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Good vibrations
Researchers at Bristol University in the UK are developing a device that will harvest kinetic energy from household appliances.
Wed, Dec 02 2009 at 1:37 PM
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Do you own a clunky, thump-y, no-so-discreet washing machine that sends you into duck-and-cover earthquake panic mode when it goes into spin cycle? If researchers at Bristol University have their way, owning tremble-prone household appliances like washing machines and dishwashers might actually be a good thing. The vibe-loving researchers are developing a device that will harvest the kinetic energy produced by appliances, turning annoying vibrations into a source of free, clean energy.
That said don’t expect a vibration-harvesting device to power your entire home via washing machine shaking. However, this battery-free gizmo that uses non-linear spring and mass could tap into enough kinetic energy to charge small gadgets like your cell phone or iPod. In addition to household appliances, researchers are taking it a step further by looking into the possibility of harvesting energy from things like trains and helicopters. According to Business Green, similar "energy harvesting" technology does exist but its frequency-reading range is limited.
Says project lead, Dr. Stephen Burrow:
There's a huge amount of free, clean energy out there in the form of vibrations that just can't be tapped at the moment. Wider-frequency energy harvesters could make a valuable contribution to meeting energy needs more efficiently and sustainably," said Burrow.
Brilliant. I'd certainly love to charge my cell phone using energy produced by a rattling washer and dryer. How about you?
Via [Business Green] via [TreeHugger]
Photo: Superbaka
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We'd be far better off designing and manufacturing machinery that just doesn't vibrate as much. If there's energy available to harvest, then there's energy that should have stayed in the productive end of the system to begin with.