IDEATHON

Energy from the Road Traffic

- PRAGYA PATHAK
-VISHAL TIWARI

ABSTRACT

Today, India requires cleaner, more sustainable forms of electrical power are needed to keep cost lower and also to maintain
environmental balance. The piezoelectric effect will allow us to convert kinetic energy to electrical energy from automobile traffic.
The conversion is possible with the help of piezoelectric material, the energy harvesting method. The electricity generated can be
the source for various street lights, traffic lights as well as the CCTV cameras installed intersections.
 IDEATHON




Introduction
The phenomenon behind energy conservation is ‘Piezoelectric effect‘, it is the
conversion of the kinetic energy to electricity when a mechanical stress is exerted
over the piezoelectric material. The word ‘Piezoelectricity’ means electricity
resulting from pressure and latent heat. This effects was first discovered in 1880’s
by Jacques and Pierre Curie. The piezoelectric effect is understood as the linear
electro-mechanical interaction between the mechanical and the electrical state in Piezoectric
crystalline materials with no inversion symmetry (notably crystals, certain
ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins). The Road
piezoelectric effect is the reversible process in that materials exhibiting the direct
reverse piezoelectric effect (the internal generation of the electrical charge resulting
from an applied mechanical force) also exhibits the reverse piezoelectric effect (the
internal generation of the mechanical strain resulting from an applied electrical
field).

At one hand, rising concern about the gap between demand and supply of
electricity for masses has highlighted the exploration of alternate sources of energy
and its sustainable use. On the other hand, traffic on the road all over the world is
increasing day by day thus; congestion on road is becoming inevitable with the
fancy of masses towards personal transportation system for their growing mobility.
Energy demand and heavy traffic correlation motivate to dream about the road that
would harvest energy from the vehicles driving over it. For this, piezoelectric
material embedded beneath a road, the piezo-smart road, can provide the magic of
converting pressure exerted by the moving vehicles into electric current.

Highlights

 This would result in reduction of carbon emission and henceforth reduction

in global warming.
 This would increase the production electricity with wasted Kinect Energy.
 It will be the one-time investment with lots of benefits.

“A smart way generate electricity

from waste kinetic energy”

1
 IDEATHON


Scope

Electricity is the vital component of various sectors and thus its demand is humongous and is growing steadily
with the rise in population of the country. The pollution is not just increase the consumption but also the
congestion in the roads leading to great amount carbon emission. During the 2018-19 fiscal year, the gross
electricity generated by utilities in India was 1,372 TWh and the total electricity generation (utilities and non-
utilities) in the country was 1,547 TWh. The gross electricity consumption in 2018-19 was 1,181 kWh per capita.
In India, street lighting consumed about 8,478 GWh of electricity in FY13, about 1.5% of total national electricity
consumption. Traffic is growing four times faster than the population in six cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmadabad,
Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. The occurrence of congestion on the city roads prevents the movement of
traffic and leading to the intolerable increase in the trip delay.

The data shows that the scope of energy harvesting is the need of the hour and has become more essential for the
future generation yet to come. Therefore, the idea is convert the waste energy to electrical energy.

Construction and Mechanism involved in Piezoelectric Road

Installation of Piezoelectric road Mechanical stress through automobiles Electricity forming through the stress

 These devices are placed about 5 centimeters below the upper surface of the roads.
 When vehicles travel across the road, then their wheels exert a force or pressure into the piezoelectric
devices and thus deformation in the material will take place.
 This deformation will absorb the force and undergo the process of power generation.
If these piezoelectric devices are planted along a one-kilometer stretch of road, it could provide an average of 400
kW of power per day. The energy produced can be used as a source of street lights, traffic lights, CCTV cameras
as well as can be stored in the lithium ion battery.

2
 IDEATHON


Strategy

1. Selecting the area to be modified

 Since Bengaluru emerged as the worst traffic congested city globally in the TomTom Traffic
Index of 2019. Our initial target will be the road of Bengaluru with the continuous traffic so that
we can get the maximum output for the inputs.
 Business permits and licenses represent another set of legal regulatory requirements. These must
be obtained before you are able to officially open your doors and operate your business legally.
State and local permits and licenses apply equally to proprietorships, partnerships, and
corporations.
 Setting up all the important requirements for the working of the organization
 We will looking for the sites from where we will be operating and managing the process.
 Later, we will be visiting locations and will find the best areas where we can get contracts.

3
 IDEATHON


2. Proposal of the idea and acquiring permits

 The proposal of the idea will be given to the authorities and once they are convinced with the idea
all the other necessary permission and permits can be accessed.
 A contract and agreement will be proposed to the authorities which they will be signing.
 We have to initially procure the ‘No Objection Certificate (NOC)’. Subsequently, approvals from
the planning authorities are required. Earlier, we could secure all construction permits within six
to eight months from the time we acquire the land.

3. Budget Planning- The budgeting will be properly planned and cost effective methods will be identified
and later solutions will be managed. Risk assessment will be a crucial part and funds will be reserved for
them.
4. Developing Teams
 Civil Engineers
 Mangers
 Research and Development Department
 Constructors
 Human Resource Department
 Accountants
 Tax Collectors
 IT departments
 Employees
 Inspector
 Workers
5. Planning and execution of the process
 Feasibility Study will be carried out.
 Requirements will be gathered.
 Measuring the area and calculating the material required for the development.
 Collection of the required material like, Piezo-electric tiles, cement etc. as well as the lithium
batteries for the storage of electricity.
 Integrating the various components together and unit test will be done before proper functioning
of the model. A prototype will be build first to understand technicalities and functioning.

4
 IDEATHON


 Implementing the entire plan developed by the team.

6. Monitoring and Maintenance of the part

 The company will be responsible for the maintenance of the electric harvesting road. Every month,
inspector will be sent on site to look over the conditions of the road and if any problem is reported a
team of workers will be sent and malfunctioned parts will be either repaired or replaced.

Future Scope

 Expansion of the company providing more opportunities to Bangalore and further to other cities with
high traffic.
 Developing our own piezoelectric tiles with improvisation.
 Introduction of IOT in the maintenance of the roads.
 Improvising and Improvement of the mechanism will be the aim.