WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2016 - Objects resembling artificial
trees made with electromechanical materials
can convert random forces, such as footfalls on a bridge, into strong structural
vibrations that are ideal for generating renewable power, according to researchers
at Ohio State University.
The study
takes advantage of the plentiful vibrational energy that surrounds us every
day, says Ryan Harne, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace
engineering at Ohio State and the director of the Laboratory of Sound and Vibration Research. Some
sources of this energy are wind-induced structural motions, seismic activity and
human activity.
“Buildings sway ever so slightly in the wind, bridges
oscillate when we drive on them and car suspensions absorb bumps in the road,”
says Harne. “In fact, there’s a massive amount of kinetic energy associated
with those motions that is otherwise lost. We want to recover and recycle some
of that energy.”
The technology may prove most valuable when applied on a
small scale, in situations where other renewable energy sources such as solar
are not an option.
Early
applications would include
powering the sensors that monitor the structural integrity and health of civil infrastructure, such as
buildings and bridges. Harne envisions “tiny trees” feeding voltages to a
sensor on the underside of a bridge, or on a girder deep inside a high-rise building.
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