From horsepower to manpower?

A two year study led by the University of Leeds in the UK aims to develop a system that can harness kinetic energy from marching soldiers.

The $1.5 million plan will focus on finding a way to convert human energy into usable power for military field applications. It is part of the larger “battery-free soldier” project that also includes development of solar and body heat-harvesting technologies for the military. This technology can find applications in the civil world too.

Earlier Japanese telecommunications company NTT said it was developing shoes that generate electricity upon movement. The shoes generate 1.2 watts of electricity and are powered by small turbines. Each shoe has a small generator attached to the water-filled sole, which spins a small turbine and generates power each time the wearer takes a step.

M2E Power plans to release a portable charger for mobile devices sometime next summer. The charger, which is the size of a pack of cards, derives power from cumulative motion from walking, jogging, cycling, or driving. Six hours of motion provides 30 to 60 minutes of extra power.

The kinetic energy system uses the Faraday Principle, which states that the movement of a conductor through a magnetic field produces voltage in the conductor proportional to the speed of movement. In this case, the conductor is a wire coil. The system uses a magnet that moves against the coil every time the charger moves, generating a charge that is captured in a capacitor. A logic circuit takes the charge to the built-in Li-Ion cell, where it is stored until use.

The Leeds scientists plan to create a similar system that includes knee wraps and backpack straps with crystals and high-tech ceramic materials acting as piezoelectric transducers. These piezoelectric components are responsible for converting mechanical energy from movement into electric charge.

According to source, the technology would work pretty much like regenerative braking in cars. Problems could arise in differences in the manner of walking. But the right material could help cancel out such variations.

There are lots of ideas out there. It should be a good idea for our colleges and universities to encourage students to take up such projects. Looking at many ways to meet our varied demands is a better idea than using the same (scarce) source for all our needs.