Testing will soon begin stretch of roadway embedded with a network of Piezo Electric Generators (IPEG).

Huh? What is a Piezo Electric Generator?

A good example of a Piezo Electric Generator is the "electronic" igniter used in gas-powered heating appliances.

In the old days, gas appliances had "pilot lights" - a small continously-burning flame used to ignite the propane or butane gas. Nowadays appliances use the afore-mentioned "electronic" igniter. When you turn the knob on a gas stove, the gas starts to flow through the burner. Then you hear a click and see the spark. The spark ignites the gas and causes the flame over which one cooks. The same applies to water heaters, gas-powered cooking grills, clothes dryers, and furnaces.

The piezoelectric effect converts mechanical strain into electrical current.

Back to the electric road:

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, skateboards, etc. will roll along on the road. The moving mass of the vehicles will provide weight, motion, vibration, and temperature changes. Those comprise the mechanical energy (mechanical strain). Then the embedded network of Piezo Electric Generators will convert that mechanical energy into electrical energy.

The system is expected to scale up to 400 kilowatts (enough for 15-30 homes) from a 1-kilometer stretch of highway. The harvested energy can be transferred to the power grid, or used for specific local public infrastructure purposes such as street lighting.

A Jetson¹ moment: perhaps it could be used to charge batteries for electric cars or to power guidance systems that keep traffic moving safely with cars on "autopilot" - without driver intervention.^{2 3 4 5}

The IPEG is a pioneering invention in the field of Parasitic Energy harvesting. You'll hear much more about this in the years to come.

¹ The Jetsons

² Dancers at a RAVE could power those strobe lights.

³ Meth heads running around the kitchen could cook up new batches of meth.

⁴ Two words: Star Bucks.

⁵ Add your own applications here: Write clearly.

Source: Gizmag

Labels: alternative energy, jetsons, meth head, Piezo, starbucks