BUILDING INNOVATIONS

Can Electricity be produced from our footsteps? Is it really possible to do such thing? Let’s see about that in today’s blog.

KINETIC FOOTFALL (PAVEGEN)

INTRODUCTION:

Most of the countries try to innovate alternative electricity power for their usage. In civil construction field, we are introducing an energy conserving technology as a replacement for tiles. Laurence Kemble-Cook, the director of Pavegen Systems imagined a new idea to generate electricity from pavement slabs. The idea later named as Pavegen technology. It is also known as Kinetic footfall.

PAVEGEN:

“An ecosystem to generate electricity from footsteps”

“A future energy conservation replacement for tiles”

WHY PAVEGEN TECHNOLOGY?

Pavegen is a technology that has been developed by paving slab tiles to convert energy from people’s footsteps into electric power. These floor tiles generate electricity through the deformation of the material under a load. The technology converts the kinetic energy to electricity. It can be stored and used for a variety of applications. The Pavegen technology offers the first tangible way for people to engage with renewable energy generation.

MATERIALS:

The top surface of the flooring tile unit is made from recycled rubber and stainless steel. The base of the slab is constructed from over 80% recycled materials with concrete. The size of the product is 600*450*87 (L*W*H) mm.

TYPES OF FLOOR MECHANISM:

• Piezoelectric effect. • Magnetic transducers. • Micro-generators. • Static capacitors.

ADVANTAGES:

These tiles can be used indoors or outdoors in high traffic areas, and generates electricity from pedestrian footfall. We can supply the power to grids such as pedestrian lighting. Tiles are completely Renewable & Eco friendly technology. We can reduce approximately 6.817 tons of excessive CO2 every day emissions by tiles into atmosphere, by using Pavegen technology. The top surface is built entirely of recycled material .Harvesting human power to produce energy is best practice in order to fulfil the energy demand. To reduce the global warming caused while using traditional carbon fuels. Less maintenance cost. It is waterproof and damp proof.

DISADVANTAGES:

Low amount of energy is produced during each step or movement of the slab .Initial cost is extremely high .Uncertainty about economic life .Market acceptance and most productive use. It cannot be used as a primary energy source. In India, we have to import these technologies for replacement of tiles.

APPLICATIONS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING:

This idea can be implemented in the floors of crowded places as footpaths, railway platforms etc. Stairs can be also used for production of energy by mere walking. Used for security purposes and in various alarm systems.  For street lights,in bus station,in airports, in play grounds.

CONCLUSION:

Promoting energy awareness is an integral part of this proposal. Piezo tiles have been capable for generating 40V. They are particularly suitable for implementation in crowded areas. Energy generation source must be something easily implemented. It is a future energy renewable resource using kinetic energy.

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