Alternative Power Generation through Electro-Mechanical Speed Breaker

Garcia, Roel B.

San Antonio, Arlene M.

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays power becomes the major need for human life. An energy crisis may be

referred to as an oil crisis, petroleum crisis, energy shortage, and electricity crisis. The two main

reasons for this are the continuous increase of the population and the standard of living has

improved. Philippine is the country which majorly suffers from lack of sufficient power

generation.

There has been a wide attention of researchers in design and development of renewable

energy conversion systems. Electrical energy is normally generated through thermal energy,

mechanical energy, nuclear energy and chemical energy. The availability of regular conventional

fossil fuels will be the main sources for power generation, but there is a fear that they will get

exhausted eventually by the next few decades. Therefore, we have to investigate some
approximate, alternative, new sources for the power generation, which is not depleted by the

very few years.

Another major problem, which is becoming the exiting topic for today is the pollution. It

suffers all the living organisms of all kinds as on the land, in water and in the air. Power stations

and automobiles are the major pollutions producing places.

Power generation was first developed in the 1800's using Faradays dynamo generator.

Almost 200 years later we are still using the same basic principles to generate power, only on a

much larger scale. Now we are throwing some light on the very new and innovative concept on

how to generate electricity.

Objective of the Study

The main focus of the study is to develop an alternative power generator that utilizes

waste energy from electro-mechanical speed breakers in roadways especially to places where

many vehicles are passing through like toll booths and parking area.

Specifically, the study aims:

1. Design and develop an alternative power generator.

2. To evaluate the design in terms of:

a. Amount of electricity that can be developed.

b. Maximum weight capacity of the speed breaker.

c. Floor area required.

 3. To conduct a cost analysis.

Significance of the Study

Speed breaker plays a vital role in safely slowing the speed of the vehicle. These are

rounded raised areas placed across the roadway and are good for locations where very low speed

is desired.

They are placed on the roads that are across residential or school areas where high-speed

driving can result in dangerous accidents. To avoid any accidents, these are placed on the roads

to break the speed of any vehicle up to 90% and making it safe for the people to walk on the

road.

They are not just the most common and efficient way of reducing the speed of the

vehicles but they can be strategically placed on the streets to make convenient walkways for the

people.

Power generation with low cost and using non-conventional energy sources will help us

to conserve the conventional energy sources to meet the future demand. By using this method,

electricity will be generated throughout the year without depending on other factors

It is easy for maintenance and no fuel transportation problem, free from pollution power

generation and it doesn’t need of manpower during power generation.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study only focuses on the development of alternating power generation through

electro-mechanical speed breaker. The speed breaker must only require mild steel because of its

cost and its good machinability. Stainless steel must use as the most suitable material for its

excellent ability to withstand high stress, good fatigue resistance and long endurance for shock

and impact loads. Electric generator or alternator is limited to 6V DC alternator used to power at

least three LED bulbs of 1.8 Volts each.

The speed breaker will work only in heavyweight. It can get rusted in the rainy season

and we have to check it time to time to monitor the system.

Conceptual Framework

Input Process Output

Conceptual Framework
Knowledge
requirement  Design
Alternative Power
 Test and
 Knowledge for
-----> evaluate -------> Generation through
constructing a
 Cost Analysis
power generator
 Implement Electro-Mechanical
 Knowledge of
how to arrange Speed Breaker
gears and
sprockets

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

Definition of Terms

Friction. A force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material

elements sliding against each other.

Speed Breaker. A device that uses vertical deflection to slow motor-vehicle traffic in order to

improve safety conditions. Variations include the speed hump, speed cushion, and speed table.

Torque. A measure of how much a force acting on an object causes that object to rotate.
 REVIEW OF LITERATED LITERATURE

The study purposely driven to develop an alternative power generator that utilizes waste

energy. This chapter is focused in reviewing and analyzing literatures relevant to the main topic.

There are three different mechanism are currently being used in power generation

through speed breaker, the roller type mechanism, rack-pinion mechanism, and crank-shaft

mechanism noted by Aswathaman,. Singh et al explained rack pinion mechanism to generate

electricity and proposed vehicle was passed over that mechanism using chain sprocket and spring

with rack pinion to generate electricity and then due to rack pinion in gears and shafts moved

with chain sprocket movement. The DC power was generated and stored in a battery and they

changed that DC in AC power using an inverter.

Mechanism in which electricity was produced using kinetic energy of speed breaker that

the basic principle was when a car passes over the jump or dome which is the device use in place

of jump the dome will go down due to weight of car while moving car possess kinetic energy

that will be converted into rotational energy with the help of rack and pinion. A flywheel was

mounted on the shaft whose function was to make energy uniform the shaft is connected through

a belt with dynamos. Those dynamos were used to convert mechanical energy in electrical

energy. The power was generated in both directions and in opposite direction using zener diode.

(Das et al)

In 1997 the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) approved the Guidelines for the

Design and Application of Speed Humps, RP-023A, which provided recommended practice
based on national and international research and experience. ITE reported that speed humps

should be installed on roadway facilities classified as local streets by the American Association

of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The roadway should not be more

than two travel lanes or traveled significantly by long wheelbased vehicles. It should have a

horizontal curve of 300 feet radius or more and a grade of eight percent or less. The posted or

prima facie speed limit should be 30 mph or less; ITE warned that installation on roadways with

a higher speed limit warranted careful consideration.

In addition, Department of Transport discussed that in the past, the smaller speed bumps,

typically 0.5m in length and between 100 and 150mm in height were constructed. They were

believed to be effective in reducing speed, but research in Australia, U.K. and U.S.A. shown that

these types of speeds in order to decrease discomfort and notice ability. If constructed too high

and they also caused serious damage to vehicles, and were particularly severe on two wheeled

vehicles.

“Basically, the method of expanding speed bump function can be divided into two parts

which are mechanical operation which use to start the generator and generation part. The main

concept applies to this system the transition of kinetic energy applies by mechanical part to

operate the generator in order to produce electricity. For the first part which is mechanical part is

a combination of drive and driven to produce the movement of a shaft which is connected

straight to generator. The main source of force for gear movement come from the surface of

speed bump 14 where weight of vehicle give potential energy. In other word potential energy is

the beginning operation of this speed bump system. When the vehicle step on the speed bump

surface, the force will make the first gear (rack gear) move to drive the second gear and then

third gear (spur gear). The second gear then connects with shaft to operate the generator. For
energy storage function, the generator connected with the charge control circuit and the energy

produce store in a battery While for second part which is generation part, it involves the

operation in the generator. Basically generator operation is based on the principle of Speed

Bump surface Shaft Gear combination Generator 15 electromagnetic induction. When conductor

move right angle with the magnetic field, a voltage will induce.” noted by Farraniza Binti Atan

(JANUARY 2013)

A zero emission alternative energy source that harvests wasted kinetic energy to produce

substantial amounts of electricity all round the year, 0.7 kg/KWh of coal was consumed. A

200mt. stretch of these speed breakers is enough to save 9500kgs of coal in a year. Villages and

fields/farms close to the installation; where the government is unable to supply electricity in the

required amount; can be powered in a cost efficient way. Street Lamps can be lighted during the

night using this energy. (Performance Review of Thermal Power Stations 2006-07)

There are customers pull in and out all day in the Burger King on U.S. Highway, at least

100,000 cars visit the drive-thru each year. A mechanized speed bump will both help them slow

down and yield some of energy. The weight of a car is used to throw a lever, the engineer whose

explained behind the motion power system developed for new energy technologies is Gerard

Lynch. The instantaneous power is 2,000 watts at five miles-per-hour, but its instantaneous

which means some form of storage will be required.

It evaluated the machine and recommended it to the Assam ministry of power for large

scale funding IIT Guwahati. It is a very viable proposition to harness thousands of mega watts of

electricity untapped across the country every day said by the IIT design department.
 Related works by Tanmay Mazumder the electricity generation by humps made up of

steel stripes, angle and channels fitted and hinged together in such a manner in the form of hump

which can be pressed and released vertically down & up supported with springs. A flexible

vertical shaft has been hinged at the bottom side of the hump arrangement and the other end of

the shaft is hinged with the crank of 0.859 m positioned with the angle 45° with respect to

horizontal plane. A fly wheel of dia. 0.070 m again arranged and designed to rotate 1.5 rotations

with the rotation of crank. The fly-wheel’s shaft then axially connected to spiral spring.

Unwinding of spiral spring shaft is then coupled to the shaft of a generator to produce electricity

of designed capacity. It installed at highway toll gate that can free form pollution and can be used

for cartridge battery charging in battery powered cars.

 METHODOLOGY

The study is a product of various research and review of past and existing data and

designs in order to develop the device. Different techniques of acquiring data were employed

such as observation, investigation and literature reviews. Extensive researches were also done to

be of knowledge in related fields such as Electrical and Mechanical.

Materials

Speed Breaker (Gear Drives)

NAME DESCRIPTION FIGURE

Rack

convert translator motion

into

rotary motion.
Sprocket Gears

transfer rotary motion

between two shafts.

Shafts

supports the

rotating elements like

gears and flywheels.

Spring distort when loaded and to

recover its original shape

 when the load is removed.

It cushions, absorb or

controls energy either due

to shocks or due to

vibrations.

Bearings

permits relative motion

between the contacting

surfaces while carrying the

loads.

Steel Plate

Serve as the outer

body of the Speed

Breaker.
 NAME DESCRIPTION FIGURE

Electrical Dynamo

converts mechanical

energy into

electrical energy.

Chain

Connects the dynamo to

the rotating shaft.

 Inverter

changes direct current

(DC) to alternating current

(AC).

Battery

Serves as energy storage

from output of the

speedbreaker

Methods
Design Procedure

The methods and methodology that have been used and implemented in the study are

enumerated and divided as :

Designing Phase. The study was made to design and construct an alternative power

generator using rack and pinion mechanism speed breaker that can be installed in places where

many vehicles are passing through. During this phase, the design of the speed breaker system is

being established and analyzed. Necessary adjustments and selection were made by the

researcher which was soundly decided.

At this phase, the plans and ideas were analyzed and structured. Specifically, the device's

design was to be analyzed to develop the device for its best fit. The researcher's structured design

is vital to make the device possible and with that, all information has been analyzed and finalized

in this phase.

Prototyping Phase. In this phase, the researcher will be conducting the assembling of the

machine. In which the materials to be installed are being organized to its respective

configuration.

Evaluation Phase. Testing and evaluation together with documentation will be done in

the phase. The defined parameters will be measured through experimentation. In this phase, the

measured parameters will be analyzed through statistical tools and techniques for credible and

standard results.
Working Principle

The vehicle load acted upon the speed breaker system is transmitted to rack and pinion

arrangements. Then, the reciprocating motion of the speed-breaker is converted into rotary

motion using the rack and pinion arrangement where the axis of the pinion is coupled with the

sprocket arrangement. The sprocket arrangement is made of two sprockets. One of the sprockets

is larger in dimension than the other sprocket. Both the sprockets are connected with a chain

which transmits the power from the larger sprocket to the smaller sprocket. As the power is

transmitted from the larger sprocket to the smaller sprocket, the speed that is available at the

larger sprocket is relatively multiplied at the rotation of the smaller sprocket. The axis of the

smaller sprocket is coupled to a gear arrangement. Here we have two gears with different

dimensions. The gear wheel with the larger diameter is coupled to the axis of the smaller

sprocket. Hence, the speed that has been increased at the smaller sprocket wheel is passed on to

this gear wheel of larger diameter. The smaller gear is coupled to the larger gear. Therefore, as

the larger gear rotates it increases the speed of the smaller gear which is following the larger gear

and multiplies the speed to more intensity. Though the speed due to the rotary motion achieved

at the larger sprocket wheel is less, as the power is transmitted to gears, the final speed achieved

is high. This speed is sufficient to rotate the rotor of a generator and is fed into the rotor of a

generator. The rotor which rotates within a static magnetic stator cuts the magnetic flux

surrounding it, thus producing the electric motive force (emf). This generated emf is then sent to

an inverter, where the generated emf is regulated. This regulated emf is now sent to the storage

battery.
Block Diagram

Rack and Pinion Mechanism Speed-breaker Design

Figure