13-05-2014, 03:14 PM
POWER GENERATION FROM RAILWAY TRACK
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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
rail based devices and, more
to an energy co-generation
generating electric power in
vehicular traffic on a rail.
generally to
specifically,
device for
response to
In accordance with one exemplary
embodiment, the present technique
provides an electric power co-generation
system for use with a railroad network.
The system includes a power source, such
as a power generation device or an
external power source. The power co-
generation system includes first and
second electrical capacitance portions that
are electrically coupled to the power
source and that are configured to carry
positive
and
negative
charges,
respectively. The power co-generation
system further includes a biasing device
that is configured to separate the first and
second capacitance portions with respect
to one another.
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.
POWER CO-GENERATION DEVICE:
In the illustrated embodiment, an analog
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary railway
monitoring system. In the exemplary
embodiment, the power co-generation
device 31 includes a variable capacitor 76.
The variable capacitor 76 has two
capacitance portions, such as conductive
plates 78 and80 that are each coated with a
thin film of dielectric material 82. The two
electrically conductive plates 78, 80 are
held mutually apart in an open position via
a biasing member, such as a compression
spring 84. The plates 78, 80 are electrically
coupled to the power source 24, such as
the illustrated power generation device,
and each plate carries opposite charges
with respect to one another. The variable
capacitor 76 facilitates changes in the
distance between the two plates 78, 80,
causing electrical power generation from
this changing distance.
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.