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11/3/2009
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
PRINCIPLE: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
BLOCK DIAGRAM: ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
PROTOTYPE: .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
APPLICATIONS: ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
REFERENCE: .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
INTRODUCTION:
The major problem in this world is the energy deficiency. Energy not only means
electricity or other forms of energy (petroleum, fossil fuels etc.).Nowadays people have
begun to use electricity from renewable sources (wind mills, hydro power, and solar
power).A new method has been found to generate electricity from walking. Though there
are methods to generate electricity from walking the new way is more cost effective and
requires less space.
PRINCIPLE:
This new way is based on the principle “PIEZOELECTRICITY”. It means that whenever
any mechanical stress or pressure is applied on certain crystals, an electrical potential is
developed over the crystal lattice. When this electrical potential is not shorted an electrical
voltage is created.
In 1880, Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered an unusual characteristic of certain crystalline
minerals: when subjected to a mechanical force, the crystals became electrically polarized.
Tension and compression generated voltages of opposite polarity, and in proportion to the
applied force. Subsequently, the converse of this relationship was confirmed: if one of
these voltage-generating crystals was exposed to an electric field it lengthened or
shortened according to the polarity of the field, and in proportion to the strength of the
field. These behaviours were labelled the piezoelectric effect and the inverse piezoelectric
effect, respectively, from the Greek word piezein, meaning to press or squeeze.
BLOCK DIAGRAM:
Restoring force
Piezoelectric material
PROTOTYPE:
The pictures of the prototype are below.
My second prototype with the piezoelectric cells and diodes populated on a cardboard.
My second prototype with connected components.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity
http://www.americanpiezo.com/piezo_theory/piezo_theory.pdf
http://memebox.com/futureblogger/show/1406-commuters-to-generate-
electricity-from-walking-into-train-station
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/lets_generate_electricity_by_walking/