04-09-2014, 12:46 PM
POWER GENERATION FROM RAILWAY TRACK
POWER GENERATION (2).pptx (Size: 783.58 KB / Downloads: 76)
ABSTRACT
An electrical power generation system
comprises a variable capacitor and a power
source. The electrical power generation
system is configured to generate electric
power via movements of the rail. The
power source is used in the form of a
generator to prime the variable capacitor
that effectively multiplies the priming
energy of the power source by extracting
energy from the passing vehicle. By
alternately priming the variable capacitor
using charge from the power source and
discharging it at a later time in a cyclic
manner to change the capacitance, a
significantly large amount of electrical
energy is produced due to change in
capacitance than from the power source
itself
INTRODUCTION
The present technique relates generally to
rail based devices and, more specifically,
to an energy co-generation device for
generating electric power in response to
vehicular traffic on a rail.
RAILWAY MONITORING SYSTEM
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical representation
of a railway monitoring system, in
accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present technique. FIG.
1 illustrates an exemplary railway
monitoring system 10. In the illustrated
embodiment, the railway monitoring
system 10 includes a railway track 12 that
has a left rail 14, a right rail 16 and a
plurality of ties 18 extending between and
generally transverse to these rails 14, 16.
The ties 18 are coupled to the rails 14, 16
and provide lateral support to the rails 14,
16, which are configured to carry vehicles,
such as trains, trams, testing vehicles or
the like. Advantageously, the system 10
also includes a power tie 22 that has
hollowed regions that provide locations
inside of which various components are
disposed, as discussed further below.
Although the illustrated embodiment
shows a single power tie 22, railroad
networks including any number of power
ties 22 and power ties 22 in electrical
communication with one another are
envisaged
Railway Monitoring System
The power tie 22 includes a power source,
such as the illustrated power generation
device 24, a sensing device 26, a processor
28, and communication circuitry 30, all of
which are disposed within the hollowed
regions of the power tie 22. With respect
to the power generation device 24, it is
worth noting that exemplary power
generation device 24 envisages external
power sources, a host of local power
generation device or a combination
thereof, among other types of power
devices. A power co-generation device 31,
as discussed below, cooperates with the
power source (e.g. power generation
device 24) to generate power. By
disposing these components in the power
tie 22, the power tie 22 acts as a housing
that protects and facilitates the installation
of various components of the tie 22.
However, in alternate embodiments, the
various components can be disposed in
individual housings that are independent of
the power tie or ties 22. Additionally, in
some embodiments,
[b]EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE[/b]
Referring to FIG. 2, exemplary
components of a power tie 22 and a
railway monitoring system 10 are
diagrammatically illustrated. The power tie
22 includes the power generation device
Power Co-Generation Device
In the illustrated embodiment, the power
source 24 is coupled to the conductive
plate 80. The power source may be located
locally within the power tie 22 or external
to the power tie. The power source 24 is
coupled to the conductive plate 78via the
power conditioning circuitry 69 and a
power isolation device 79. In one
embodiment, the power isolation device 79
is a switch. In another embodiment, the
power isolation device 79 is a diode.
When DC voltage is applied across the two
plates 78, 80 of the variable capacitor 76, a
concentrated field flux is created between
the plates 78, 80, and electrons are
liberated from the positive conducting
plate and deposited on the negative
conducting plate. Thus, one of the plates
develops a positive charge, while the other
plate develops a negative charge
Power Co-Generation Device in Open Position
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary variable
capacitor 76 in an open position. The
plates are biased apart and held in this
open position by a biasing member, such
as a compression spring 84. The plates 78,
80 are separated by a larger gap "d" in the
open position, and the open position
corresponds to a situation when there is no
vehicle above the rails. The capacitance of
the capacitor 76 is directly proportional to
the electrostatic force field between the
plates 78, 80, and the capacitance of the
capacitor 76 is calculated in accordance
with the following relationship:
APPLICATIONS
The Indian Railway transports 16 million
passengers and more than one million
tones of freight each day. With a network
spanning over 63,000 km, it is one of the
largest and busiest rail networks in the
world. It is also the world’s largest utility
employer, with more than 1.6 million
employees. The power consumption of the
Indian Railways is around 2.5 percent of
the country’s total electricity consumption.
It is estimated that the railway sector’s
demand for electricity will grow by seven
percent annually. By 2020, the Indian
Railways will have a projected energy
demand of 37,500 million kilowatt hour.
Thus there is need for a system for saving
the country’s energy consumption.