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The sound of wagons generates energy

30.11.2012

Engineers from Stonebrook University received a national award for their innovative development of a device that harnesses vibration energy from railways. This can save millions of dollars a year and at the same time reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the environment. The work of the development team was recognized at the annual scientific conference held in Washington on November 7-8, 2012.

A team from Stonebrook, led by Professor Lei Zao and two graduate students Deng Ling and John Wang from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Energy Research Center of Science and Technology, have developed a new way to transform the irregular, chaotic vibrations of railway tracks as a train passes into orderly, regular and unidirectional. This is similar to how an electrical rectifier converts AC to DC. The essence of the operation of this device is very simple: the vibration is captured by the swing swinging up and down, they spin the gear, which rotates the shaft of a small generator in exactly one direction. This is how the transformation of chaotic oscillations into periodic ones is carried out. The received energy is enough to control all kinds of low-voltage sensors and switches.

Professor Zao believes this invention will save more than $10 million in railroad electricity costs in New York State alone, while reducing 3000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

"The United States has the longest network of railroad tracks in the world, about 140700 km, which are often located in areas remote from urban centers. And it is very important that the so-called signaling network, which is part of the electrical infrastructure of a modern railroad, is managed everywhere. These are traffic lights, and all kinds of signal lights, automatic arrows and traffic control sensors," says Professor Zao. "Our invention will help to get up to 200 watts of electricity from a single passing train."

Modern modes of transport meet the needs of mankind in the rapid movement of people and goods over various distances. But with the current level of technological development, transport is not economical - a significant part of the energy used is lost. Due to all kinds of vibrations, shaking, acceleration, braking, etc. energy is irretrievably dissipated into the environment. Scientists have long tried to find a use for it, but the devices turned out to be complex and expensive. And today, with the help of a new device, this mechanical energy can be successfully converted into electrical energy.

Professor Zao's team has been working on converting vibrational energy into electrical energy for the past few years. They propose to use the energy of vibrations from a wide variety of sources, including trains, cars and ocean waves.

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