Progress Report

(16.02.2015 to 15.05.2015
(A Project sanctioned under the scheme Support for Entrepreneurial and
Management Development of SMEs through Incubators by MSME,
Government of India)
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Title of project:

ELECTRICAL POWER HARVESTING USING RAIL

AND ROAD TRAFFIC

Summary of the project:

The project aims at finding the possibility of tapping the energy and generating power by making
the road and railway track as a power generation unit.
As the vehicle passes over the track or road, the load acted upon can be utilized to drive a setup
including rack, pinion and chain sprocket arrangements. The reciprocating motion of the track is
converted into rotary motion. This rotary motion is then fed on to the gear drives which
multiplies its speed. This speed which is sufficient to rotate the rotor of a generator is fed into the
generator. Based on the Faraday Laws, electro motive force is produced. The generated power
can be used for lighting the roads, stations or can be connected to grid

Literature survey :
The heart of the project, harvesting energy from the motion of vehicle, is to transform the weight of
vehicle, a linear motion, in to a rotatory motion which in turn rotates a generator. To meet the objective of
transforming the force exerted by the moving vehicle in to the rotatory motion of a generator, several
possible methods were studied and explored.
One of the methods is to use a rack and pinion gear system. In this method the linear motion produced by
the load of the vehicle is converted into rotatory by motion by a rack and pinion gear system as shown
below.

fig.1. The first prototype 3D CAD model shown mounted across two ties of a section of railroad track

fig.2. 3D CAD model of the device shown mounted in a section of railroad track

fig.3. Detailed top view of the two-stroke harvesting mechanism incorporated into the device.

The feasibility of this method and the amount of electricity produced is to be tested. The
necessary equipments and machinery are under the process of procurement. Some of them is
hired and some of them is purchased.
Activity summary
S. NO.

ACTIVITY

DESCRIPTION

Finalization of design

The parameters of system have been calculated

and final design is ready.

Preparation of drawing

The final drawing of the proposed system has

been made

3.

Purchasing of the required

components

The required components as per the design and

the drawing have been purchased

4.

Development of the prototype

The work on the hardware design of system is

initiated. About 30% work has been completed.

5.

Target for the next session

Complete design of prototype