FOOTSTEP ENERGY

GENERATION-SUSTAINABLE
FORM OF ENERGY

SUBMITTED BY: MANVI KATWAL

ROLL NO: 15240
OVERVIEW:
• INTRODUCTION
• METHODS OF PRODUCING ENERGY FROM FOOTSTEPS
• MODELLING
• ADVANTAGES
• DISADVANTAGES
• PRESENT APPLICATIONS
• FUTURE SCOPE
 INTRODUCTION:
• THERE ARE NUMBER OF METHODS BY WHICH ELECTRICITY CAN BE PRODUCED, OTHER
UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS SUCH AS FOOTSTEP ENERGY GENERATION CAN BE AN
EFFECTIVE METHOD TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY.
• WALKING IS THE MOST COMMON ACTIVITY IN LIFE. WHEN ANY ORGANISM WALKS ON THE
SURFACE IT TRANSFERS IT ENERGY TO THE SURFACE WHICH IS THEN LOST IN THE FORM OF
HEAT, VIBRATIONS ETC.
• THIS IS A FORM OF ENERGY WHICH CAN BE RECOVERED BACK AND CAN BE UTILIZED IN AN
EFFICIENT WAY.
• AS NO SOURCE IS REQUIRED SO IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A SUSTAINABLE FORM OF
ENERGY.
 CONTD.
• PROPOSAL FOR THE UTILIZATION OF WASTE ENERGY OF FOOT POWER WITH HUMAN
LOCOMOTION IS VERY MUCH RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT FOR HIGHLY POPULATED
COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA AND CHINA WHERE THE ROADS, RAILWAY STATIONS, BUS STANDS,
TEMPLES, ETC. ARE ALL OVER CROWDED AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE MOVE AROUND THE
CLOCK.
• THE TWO GENERAL METHODS THROUGH WHICH WE CAN UTILIZE THIS FORM OF ENERGY IS
AS SHOWN BELOW:
1) RACK AND PINION METHOD
2) USING PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR
RACK AND PINION METHOD:
BASIC PRINCIPLE:
WHEN A PEDESTRIAN STEPS ON THE TOP OF THE DEVICE, THE PLATE WILL DIP DOWN SLIGHTLY.
THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PLATE RESULTS IN THE ROTATION OF THE SHAFT OF AN
ALTERNATOR, FITTED IN THE DEVICE TO PRODUCE ELECTRICAL ENERGY. THE TOP PLATES REVERTS
BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION DUE TO NEGATING SPRINGS PROVIDED IN THE DEVICE.
MODELLING OF RACK & PINION:
COMPONENTS REQUIRED:
• LEVER:
LEVER IS A MACHINE CONSISTING OF BEAM OR RIGID ROD PIVOTED AT A FIXED HINGE.
• RACK AND PINION ARRANGEMENT:
RACK AND PINION ARE USED TO CONVERT LINEAR MOTION TO ROTATORY MOTION.
• SHAFT:
SHAFT IS MECHANICAL COMPONENT FOR TRANSMITTING TORQUE AND
ROTATION.
• BALL BEARING:
THE PURPOSE OF BALL BEARING IS TO REDUCE ROTATIONAL FRICTION AND SUPPORT
RADIAL AND AXIAL LOADS.
RATCHET GEAR:

• A RATCHET GEAR IS A MECHANICAL DEVICE THAT ALLOWS CONTINUOUS LINEAR OR

ROTATORY MOTION ONLY IN ONE DIRECTION WHILE PREVENTING THE OPPOSITE MOTION.
FLYWHEEL:
• IN FOOTSTEP ENERGY GENERATION FLYWHEEL IS USED TO DRIVE THE DC GENERATOR WHICH
PRODUCES THE ELECTRICAL ENERGY.
DC GENERATOR:
• IT IS AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE WHICH IS USED TO CONVERT MECHANICAL ENERGY INTO
ELECTRICAL ENERGY.
INVERTER:
• IT IS USED TO CONVERT THE DC GENERATED FROM GENERATOR INTO AC WHICH CAN BE
THEN USED TO POWER LIGHT LOADS.
APPLICATIONS:
• THIS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ON RAILWAY STATION TO GENERATE ELECTRIC
POWER
• IN BUS STAND
• IN CAR PARKING SYSTEM
• IN AIRPORTS
• IN LIFT SYSTEM
• IN STREET LIGHTS
• ELECTRIC ESCALATORS
• SPEED BREAKERS
DISADVANTAGES:
• INITIAL COST OF INSTALLATION IS VERY HIGH.
• IT CAN BE INSTALLED ONLY AT SOME PARTICULAR PLACES.
• AS MECHANICAL PARTS ARE INVOLVED FRICTION IS PRESENT MAKING THE SYSTEM LESS
EFFICIENT.
• ADDITIONAL MACHINERY LEADS TO MORE COST AND SPACE REQUIRED.
 ENERGY GENERATION USING PIEZOELECTRIC
DISCS:
PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR:
A PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR IS A DEVICE THAT USES PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT TO MEASURE PRESSURE,
ACCELERATION, STRAIN ETC. BY CONVERTING THEM TO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS.
BASIC PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION:
THE BASIC PRINCIPLE BEHIND THESE SENSORS IS PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT, WHICH STATES THAT
WHEN A FORCE IS APPLIED ON A SPECIFIC MATERIAL A VOLTAGE IS INDUCED IN THE MATERIAL
TANGENTIAL TO THE SURFACE ON WHICH THE FORCE IS APPLIED.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM TO BE EMPLOYED
SPECIFICATIONS OF PIEZOELECTRIC DISCS

• PIEZOELECTRIC DISCS ARE MADE UP OF QUARTZ CRYSTALS WHICH ARE FOUND ABUNDANT IN
NATURE SO IT IS A RIGHT CHOICE OF MATERIAL FOR THE SENSORS.
• THESE DISCS ARE A TYPE OF ACTIVE TRANSDUCERS WHICH MEANS THEY DO NOT REQUIRE
ANY EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY.
• THESE DISCS ARE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE AS COMPARED TO RACK AND PINION ARRANGEMENT
AS THEY ARE EFFICIENT AND EXPLOIT THE ENERGY OF FOOTSTEPS TO A GREAT EXTENT THAN
THE FORMER.
• PIEZOELECTRIC DISCS ARE HIGHLY EFFICIENT IN OPERATION AND HAVE A HUGE SCOPE IN THE
UPCOMING FUTURE IN HARVESTING FOOTSTEP ENERGY.
• THE OUTPUT OF A SINGLE PIEZOELECTRIC DISC IS IN THE RANGE OF MILLIVOLTS.
• IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE HIGHER VOLTAGES, THE PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALS CAN BE ARRANGED
IN SERIES AND THE ENERGY THUS OBTAINED IS STORED IN LITHIUM BATTERIES OR CAPACITORS.
 PRESENT USE OF PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY:
• POWER GENERATING BOOTS:
AN IDEA IS BEING RESEARCHED BY DARPA IN
THE UNITED STATES IN A PROJECT CALLED
ENERGY HARVESTING, WHICH AIMS TO
POWER BATTLEFIELD EQUIPMENTS BY PIEZO-
ELECTRIC GENERATORS EMBEDDED IN SOLDIER’
BOOTS.
• PEOPLE POWERED DANCE CLUBS:
IN EUROPE, CERTAIN NIGHTCLUBS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO POWER THEIR NIGHT CLUBS WITH
THE HELP OF PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALS. THE CRYSTALS ARE LAID UNDERNEATH THE DANCE FLOORS
AND SO ON.
 OTHER APPLICATIONS:

• AS SENSING ELEMENTS
• ULTRASOUND IMAGING
• IN MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
• SONAR SENSORS
• AUTOMOBILES
• PIEZORESISTORS
• AS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SENSORS
SCOPE OF FOOTSTEP ENERGY GENERATION:
• FOOTSTEP ENERGY GENERATION HAS A TREMENDOUS SCOPE IN THE UPCOMING FUTURE AND
MANY COMPANIES ARE BUILDING THEIR INTEREST IN EXPLOITING THIS FORM OF SUSTAINABLE
ENERGY.
• ONE SUCH COMPANY IS PAVEGEN, WHICH HAS DEVELOPED POWER GENERATING STATIONS
FOR PAVEMENTS, FOOTBALL FIELDS AND EVEN SCHOOL CORRIDORS.
• THE TECHNOLOGY IS MOST EFFECTIVE IN AREAS WITH HIGH TRAFFIC, PRODUCING AN
EFFICIENT SOLUTION THAT MATCHES SUPPLY WITH DEMAND.
• ANALYSTS ESTIMATE THE ENERGY HARVESTING INDUSTRY COULD BE WORTH AS MUCH $30
BILLION BY THE YEAR 2022 AND STILL INCREASING.
REFERENCES
• WWW.GOOGLE.COM
• WIKIPEDIA
• WWW.PAVEGEN.COM
• WWW.CNN.US
• WWW.SLIDESHARE.COM
THANK YOU