Burtonsville, Md. — New Energy Technologies, Inc., a next-generation alternative and renewable energy developer, has claimed a first prototype energy harvester for heavy trucks and vehicles for installation at locations such as truck stops, weigh scales, commercial ports of entry, and shipping sites. The MotionPower prototype is designed to harvest kinetic energy from long-haul trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles to generate clean electricity, said the company.
The MotionPower technology is a roadway-based system that is designed to be installed in locations where vehicles decelerate or stop. The MotionPower devices assist vehicles in slowing down, and in the process of doing so, capture the vehicles’ motion energy before it is lost as brake heat, and convert that energy into clean, “green” electricity.
The new MotionPower energy harvester for long-haul trucks and heavy vehicles has been developed as a fully functional, small-scale prototype that makes use of fluid-driven systems. This eliminates most mechanical parts to minimize mechanical wear and reduce future maintenance costs, said the company.
Click here to view a video of New Energy’s small-scale first-generation prototype.
The company is now working towards optimizing the energy harvester for full-scale site implementation and testing.
Once fully optimized and installed, engineers anticipate that MotionPower devices may be used to augment or replace conventional electrical supplies for powering roadway signs, street and building lights, storage systems for back-up and emergency power, and other electronics, appliances, and even devices used in homes and businesses.
New Energy’s previously developed car and light truck energy harvester has been designed and prototyped as an ultra-low profile, modular device, which can be easily customized to varying lengths based on site requirements.