Final_Design_Document

Harvesting Energy from Vehicles on Major Transportation Routes

Jace Miller

Technical Communications, ENGR 2196, section 6

November 12, 2014

http://ksoo.com/no-fatalities-reported-on-state-highways-over-holiday/

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Abstract

Millions of Americans spend most of their days in a car. The constant traffic on major highways causes stress and pollution but with some implementations this social norm can be a part of the solution rather than the problem. Energy produced by highway vehicles can be harvested and converted into usable electric energy instead of waste and pollution. Every kind of energy is at work on roadways: stress, wind, and kinetic energy. Wind energy is the focus of this project. In the United States cars reach legal speeds of about 70 mph and that speed carries with it powerful winds. Instead of this energy going to waste it can be converted to a usable form and transmitted to the grid.

ENGR 2196 document scenario: This document proposes an engineering design project to provide an efficient system for converting wind produced by passing cars into usable electric energy. I envision this document as an in-house proposal prepared for a government organization responsible for highway construction and maintenance, specifically the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The technical proposal would be reviewed by engineers from PennDOT. The Executive Summary would be read by business managers and municipal officials who would need to fund the project.

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Executive Summary

We have a finite amount of fossil fuels, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. These sources of energy are nonrenewable and pollute our atmosphere. It is vital that we find renewable forms of energy that can be harvested in a clean and efficient way. A popular setting for this topic is the highway. Most of Americans own cars. Hundreds of motor vehicles speed down Philadelphia highways every day. As everyone knows, cars run on fossil fuels. That issue cannot be solved in a short amount of time, but harvesting the cornucopia of renewable energy that is present on major transportation routes could solve the problem of needing clean renewable forms of energy and raise awareness towards the unnecessary damage we are doing to this planet.

The design for this solution must not harm the environment, affect the travel of citizens, and must be able to withstand the weather native to Pennsylvania. The design also must efficiently harvest renewable energy in a clean way, whether it be solar, wind, kinetic energy, etc. Since its goal is harvesting energy it must be self-operable. The technical challenges for this project would be designing something that can be placed near a highway without disrupting cars and repair must be convenient.

This project’s design is a small, 3 blade, vertical axis, turbine that collects natural wind and wind produced by passing cars. This turbine is shielded by an aluminum perforated cylinder connected to a small curve-generator that converts this wind energy into usable electrical energy that can be fed to the grid. The small size of the turbine allows it to be placed on top of already existing median barriers in the middle of highways and the small curve-generator can be inserted into the barrier to provide protect to the generator and protection to the surrounding environment from the electricity produced. The materials used to make this turbine, aluminum and composite fibers, are waterproof, rust-resistant, and can withstand max speeds of 100 mph. (Induced Wind Technology, June 13, 2014)

This project, if successful, could provide enough energy to the grid to power just about anything. This energy could as be stored on the side of the road and sold for profit. The broader impact is that it will open a new field of harvesting renewable energy in area never thought of before instead of spending time trying to solve larger problems that will take more funds and more time to solve. The environmental contribution is obvious and this project will make people realize that going green is not as hard as they thought.

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Table of ContentsAbstract.......................................................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................3

Problem Statement.....................................................................................................................................5

Initial Problem Description......................................................................................................................5

Overall Analysis and Objectives...............................................................................................................5

Historical and Economic Perspectives.....................................................................................................8

Candidate Solutions.................................................................................................................................8

Median Wind Turbines........................................................................................................................9

The Jersey barrier redesigned..............................................................................................................9

Wind powered lights.........................................................................................................................10

Proposed Solution.................................................................................................................................12

Major Design and Implementation Challenges......................................................................................13

Implications of Project Success..............................................................................................................13

Glossary.................................................................................................................................................14

References.............................................................................................................................................15

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Problem Statement

This section introduces the subject of nonrenewable energy in relation to major transportation routes, explaining why it is costly and dangerous worldwide problems. An overall project objective is suggested and focused, after which further analysis provides the basis for a review of traditional and new types of inventions to harvest renewable energy on highways and get rid of nonrenewable energy. One type of invention is recommended as the focus of this project. Then three specific solutions of that type are compared, and one is proposed as the solution to be developed.

Initial Problem Description

There are finite sources of energy on this planet. Throughout history non-renewable energy: fossil fuels, natural gas, nuclear energy, and coal have been the main resources. During this industrial age much of this country’s economy and politics rely on these sources of energy. Fossil fuel is made up of the remains of living organisms and all living organisms contain carbon. When fossil fuels are burned they release carbon dioxide into the air, polluting the atmosphere. Fossil fuels can also be hazardous to water life as exemplified in the infamous BP oil spill. Natural gas, when burned, releases carbon dioxide and methane. Nuclear energy is highly reactive and extremely dangerous to the environment and its inhabitants. (Non Renewable Energy, N/A)

Non-renewable energy is not safe and needs to be replaced. Advances in science has revealed that renewable energy is out there. A transition has to be made before more irreversible damage occurs.The scope of this proposal will be restricted to major transportation routes. On highways today, virtually all vehicles run on non-renewable energy. These fast, heavy, and incredibly crafted machines are polluting this country, yet because of them the highway is a hot bed for alternative energy. Unfortunately, finding new ways to harvest renewable energy is also problematic. Traditional ways are expensive, time-consuming, and not fully affective.

Constraints of the problem include not harming the environment or affecting the travel of citizens, therefore a few solutions are ruled out.

Overall Analysis and Objectives

Given the problem characteristics just described, the overall technical objective of this project is to develop a way to easily harvest renewable energy produced by busy highways. The overall business objective is to keep it small from the start, letting the government take the idea into further stages. The environmental and economic benefits of a successful product make this an attractive project to municipal officials.

Some initial research is required to achieve the ideal product. For example, to be durable enough to handle the weather of the target environment, Pennsylvania, the energy harvesting device would have to be water-resistant, freeze-resistant, rust-resistant, etc.

This leads into the discussion of product priorities. Renewable energy has many benefits, some of which could be traded off depending on the solution.

Maximizing energy efficiency Raising awareness of new clean sources of energy Reducing pollution

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Increasing energy production Reducing energy wastage

Given the excess of resources and action during the flow of traffic, reducing energy wastage and maximizing energy efficiency seem like reasonable focal objectives for this project. In a census taken this year it was recorded that 92% of the total households in Pennsylvania own one or more motor vehicles and there are 115,076,390 total households. That means this subject effects a good amount of the target viewers. With this many motor vehicles on the road that ups the likelihood of being able to harvest the renewable energy in that environment. (Pennsylvania Wind Working Group, N/A))

For practical measures, the objectives of reducing energy wastage and maximizing energy efficiency will be broken down into two fields, one dealing with car engines and one dealing environmental power. The thinking of this project is to find the easiest and most effective way to stir the general public towards energy that is clean and reusable.

Engineers are constantly trying to find new ways to power motor vehicles in a clean way. Solutions that are out there are engines that can be charged by electricity and cars with fuel cell engines that run on salt water. The problems with these solutions are:

Americans are stubborn, especially when it comes to tradition. Gas powered automobile are a huge part of American history. Families with old mustangs, corvettes, and ford trucks are not going to want to change something they love.

There is a sport centered around cars that run on fossil fuels. NASCAR is a popular sport in this country and its fans are there for the roar that these gas powered engines produce.

A new idea coming to surface is salt-water powered cars. This idea is not yet in production and requires complex, expensive engineering.

Electric cars are more expensive then gas powered cars. A battery is a lot more expensive to replace than an engine.

Table 1: comparison of gas cars vs. electric cars

Ford Focus ST Ford Focus Electric

Sale price $24,495 $39,995

Battery replacement

N/A $13,500

Major engine repair(1/5 original sale price)

$4,899 N/A

8-year fuel costs(15,000 miles/year)

$16,222 $5,067

Total costs $45,616 $58,562 http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/24/gas-vs-electric-cars-cost-comparison/

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In this day and age everything runs on some source of power. No one is going back to the Stone Age any time soon so renewable forms of energy are a high priority. Major transportation routes are areas filled with untapped alternative energy.

Solar energy is one of the most commonly harvested. During the day the sun is beating down on the black asphalt with its high energy rays.

Equipping cars with solar panel roofs would allow them to absorb the sun rays, providing them with the energy needed to run, while they are in operation. No more burning fossil fuels and no more stopping to fill up. Although solar panels are effective they only harvest the sun’s rays meaning traveling at night eliminates the purpose. The roof of a normal family car is too small to be a viable option. There is also the thought of being too expensive for the ordinary driver.

A process named the piezoelectric effect harvests vibrational energy of roads due to traffic. Piezoelectric crystals produce energy when mechanically deformed or exposed to mechanical stress.

Highways are exposed to mechanical stress as in cars driving over them. These unique piezoelectric crystals can be inserted into ceramic pieces that make up a device which can harvest the electricity produced by these crystals. These devices can be inserted below the surface of the asphalt and when that pocket containing the device is compressed it produces energy. These crystals are extremely expensive to manufacture and the inconvenience of tearing up roadways is a major issue. (Garland, April 26, 2012)

Kinetic energy is present wherever there is motion. When traffic slows down at tolls, gas stations, and drive-thru windows the energy from these cars is wasted as break heat.

By equipping these slow points with speed bumps that use the pressure of vehicles to produce kinetic energy, those frustrating lines become beneficial to the public. These speed bumps have panels that stick out and are pushed down when a vehicle rolls over them. The panels spring up after the car passes. This process generates kinetic energy which could be used to power surrounding machines. This idea has not been fully developed and produces a miniscule amount of energy. (Owano, Nov. 9)

Wind energy, like solar energy, is produced by a natural source. Unlike solar rays, wind is present during the day and night. On the highway, aerodynamic motor vehicles traveling at high speeds split the air, increasing its speed in the opposite direction.

The invention of the wind turbine has proven to be a success. They are placed all throughout the country in areas where winds are most active. Wind power farms generate between 17 and 39 times as much power as they consume. Taking this invention and creating a small scale model that can be used to harvest the wind along highways could accomplish even better results. Even when the highway is empty these turbines would be harvesting the natural wind as well. Issues with this idea are the price of manufacturing these turbines and making sure they are safe for passing vehicles. (Induced Wind Technology, June 13, 2014)

Manufacturing small wind turbines that can be used to harvest the wind on the side of major transportation routes is the type of engineering solution advocated in this design document.

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Historical and Economic Perspectives

We are currently using finite sources of energy that are absorbed into our atmosphere and causing harm to our planet. The depletion of the ozone layer is a very serious matter. All of these nonrenewable resources, when burned, release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfurous gases, along with others. When these hazardous gases are released into the stratosphere they destroy the ozone and cause acid rain, smog, raises in temperature, and raises in water levels.

Most view the recent lowering of gas prices as a good thing. It may have made the general public happy but it also aided them in forgetting about the issue caused by burning gasoline. Americans are happy about the gas prices and realizing all they really cared about was the fact that gasoline was expensive, not that it was harming the atmosphere. This kind of event is a step backward and shows the scientists and engineering of the world that they have to instill more awareness into the general public before it is too late.

The invention of solar panels, turbines, piezoelectric crystals, wheels, fuel cells, etc. shows that there are other forms of energy out there that can do the same job as fossil fuels, natural gas, and coal, but in a clean and renewable way.

Americans are one of the most stubborn, hardworking people on this planet. Today there is more pressure to get jobs and keep them. Men and women drive to those jobs every day so shutting down main highways for long period of time to install devices under the surface is not plausible. Replacing gas cars with electric or water-powered cars is in the process is in development but will take too long due to the stubbornness of Americans and their love for old cars, not to mention the cost of these new, eco-friendly, cars.

Motor vehicles have reached high speeds and the speed limits on main roads has reached as high as seventy miles-per-hour. These speeds are due to more powerful thrust which causes the aerodynamic drag to fill the bigger space taken up by the car. With is also part of our environment. The constant battling between low and high pressure results in the pushing around of air.

Candidate Solutions

This project will address three different ways to harvest renewable energy from major transportation routes and raise awareness towards the dangers of nonrenewable forms of energy. There are many ways to go about this but some currently proposed solutions were not viable:

Solar roadways, which is a project that would replace asphalt roads with roads made out of protected solar panels. The mechanical implementations are a long term investment. The man power needed to build these roads and not to mention the inconvenience of tearing up all of the current asphalt is just not feasible.

Some were viable and described in previous subsections but just were not selected as one of my candidate solutions:

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Inserting solar panels onto the roofs of cars. Placing piezoelectric crystals under the surface of roads. Collecting kinetic energy with speed bumps.

Non-engineering solutions:

Riding bikes Taking public transportation

Median Wind Turbines Lightweight aluminum and composite fiber engineered to form vertical access wind

turbines. Aluminum and Composite fiber are two of the cheapest materials in the market. Three wings. Encased in a lightweight aluminum perforated cylinder that protects the turbine from

debris and the surrounding objects from contact with the high speed turbine while still allowing wind to contact the blades.

Curve shifting-generator that stores the electrical energy produced from the spinning of the turbine. Being inside the barrier protects it from hazardous weather and protects its surroundings from being electrocuted.

Computer-aided design that is curve at the top to allow for the collecting of wind from passing cars as well as natural wind.

The shifting generators are drilled into an existing barrier on the road about 3 feet from each other and connected to the grid.

All turbines on a single barrier are independent of each other, so easy to replace a single turbine without damaging or hindering the others.

Figure 1: Median Wind turbine

protective shield

curve-generator

vertical axis

http://www.medianwind.com/Induced-Wind-Technology/

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The Jersey barrier redesigned Thin metal spindle type design for the turbines. Inside of newly designed road barriers, made of concrete, that are vented to allow wind to

pass through. The open area in the middle of the barrier containing the turbines is exposed to impact

with cars on the road. Newly designed barrier replaces currently existing barriers. Heavy barrier to withstand weather and do its job of keeping cars on one side of the road. Bottom of new barrier contains drive shaft, gear box/controller, generator, and electrical

conduit. Two rows of turbines stacked on top of each other. Three thin pieces making up each turbine. Have to cut open barrier to replace broken rusted turbines. Ends of barrier not vented, which makes it hard to pick up natural wind.

Figure 2: Jersey barrier redesigned

Wind powered lights Lightweight aluminum and composite fiber engineered in the form of a light post with a

simple wind turbine in the middle of the light pole. Both turbine and light pole made out of aluminum and composite fiber, newly design and

built. Might not be strong enough to withstand weather or impact. Simple design consisting of three thin pieces, about a foot from the light post and about 5

feet tall, curved in a way that efficiently collects wind produced by cars passing by the light post.

Not designed to pick up natural wind.

Gear box/controller

Electrical ConduitGenerator

Drive shaft

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High enough from the ground to avoid direct contact with cars. No protective shield around curves wings which could endanger civilians. Connected to grid and powers light on top of light post.

Figure 3: Wind Powered Light

Table 2: Comparison of Candidate Solutions

cost convenience safety

Median Wind turbines Good: Aluminum and composite fibers are two of the cheapest materials on the market, small curve-generator is not too expensive due to its size, uses existing barrier, maintenance is cost of repair on

Good: inserted on top of already existing barriers, collects natural wind and wind produced by car passing by, lightweight, independent of other turbines, easy to replace/repair

Good: turbines independent of each other so damage to one does not cause a hazard to other areas, protective cylinder shielding blades from surrounding and reducing need for repair, curve-generator inside barrier

Wind Turbine

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individual turbine not whole row

Jersey redesigned barriers

Worst: cost of whole new barriers, metal is expensive, repair would require work on entire barrier; drive shaft, gear box/controller, generator, and electrical conduit are big and expensive

Worst: have to design and implement entirely new barrier along with turbines, repair is a huge ordeal involving assessment of whole barrier not just the turbines, turbines made out of metal which is heavy and rusts, does not collect natural wind, makes barrier weaker, heavy

Bad: turbines protected by concrete, vented so less protection, vents make barrier weaker which could allow a car to break through to the other side of the highway, large electrical conduit connected to a series of barriers which means if one has problems it effect all that are connected to the same grid

Wind powered lights Bad: cost of whole new street lights, aluminum and composite fiber are cheap, repair could require replacement of entire light pole

Bad: have to design and implement entirely new street light, large, cannot stop from spinning if cars passing so maintenance would have to be done while roads are closed, repair would require assessment of entire light pole at lights

Worst: No protection around this large turbine, if not producing enough energy or turbine is damaged it does not produce light which is hazardous for drivers at night, cannot stop from spinning if cars are passing so dangerous for workers doing repairs

Proposed Solution

The solution chosen for this project is Wind Median turbines. This idea is clearly cheaper, more convenient, and safer than the other proposed solutions. This solution is made of the same materials as wind powered lights but that solution requires much more material and also requires the glass and bulbs that make up the lights at the top of the pole, whereas the Jersey redesigned barrier costs too much for the solution to be an actual solution. Wind Median turbines are individual systems that harvest wind energy independent of the other turbines installed which makes them easy to replace and less dangerous if one malfunctions. The Jersey redesign barriers and the wind powered lights are connected together as one system harvesting energy so repairing one effects the others and a malfunction could jeopardize the whole operation.

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Major Design and Implementation Challenges

Design:

Computer-aided design requiring a complex blueprint. Consists of four separate parts along with the small curve-generator. Aluminum and composite fibers are not strong materials. Has to be able to spin on vertical axis. Has to handle high speeds. Has to be small enough to fit on top of road barriers and not jut out where it could

interfere with passing vehicles. Has to be able to spin due to wind produced by cars and natural wind.

Implementation:

Would have to drill hole in existing barrier to house curve-generator. Turbines would line entire highways, about 3 feet apart from each other. Would have to should down parts of roads to insert turbines. Could be an eye sore to some drivers, maybe even a distraction. Government officials could argue that it would entice drivers to drive faster than the

speed limit and argue that they are helping save the planet.

Implications of Project Success

Success can be measured by recording how active the turbines are per hour. The turbines should be spinning and converting wind energy into electricity 24/7 due to their ability to collect wind produced by cars passing by and natural wind. This can be recorded by checking the amount of energy fed to the grid from each turbine which should not be difficult since each turbine is independent of the next.

If successful this project could change the way people think about energy. This could pave the way for other projects dealing with immediate harvesting of renewable energy. Even though these electric cars are good for the environment they will never completely eradicate gas-powered cars due to the stubbornness of American society. If successful on Philadelphia roads it could be just as successful anywhere else in the country. This solution helps the environment while avoiding social conflict and is a stepping stone for further research and more projects.

This project feeds energy to the grid without changing anything about highways or driving. It does not affect drivers and is beneficial to the state. They is no down side to the project because it is cheap and there is an infinite amount of wind in the area and even more wind due to cars on the highways. It is not probable that the project will fail.

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Glossary

1. Ballistic glass: Ordinary glass layered with pieces of polycarbonate in between. Polycarbonate is

a hardened plastic provides the amount of impenetrability needed to stop a bullet. Also called

bullet proof glass.

2. Magnetic resonance: When magnetic fields and pulses of radio waves vibrate together

producing energy.

3. Piezoelectric effect: The production of electricity in crystals, quartz, ceramics, and some other

non-conducting materials when mechanical stress or vibrations from an electric field are applied.

4. Solar panels: Sheets of silicon cells with conducting grooves. The grooves absorb rays from the

sun and those rays excite electrons in the silicon cells, causing an electric current that is stored

within the panels.

5. Turbine: A machine that continuously produces power in which a wheel consisting of wings that

are formed to catch fluid passing by is revolved by fast-flowing fluid: water, steam, gas, or air.

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References

DiCamillo, Kara. (2007, February 7). The New Jersey Barrier Redesigned. Tree Hugger, Retrieved

November 11, 2014, from http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/the-jersey-barrier-

redesigned.html

Garland, Rex. (2012, April 26). Piezoelectric Roads in California. Stanford University, Retrieved

November 3, 2014, from http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph240/garland1/

Induced Wind Technology. Median Wind, Retrieved November 11, 2014, from

http://www.medianwind.com/Induced-Wind-Technology/

Kirsner, Scott. (2014, June 13). Bright future for solar roads?. The Boston Globe, Retrieved November 3,

2014, from http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/06/13/investors-see-bright-future-for-

solar-firm-are-they-blinded-light/0O6fTWI8HA06OmxUndiNqJ/story.html

Non Renewable Energy. All-Recycling-Facts, Retrieved November 11, 2014, from

http://www.all

recycling-facts.com/non-renewable-energy.html

Owano, Nancy. (2011, November 9). New Energy Technologies. Speed-bump device converts traffic

energy to electricity, Retrieved November 9, 2014, from http://phys.org/news/2011-11-speed-

bump-device-traffic-energy-electricity.html

Wind Energy by the Numbers. Pennsylvania Wind Working Group, Retrieved November 12, 2014, from

http://www.pawindenergynow.org/wind/facts.html