Power Electronics



First-of-its-Kind Electricity-Generating Rumble Strip

Nov 30, 2011 1:51 PM


New Energy Technologies, Inc. and the City of Roanoke, Virginia successfully debuted the Company's latest MotionPower-Express system, the world's first-of-its-kind rumble strip, capable of generating sustainable electricity. The Civic Center debut marks the first of several test and demonstration events the Company plans to conduct in partnership with the City of Roanoke.

Held at the Roanoke Civic Center, nearly 6000 visitors and over 580 vehicles participated in the demonstration event, with each driver activating New Energy's patent pending MotionPower(TM)-Express System. As drivers slowed down, or came to a stop, their vehicle tires depressed small rumble strip-like treadles, allowing for the capture of kinetic energy. This captured energy was converted to electricity, which powered a series of brightly illuminated lights displayed to drivers.

Engineering estimates show an optimized and installed MotionPower(TM) System experiencing a traffic pattern similar to the 6-hour event, could produce enough sustainable electricity to power lights for the average American home for an entire day. In commercial applications, the same electricity could power a 150 square foot sports-venue electronic billboard or marquee for an entire day.

MotionPower(TM)-Express can be designed for a range of speeds based on traffic pattern and the amount of energy required for a specific application. These applications may include: sport and entertainment venues, solid waste transfer stations, fleet vehicle maintenance facilities, transportation depots, airports (passenger arrival and departure areas), parking lots, border crossings, exit ramps, neighborhoods with traffic calming zones, rest areas, toll booths, and travel plazas.

More than 250 million vehicles are registered in America and an estimated 6 billion miles are driven on our nation's roads every day. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration nearly 70 percent of America's electricity is generated by natural gas and coal. The environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions and the rising cost of those non-renewable fuels, along with the potential doubling of global electricity consumption in the coming years, require the urgent need for creative, sustainable methods of generating electricity. The prospect of sustainably converting vehicle motion and deceleration (vehicle energy) into electricity represents significant positive environmental impact and alternative energy opportunities.


Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus




April 1, 2012
power electronics technology magazine current issue cover




 
Back to Top

Topic Index

Discrete Semis
Bipolar Transistors
IGBTs
Power Modules
Power MOSFETs
Rectifiers/Diodes
Thyristors

Power Management
Digital Power Control
High-Voltage Devices
LED Drivers
Lighting Power Management
Motor Power Management
Power ICs
PWM Controllers
Regulator ICs

Portable Power Management
Batteries
Battery Charger ICs
Fuel Gauges Controllers and Regulators
Micro Fuel Cells

Passives/Packaging
Capacitors
Circuit Protection Devices
Connectors
Magnetics
Packaging
Printed Circuit Boards
Resistors
Sensors & Transducers
Switches & Electromagnetic Relays

Topic Pages
Wind Power
Flyback Transformers

Thermal Management
Fans
Heatpipes & Spreaders
Heatsinks
Liquid Cooling
Thermal Interface Materials
Thermal Management Simulation

Power Systems
DC-DC Converters
Distributed Power Architectures
EMI & EMC
Linear Power Supplies
Safety/Environmental Approvals
Simulation/Modeling
Switch-Mode Power Supplies
Test & Measurement Uninterruptible Power Supplies

Digital Power
Commentaries
Digital Power News
Digital Power Products
Design Features


Contact Us  E-mail Webmaster  For Advertisers  For Search Partners  Privacy Statement  Subscribe  Terms of Use
© 2011 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.