Power Hump
Power Hump
(OP)
Hi friends...!!!! I'm a fresher and I'm directed by the company which I work in, to do a project which they call as NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (NPD)..!!! So I've planned to fabricate a POWER HUMP for which I have relevant info from net..!! But my team lead told me to do a Voice Of Customer (VOC) first and try to find the need for my project...!!! Sadly I could find customers who were genuinely interested in my project...!! So I request you people to comment on the project I'm gonna undertake and help me with relevant info and answers...!!! Please find the attachment below and comment whether the project is feasible or no...!!! Please help me IF THERE ARE ANY NEW IDEAS for the NPD....!!!!





RE: Power Hump
RE: Power Hump
1.
Kilowatts (kW) are instantaneous power, not energy. Energy is expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Assuming that your power-per-crossing of 1 kW for a single axle is correct (it is not well-documented), the energy (kWh) per minute cannot be 1000 kWh. A vehicle traveling 10 MPH across a speed hump will have wheels on top of it for only a short time. If the speed hump is 2 feet wide and you can capture energy for the entire width, which you won't if it is built like the drawings, each pair of wheels will be on top pushing down for only about 0.2 seconds. So a single 2-axle car will only be contributing its weight for maybe 0.5 seconds at most. Thus, each car crossing will produce (1 kW x 0.5 seconds) / 3600 seconds per hour, or 0.00014 kWh. With a liberal estimate of bumper-to-bumper cars at 10 MPH, maybe 100 cars can cross in one minute. So one minute's production of energy would be 0.014 kWh. A day's time (1440 minutes) with cars crossing at 100 per minute during the entire 24 hours would yield 20 kWh. That's about $1.20 in my area. $440.00 per year. I'm going to guess, without trying calculate it, that the combined efficiency of the mechanism, power conversion, energy storage, and energy transport circuits will be less than 20 percent. So in the end, you'll have about $0.25 per day to sell. Not much, even with all the best-case assumptions above. That's not much, less than $100.00 per year. Toss into my calculations above some real-life load factors such as average number of cars per minute for an entire day, and you'll be in the vicinity of $5.00 or less per year area per speed hump. To achieve a 20-year payback, materials and installation would have to cost $100.00 total. No way.
2. The only reference you have to cost of manufacturing, installation, and tie-in to a nearby distribution circuit, is a bullet point that says the device is "economical." Goodness gracious! Make a thorough cost estimate for manufacturing, shipping, installation, and tie-in electrical work. Don't forget to put profit in there at each step. I don't think you will be comfortable using the term "economical" any more in describing this system.
In sum, it is a very interesting concept. It was also fun to analyze for a bit. My opinion, however, is that economic viability is nil and there is no way to sell it.
Welcome to eng-tips, by the way. Fun topic.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
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RE: Power Hump
RE: Power Hump
Patricia Lougheed
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RE: Power Hump
However, a few comments:
> I can't tell how you got your ~1 kW per bump, and whether that accounts for generation efficiency. Non-continuous generators tend to be absurdly inefficient; if I assign a 5% efficiency, each car produces at most 27 mW*hr
> A major factor in the inefficiency is that you do not actually get to lift the ENTIRE vehicle's mass, since it's front wheels, lag, then rear wheels. The effective mass raised is much less than the total mass of the vehicle, and part of that is lost in the suspension system.
> The biggest problem is your duty cycle. A 10cm bump is GIGANTIC for probably 90% of drivers; if it takes 10 seconds for a car to traverse the bump, the frequency is reduced to 6 cars/ min.
> Assuming that frequency remains unchanged, I calculate about 235 W*hr of energy generated per day, which is barely enough to power about 6 houses in the US.
TTFN
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RE: Power Hump
David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
RE: Power Hump
One major hurdle, from a practicality perspective is that mechanically movable devices in traffic lanes is a nightmare for maintenance. Openings, seams, gears, etc. all suffer from maintenance issues in traffic lanes.
TTFN
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RE: Power Hump
Why not ask each driver to hand over a thimble full of petrol as they pass a sign?
DOL
RE: Power Hump
Patricia Lougheed
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RE: Power Hump
TTFN
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RE: Power Hump
RE: Power Hump
As for the OP's future postings, the basic rule is no asking for homework help.
TTFN
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RE: Power Hump
A few prototype examples shown at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&...
RE: Power Hump
RE: Power Hump
I was going to make the same comment, but you beat me too it.
I agree, it's taking energy (albeit a really small amount, as noted by others) without the consent of those who originally paid for it.
RE: Power Hump
100 vehicles certainly aren't going to fly by in a minute with such obstructions on the road surface. I've not looked at the document as yet though, I could be surprised.
RE: Power Hump
TTFN
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RE: Power Hump
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Power Hump
As a courtesy I can then use the output to illuminate a sign, warning the motorists there are speedbumps ahead.
B.E.
The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
RE: Power Hump
I’m really tired of power lifting, the gym, running and that sorta stuff to stay in shape.