Power Generation Using Speed Breaker with Help of Rack and Pinion Mechanism
This project harvests energy from speed breaker by making gear arrangement and using electronics gadgets. Large amounts amount of electricity can be generated saving lot of money. And if implemented will be very beneficial for Government. When vehicle is in motion it produces various forms of energy like, due to friction between vehicle’s wheel and road i.e. rough surface HEAT Energy is produced, also when vehicle traveling at high speed strikes the wind.
The principle involved is POTENTIAL ENERGY TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY CONVERSION. There is a system to generate power by converting the potential energy generated by a vehicle going up on a speed breaker into kinetic energy. When the vehicle moves over the inclined plates, it gains height resulting in increase in potential energy, which is wasted in a conventional rumble strip. When the breaker comes down, they crank a lever fitted to a ratchet-wheel type mechanism (a angular motion converter) which in turn rotates a geared shaft loaded with recoil springs. The output of this shaft is coupled to a dynamo to convert kinetic energy into electricity.
The project is concerned with generation of electricity from speed breakers-like set up. The load acted upon the speed breaker – setup is there by transmitted to rack and pinion arrangements.
Here the reciprocating motion of the speed-breaker is converted into rotary motion using the rack and pinion arrangement. The axis of the pinion is coupled with the sprocket arrangement. The sprocket arrangement is made of two sprockets. One of larger size and the other of smaller size. Both the sprockets are connected by means of a chain which serves in transmitting 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 diameters. The gear wheel with the larger dimension is coupled to the axis of the smaller sprocket. Hence the speed that has been multiplied at the smaller sprocket wheel is passed on to this gear wheel of larger dimension. The smaller gear is coupled to the larger gear. So as the larger gear rotates at the multiplied speed of the smaller sprocket, the smaller gear following the larger gear still multiplies the speed to more intensity.
Hence, although the speed due to the rotary motion achieved at the larger sprocket wheel is less, as the power is transmitted to gears, finally the speed is multiplied to a higher speed. This speed which is sufficient to rotate the rotor of a generator is fed into to 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 where it is stored during the day time. This current is then utilized in the night time for lighting purposes on the either sides of the road to a considerable distance.
Rack – Mild steel
Pinion – Mild Iron
Sprocket wheels- Mild steel
Chain – Mild steel
Spur gears – Cast Iron
Springs – Mild steel
Shaft – Mild steel
Speed breaker – Mild steel
Generator – 12v DC generator
Battery – lead acid battery
Inverter – 250 w AC inverter
Pollution free power generation.
No manual work necessary during generation.
Energy available all year round.
No fuel transportation problem.
No consumption of any fossil fuel which is non-renewable source of energy.
Uninterrupted power generation during day and night.
Maximum utilization of energy.
Load to the piston cylinder arrangement is freely got by movement of vehicles.
Sachin is a B-TECH graduate in Mechanical Engineering from a reputed Engineering college. Currently, he is working in the sheet metal industry as a designer. Additionally, he has interested in Product Design, Animation, and Project design. He also likes to write articles related to the mechanical engineering field and tries to motivate other mechanical engineering students by his innovative project ideas, design, models and videos.