System and method for generating electric power

IFET COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
GANGARAMPALYAM

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING
ELECTRIC POWER
FROM MOVEMENT OF THE RAIL

PREPARED BY

S.SHALENEE A.RAJESHWARI
EEE-2ndYEAR EEE -2ndYEAR

C.PUNITHA
EEE-2ndYEAR

ABSTRACT:
The electrical power generation system is configured to generate electric power via movements
of the rail. An electrical power generation system comprises a variable capacitor and a power source.
The power source is used in the form of a generator to prime the variable capacitor that effectively
multiplies the priming energy of the power source by extracting energy from the passing vehicle. By
alternately priming the variable capacitor using charge from the power source and discharging it at a
later time in a cyclic manner to change the capacitance, a significantly large amount of electrical energy
is produced due to change in capacitance.

1. INTRODUCTION

The proposed technique relates generally to BLOCK DIAGRAM:
generating electricity and, more particularly, to a
method and a system for generating electricity
along a railroad track. Many known railroad DRIVE FIRST CAPACITOR PLATE TOWARDS
systems employ a variety of wayside equipment SECOND CAPACITOR PLATE IN RESPONSE
alongside the railroad tracks. Within a network, TO VEHICLE ON THE ROAD
railroad tracks often span rural and unpopulated
areas, and as such, providing power to wayside
equipment in remote locations may be a
challenging and costly task. At least some CHARGE FIRST AND SECOND CAPACITOR
known railroad systems run power lines into PLATE IN RESPONSE VIA A POWER SOURCE
remote areas to power wayside equipment.
However, depending on the location, such power
systems may be expensive to install and to
maintain.
Unfortunately, traditional automated BIAS THE FIRST AND SECOND CAPACITOR
devices generally obtain operating power from PLATES APART FROM ONE ANOTHER WHEN
an external power source, which is not generally THERE IS NO PRESSURE OF VEHICLE ON RAIL
available in remote areas. That is, the automated
device receives operating power that is
generated at a remote location and that is
delivered over a power grid, and coupling the
INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL
grid to the device can be a costly proposition,
BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND CAPACITOR
especially in remote areas. In certain instance, PLATES
local power sources, such as batteries, have been
employed. In any event, even if a local or
external power source is provided, these power

sources may not provide a cost effective
mechanism for producing sufficient levels of
power for operation of the automated testing
devices. Therefore, there is need for a system
and method for improving electric power
generation with respect to rail systems.

2. BACKGROUND

The technique provides an electric one another, thereby displacing the plates with
power co-generation system for use with a respect to one another. This displacement
railroad network. The system includes a power changes the electrical capacitance between the
source, such as a power generation device or an first and second plates and, resultantly, increases
external power source. The power co-generation the electric potential between the first and
system includes first and second electrical second plates. In turn, this displacement of the
capacitance portions that are electrically coupled first and second plates facilitates the co-
to the power source and that are configured to generation of electrical energy from the kinetic
carry positive and negative charges, and potential energy of the vehicle on the rail.
respectively. The power co-generation system
further includes a biasing device that is 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
configured to separate the first and second
capacitance portions with respect to one another. FIG. 1 illustrates railway monitoring system.
Thus, by varying the distance between the The railway monitoring system includes a
capacitance portions in response to a vehicle on railway track that has a left rail, a right rail and a
the rail, the capacitance portions cooperate to act plurality of ties extending between and generally
as a variable capacitor that facilitates the co- transverse to these rails. The ties are coupled to
generation of power with respect to the system. the rails and provide lateral support to the rails,
That is to say, the mechanical energy of the which are configured to carry vehicles, such as
biasing device is converted into electrical energy trains, testing vehicles or the like. The system
for the system. also includes a power tie that has hollowed
In accordance with above technique, a method regions that provide locations inside of which
of co-generating power via a vehicle traveling various components are disposed. Although the
on a rail is provided. The method includes the figure shows a single power tie, railroad
act of driving first and second capacitor plates networks including any number of power ties
with respect to one another in response to the and power ties in electrical communication with
vehicle that is traveling on the rail. The method one another are envisaged. The power tie is used
also includes the act of charging the first and to power sensors, signaling devices or any
second capacitor plates via a power source, such number of suitable electrical devices.
as a power generation device or an external 3.1. POWER TIE:
power source. The method further includes The power tie includes a power source,
biasing the first and second plates apart from such as the power generation device, a sensing

device, a processor, and communication
circuitry, all of which are disposed within the
hollowed regions of the power tie. With respect 3.2. REMOTE MONITORING CENTRE
to the power generation device, it is worth In the railway monitoring system, the
noting that exemplary power generation device communication circuitry is configured to receive
envisages external power sources, a host of local data signals output from the processor and/or the
power generation device or a combination sensing device and to transmit the data signals to
thereof, among other types of power devices. A a remote monitoring center. The communication
power co-generation device, as discussed below, circuitry comprises hardware and/or software
cooperates with the power source (e.g. power that facilitates the communication circuitry to
generation device) to generate power. By communicate the data signals to the remote
disposing these components in the power tie, the monitoring center. The communication circuitry
power tie acts as a housing that protects and is configured to communicate the data signals to
facilitates the installation of various components the remote monitoring center in accordance
of the tie. The power tie includes conditioning with a given communication protocol, such as a
circuitry that is configured to rectify and/or cellular protocol, a wireless protocol, a radio
convert the power output from the power frequency protocol, or a combination thereof.
generation device to a desired output power that The remote monitoring center includes a
is appropriate to the electrical components processor, user interface, and communication
located downstream of the power generation circuitry. To facilitate communications with
device. The sensing device is coupled to the field technicians, the remote monitoring center
processor, which includes hardware circuitry and the power tie are configured to communicate
and/or software that facilitates the processing of with a field unit which, by way of example, is a
signals from the sensing device. As will be laptop computer. Again, the communication
appreciated by those skilled in the art, the circuitry receives data signals output from the
processor includes a range of circuitry types, processor or the sensing device and transmits
such as a microprocessor, a programmable logic these data signals to the field unit via a wired
controller, a logic module, etc. Additionally, connection port or a short range wireless link
those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate such as infrared protocol, Bluetooth protocol,
that the sensing device encompasses any number wireless local area network or the like.To
of devices including weight sensors, temperature communicate with the power tie, the remote
sensors, or the like. monitoring center, as well as the field unit, each

includes communication circuitry and user other plate develops a negative charge. The
interfaces. Advantageously, the user interfaces greater the difference of electrons on opposing
facilitate inputs from a user and provides plates of a capacitor, more flux is generated and
mechanism through which a user can manipulate the capacitor is able to store more electrical
data and sensed properties from the components energy. Specifically, the voltage across the
of the power tie. capacitor (i.e. between the plates) is increased.
3.3. VARIABLE CAPACITOR: The capacitance of the capacitor is dependent on
The power co-generation device the area of the plates, distance between the
includes a variable capacitor. The variable plates, and ability of dielectric material to
capacitor has two capacitance portions, such as support electrostatic forces, as discussed further
conductive plates that are each coated with a below. Because, each plate stores equal but
thin film of dielectric material. The two mutually opposite charge, the total charge in the
electrically conductive plates are held mutually capacitor is zero. In the illustrated embodiment,
apart in an open position via a biasing member, an analog signal line between the co-generation
such as a compression spring. The plates are device and the sensing device carries an analog
electrically coupled to the power source, such as signal indicative of the load on the rails. The
the illustrated power generation device, and each operation of the variable capacitor is discussed
plate carries opposite charges with respect to in two levels as discussed below:
one another. The variable capacitor facilitates 4.1. Open position
changes in the distance between the two plates
causing electrical power generation from this
changing distance.
To facilitate electrical isolation of the
two capacitance plates a dielectric film is
provided on one plate or on both of the plates.
The dielectric film acts as an insulator between
the conductive plates and impedes the flow of
current between the capacitor plates. In one
exemplary embodiment, the dielectric film
includes polyimide material, such as a kapton
having functionally linked polymers. The
dielectric film includes aluminum oxide having
polar metal oxide bonds possessing large
permanent dipole moment. The dielectric film The above figure illustrates variable
may include polymers, ceramics, or the like. capacitor in an open position. The plates are
3.4. POWER SOURCE: biased apart and held in this open position by a
The power source is coupled to the biasing member, such as a compression spring.
conductive plate. The power source may be The plates are separated by a larger gap "d" in
located locally within the power tie or external the open position, and the open position
to the power tie. The power source is coupled to corresponds to a situation when there is no
the conductive plate via the power conditioning vehicle above the rails. The capacitance of the
circuitry and a power isolation device. The capacitor is directly proportional to the
power isolation device is a switch or a diode. electrostatic force field between the plates, and
4. OPERATION: the capacitance of the capacitor is calculated in
When DC voltage is applied across the accordance with the following relationship:
two plates of the variable capacitor, a
concentrated field flux is created between the
plates and electrons are liberated from the
positive conducting plate and deposited on the Where C is the capacitance in farads, ε is the
negative conducting plate. Thus, one of the permittivity of the dielectric, A is the area of the
plates develops a positive charge, while the

plate in square meters, and "d" is the distance position in farads, Vc is the voltage across the
between the plates in meters. From the above plates in closed position, and Vo is the voltage
mentioned relationship, it can be seen that the across the plates in the open position.
capacitance of the capacitor is reduced in the Consider, let dielectric permittivity
open position, because the capacitance is k=2.5, ε0=8.55 picofarads/m, ε=kε0=2.2×10-11
inversely proportional to the distance or gap "d" farads/m, A=0.1 m , t=1 micron (10-6 m) is the
2

between the capacitor plates. thickness of the dielectric layer, d=1 mm (10-3
m) is the space between the plates.
4.2. Closed position

Thus, when the exemplary variable capacitor is
in the closed position, the capacitor has a
capacitance value of 2.2 microfarads, and the
distance between the plates is defined by the
The above figure illustrates variable thickness of the dielectric material. When the
capacitor held in a closed position. When a distance between the plates is increased, the
vehicle is above the rails, the plates are biased capacitance of the variable capacitor is changed
towards each other, thus reducing the gap "d". to:
This reduction in the gap "d" changes the
distance between the plates and also changes the
capacitance characteristics of the variable
capacitor. From the above mentioned
relationship, it can be seen that the capacitance
of the capacitor in the closed position is Where d>>t. In this system, the electrical
increased due to the reduced gap "d" between potential across the plates is inversely
the capacitor plates. Indeed, in the closed proportional to the capacitance of the device and
position, the value of "d" is effectively the is:
thickness of the dielectric film, and this
thickness is significantly smaller than the value
of "d" in the open position. Thus, decreasing the
capacitance of the capacitor.
where Vo is the voltage or electric potential
5. ANALYSIS: across the plates when the plates are in the open
position and Vc is the electric potential across
(i) The capacitance of the capacitor is the plates when the plates are in the closed
calculated in accordance with the relationship: position.

6. RESULTS:
(1) Increasing the electrical potential of the
(ii)Voltage across the plates in open variable capacitor also increases the electrical
position is calculated as: energy of the system, as the mechanical energy
of separating the plates is converted into
electrical energy. Thus, in the above example,
(2) the electrical energy of the capacitor is increased
Where Cc is the capacitance in the closed by 2400 times. The power generation device
position in farads, Co is the capacitance in open effectively primes the variable capacitor, and the

energy of this priming is multiplied by varying neat and clean, the system is only proposed and
the distance between the capacitor plates. By is yet to be designed experimentally .
alternately priming the variable capacitor using
power from the power source and discharging it
at a later time in a cyclic manner to change the
capacitance, a significantly large amount of
electrical energy is produced due to change in
capacitance in comparison to the electrical
energy and power from the power source itself.
A number of such systems are connected
together for greater energy delivery. The
potential developed for various distance are as
follows:
6. Tabulation for various capacitance
Thickness Capacitance Potential V0
-6
of the (10 f)
dielectric
layer (m)
10-3 0.0009 2444.44
-4
10 0.02 244.44
10-5 0.2 24.444
10-6 2.2 1

7. ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS:
Advantageously, communication
between the power ties facilitates sharing of
resources and also facilitates the development of
certain data types, such as block occupancy
detection, distance to train, detection of broken
rail, or the like
Additionally, by monitoring various
properties of the variable capacitor, certain
properties regarding the vehicle passing on the
rail can be determined. For example,
determining the time, the capacitor is in the
closed position or the open position provides an
indication of the speed of the vehicle.

8. CONCLUSION:

Thus the property of variable capacitance is used
to trap energy (kinetic and potential) of the
vehicle movement in the rail. By alternately
priming the variable capacitor using the charge
from the power source and discharging it at a
later time in a cyclic manner to change the
capacitance, a significantly large amount of
electrical energy is produced due to change in
capacitance. Though the theory appears to be

System and method for generating electric power

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System and method for generating electric power