Cogent Engineering (Dec 2024)
Electric energy harvesting with piezoelectrics in bicycle traffic on a bikeway applied to road signaling
Abstract
Piezoelectric devices are transducers that convert pressure variations into electricity. Piezoelectric energy harvesting technology is based on harnessing pavement energy, using the pressure of vehicles due to gravity, where electricity is generated through the deformation of pavement materials. The main objective of this article is to show how bicycle traffic- on a bikeway- can be harnessed to obtain electrical energy with piezo-electric devices, analyzing an existing model of bicycle forces and gathering a model of traffic on the bikeway. This article implements three phases of analysis: the characterization of the bicycle according to the type of bicycle and traffic characteristics, the classification and selection of piezoelectric devices, and the amount of electrical energy produced by bicycle traffic that can be harnessed in signaling. The results are promising since with average daily traffic of 40,000 bicycles, 1.02 kWh is obtained in one linear meter with a piezoelectric device, which means that this same traffic in one kilometer of bikeway can generate approximately 1000 kWh per day.
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