12/05/2013
Creating Electricity from Passing Traffic
The idea is to develop a system that will use the weight of traffic and pedestrians to generate electricity.
The system will consist of an array of sturdy ramp-steps (made of a tire-like polymer) that will be set into the street. The ramps will protrude about two inches above the surface, and will be pushed down momentarily when a car drives over them, which will cause them to exert pressure on a set of bellows below the ramp. The bellows will then expel their air through a hose, sending the air to a tank where it will be compressed and then sent to a turbine that will generate electricity.
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