckers have a 40% better fuel efficiency compared with the traditional diesel ones and a 15% when compared with other hybrid-diesel powered buses. Moreover, compared with diesel buses, hybrid models are expected to produce a 40% NOx emissions and a 33% reduction in PM10 levels. Hybrid models also provide for a 3 decibel reduction in perceived noise levels, therefore being at the same time more fuel efficient, cleaner and quieter.

Trials have been held since 2008 to test hybrid buses’ performances, and 300 new “Routemaster 2.0” are expected to join the fleet by 2011. All new buses in service after 2012 in London – the Olympic year – will be hybrid. The city wants to reduce its CO2 emission levels by 20% in 2020 and by 60% in 2050, and an entire fleet of hybrid buses is said it could cut 200.000 tons of carbon each year.

Red buses will continue to be the most famous public transport in the world and an iconic symbol of London, even in the 21st century. By innovating in the path of tradition London buses’ legacy may also change worldwide the social perception of “green” public transport. Starting from the red small scale model souvenir of a double-decker bus which every tourist brings home after a trip to London: it could be soon shaped as an hybrid model.

Related articles

• Smartplanet.com
• Transport for London
  inhabitat
• guardian.co.uk
• nexus 404.com
• techradar.com

The Company “Freestyle PLC” is launching Solaris Elettra, an electric car for Ethiopia. In fact, the production and sale of the two versions of Solaris Elettra (costing around $12,000 and $15,000) will take place in Addis Ababa. The cars will finally take off for Africa and Europe’s markets.

The question is if Africa with its electricity shortages, low level of wealth per capita and poor infrastructure endowment, is ready for the production and spread of electric cars.

According to the general manager of Freestyle PLC, Carlo Pironti, Ethiopia’s electricity shortages were not an obstacle, as in the future the power supply should strongly increase. Furthermore, the manager underlines that Solaris Elettra can be recharged by generator and solar power.
To face customers’ budgetary problems, Mr Pironti says that his company will develop a credit system for people unable to afford the cost of Solaris Elettra: indeed Ethiopian taxes on cars could be very high and average salaries are low.

Wayne Batty, senior writer at South Africa’s Topcar magazine, points out that by now electric cars may be reserved for short trips (40 to 50 km), since infrastructure and recharging points are still lacking across African countries.

Ethiopia is the second African country, after South Africa, involved in the production and promotion of an electric car. With the recent Rwanda’s launch of a bio-diesel bus, Africa is demonstrating a strong interest in cutting-edge technologies for sustainable mobility.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Electric car launched in Ethiopia despite electricity shortages (news.bbc.co.uk)

The compressed air car, for instance, appeared several years ago and has been presented as a possible revolution in personal mobility but, as of yet, it has not turned out into reality and, on the contrary, many doubts persist on some technical aspects and on its energy efficiency.

Recently, a study published on the last number of the “Environmental Research Letters” states that the compressed air car beside having an extremely low energy efficiency, requires electric power to compress air and, therefore, its carbon footprint appears to be bigger than conventional fossil fuel cars.

However, last year the MDI, company that produces compressed air cars, introduced the concept named AirPod, whose production license has been purchased by the Indian giant Tata Motors and has announced its launch on the market by 2009.

Will we see soon a small “bubble” emitting air from its exhaust pipe or will there be another delay? Reality or chimera? What do you think?

Other articles you might enjoy!

News on AirPod
Compressed air cars

Related articles by Zemanta

• People Power Announces “Unplug for Earth Day 2010″ Campaign on Facebook (prweb.com)
• Turning gas-guzzling properties into models of energy efficiency (guardian.co.uk)