An Abundant and Renewable Potential Energy Source: Harvestable Energy under Vehicle Wheels. Issue 7 (20th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Feng‐Chen
• Is Part Of: Global challenges. Volume 3:Issue 7(2019)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2019-02-20
• Subjects: energy harvesting -- energy saving -- renewable energy -- vehicle wheels; Climatic changes -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; Globalization -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 500
• DOI: 10.1002/gch2.201800096
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2056-6646

Abstract

Abstract: Approaches for energy harvesting from rotating vehicle tires have been investigated for years; however, where the harvestable energy is actually generated has not been discussed so far. For the first time, the potentially harvestable energy under vehicle wheels, as a real energy source, is discovered. Estimations show that the global potentially harvestable energy from the vehicle wheels could be 3.26 × 10 11 kW, equivalent to 14 500 times the installed capacity of the worldwide largest hydraulic power plant, Three Gorges Dam of China; 36.7% saving of a vehicle's fuel consumption could be achieved if this potential energy could be totally harvested. State‐of‐the‐art energy harvesting techniques can only extract a negligibly small amount of the energy under vehicle wheels, calling for revolutionary new energy harvesting techniques. Abstract : A simple derivation to discover a high‐density renewable energy source under vehicle wheels is presented. Estimations show that the potentially harvestable energy from the vehicle wheels in the world can reach 3.26 × 10 11 kW, and 36.7% savings of a vehicle's fuel consumption can be achieved at full harvesting of this potential energy.