MotionPower and Harnessing Passive Kinetic Energy

Road humps could someday 

be fitted with technology that can 

harness energy from 

passing vehicles

Photo Credit: chefkeem / pixabay.com

New Energy Technologies, a company based in Maryland, is developing MotionPower, a new technology that will harness energy from moving vehicles as they pass through a speed bump. MotionPower, the new technology they developed, collects energy from the impacts and vibrations of tires as they pass through a ramp. The harvested energy can then be used to power devices and structures like street lights and traffic stops.

While the technology is not that new (similar devices are currently employed on roads and dance floors in the UK as well), it brings new promises to a wide variety of applications. Here are some that I can think of:

1. Dams

Water free falling from reservoirs can be made to fall on these devices to further harness more energy.

2. Seawalls

Waves hitting seawalls with these devices can potentially be a source of energy as well.

3. Vehicle Suspensions

Using these technologies on ramps alone limit their use to specific areas. However, when these technologies are attached to vehicle suspensions, more energy will be collected which can be rechanneled back to the vehicle resulting to more fuel economy.

4. Mobilephones, computers and similar devices

Whenever we press the keypad when calling someone or sending out text messages.

5. Doors

Shock absorbers placed on door panels can use these technologies as well. Buildings and houses as well can use the excess energy to power other things.

Developments in harnessing energy such as MotionPower point out one important thing: Electricity should not come from just a single source. This means that to maximize fuel and, eventually, energy efficiency, even the small things that we do or use should be energy efficient as well. To maximize energy efficiency, even the small things have to change.