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Piezoelectric charging | |||||||||||||||||
A while back I had an idea using piezoelectric materials to supplement charging of an electric vehicle while it rolls down the road. Several applications of piezoelectric transducers could be utilized to generate some supplemental electricity without adding any additional friction to the overall system. My first thought on this was to embed transducers under the rubber along the circumference of each tire. Many could be used in this fashion and would receive the deformation required for generation by the rolling motion of the tire. No addition friction would be created by this application. Bearing races made from piezoelectric material could also be used for additional energy. Shocks could also incorporate these type of devices without creating any additional friction. Could all of these applications be combined together to create some usable amount of power for supplementing the charging of an electric vehicle.
mycatwilatackyou, Jan 21 2009
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Although the concept seems valid I am suspicious of any method of sucking energy out of a system that requires energy input to maintain it in dynamic state. I have this hunch that any modification other than decreasing friction of moving contact surfaces is going to be paid for by requiring an increase in energy input which will be equal to or greater than the energy gained by auxiliary devices. I could easily be wrong.
My idea does not involve "sucking energy" from the system. I was just suggesting that the friction "that already exists" (the tires and bearings and the shocks) be used to create usable power without any additional friction being added. Just think of how much energy could be generated by several hundred transducers continuously outputting a voltage. An electric vehicle needs to be charged by whatever means. Solar cells can help recharge the vehicle and I was just thing that my idea would also help to charge it. Not looking to completely recharge with my idea but perhaps lengthen the amount of time between recharging and thus giving somewhat more mileage. Anyway it was just an idea.
You can't substitute for the friction of the tires. They have to have friction to grip the road. You could theoretically use your idea to get power from shock absorbers. The deformation on the bottom of a tire due to vehicle weight also acts like a shock absorber and could theoretically be used this way too. However, the amount of energy wasted by these devices is very small. Even if you recovered all of it, it might not provide enough energy to compensate for the extra weight and complexity of the devices. Still, I won't say it can't work, because I'm not absolutely sure.
The transducers would be embedded withing the rubber under the tread so the traction of the tires would not change. The deformation of the transducers would constantly be changing. These transducers are also pretty light weight.
I think the complexity vs. the small amount of energy will be your enemy.
How will you transmit the power from the rotating wheel to the car? Slip rings?