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Drive-Thru “Speed Bump” Collects Energy
Oh, very cool!
…a Burger King in Hillside, New Jersey tried out the MotionPower energy harvester from New Energy Technologies to see how it would hold up to the heavy traffic flow they experienced over the holiday period. As drivers wended their way to the window to get their Whoppers, the cars ran over a metal speed-bump affair that, using the weight of the vehicles to depress a plate and turn some gears, produced 2000 watts with each passing.
As it was just an initial durability test, the fast food franchise didn’t actually benefit from the “free” electrons but customers were treated to a very small light show that was installed to demonstrate the that system was working. The manufacturer envisions larger MotionPower machines installed in places where traffic is slowing down to prevent the scheme from requiring extra energy input from vehicles. [via autobloggreen]
April 17th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
“The manufacturer envisions larger MotionPower machines installed in places where traffic is slowing down to prevent the scheme from requiring extra energy input from vehicles.”
As I understand it, the scheme /must/ take extra energy from the vehicles. That’s basic thermodynamics, energy is neither created nor destroyed. The generator is making energy from taking it from the cars. The main nice thing about placing them in slow-traffic areas is the bumps won’t be so disruptive / annoying
A cute idea for powering drive-thrus tho
April 23rd, 2010 at 6:30 am
Не пойму в чём дело, но у меня тока 2 картинки загрузилось. ((( А ваще понравились!
April 4th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
That is a very interesting way of generation energy, I have been looking in to plastic recycling like the one that I have listed as the website on the comment.
I am very much interested in energy consumption and recycled products.
Would like to know how that speed bump system would work on a large scale e.g. if speed bumps in the uk were replaced with them and linked to the national grid how much energy would be produced from them.