Shocks turn a jolt into a volt
This shock forces hydraulic fluid through a turbine to generate electricity.
(Credit: M.I.T.)Every time your car hits a bump in the road, it could be generating electricity. That is, if it were equipped with a new type of shock absorber designed by a group of M.I.T. undergraduates. Whenever this shock absorber prototype gets compressed, it pushes its hydraulic fluid through a turbine, generating electricity. The shock absorber also has a control unit that delivers a smoother ride than conventional shock absorbers, according to the M.I.T. group.
The students came across the idea for the shock absorber after looking at areas where cars waste energy. As regenerative braking is an idea already in use, the students noticed the energy being absorbed by the shocks, and devised a means to capture it. Heavy vehicles generate the most energy at the shocks, and the students have found they can generate one kilowatt per shock from a six-shock heavy truck traveling on a typical paved road.
AM General has shown an interest in the shock-absorber technology for use in the military HMMWV, or Humvee, it is developing. These shocks could also be used on hybrid vehicles to help keep the batteries charged.
Sounds like a great idea, if it can be produced cheaply enough.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/10/28/ups.hybrid.trucks/index.html
For something to be used as a source of energy, the total energy output needs to be considered, and also the cost, not just the instantaneous power. Even mosquito hums are theoretically convertible to electrical energy but nobody uses those. Not every source of energy is sustainable and feasible.
It was "1kW per shock from a six shock heavy truck" This means 6kW per bounce... but it'd be one hell of a bump, so I doubt you'd get one per second unless you were in Moab and off-road. Also, unless you had capacitors on board (and I mean some damned big ones), there's nowhere you'd be able to store it for later use.
Power (Watts) is calculated by multiplying the voltage by the current. Therefore if you have 1000 Watts (1kW) at 12 volts, the current should be ~83 amps. (12 * 83.33 = 1000)
83 amps constantly coming from one shock, or even all 6 put together, by constant driving along a regular paved road is very impressive. My mind boogles at all the possible uses for a free 83 amps in a truck.
If the numbers are correct, the patent holder could become very rich.
OTOH, there is something similar in place right now, called regenerative braking... where you're braking, you're trying to dump off extra power anyway, so regenerative braking pushes that towards generating juice. :)
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by Quality_Engineer
February 11, 2009 9:55 AM PST
- drewu is right about the input vs speed, but it's not thermodynamics, it's the "law of conservation of energy." In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. A consequence of this law is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. The only thing that can happen with energy in an isolated system is that it can change form, that is to say for instance kinetic energy can become thermal energy. And it is basic for those with an engineering background.
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