by Thomas K. Grose, National Geographic News. An article relevant to
GSS Energy Use chapter 10. Excerpt: This summer at the largest urban
mall in Europe, visitors may notice something different at their feet.
Twenty bright green rubber tiles will adorn one of the outdoor walkways
at the Westfield Stratford City Mall, which abuts the new Olympic
stadium in east London. …They are designed to collect the kinetic energy
created by the estimated 40 million pedestrians who will use that
walkway in a year, generating several hundred kilowatt-hours of
electricity from their footsteps. That's enough to power half the mall's
outdoor lighting. The slabs are produced by Pavegen Systems, a London
startup launched in 2009 by Laurence Kemball-Cook, a fresh-faced,
26-year-old Londoner who developed his clean energy idea while earning a
degree in industrial design and technology at Loughborough University.
The 17.7-by-23.6-inch (45-by-60-centimeter) tiles are designed to be
used wherever pedestrians congregate en masse: transportation hubs such
as train, subway, and bus stations; airports; schools; malls; bustling
shopping avenues. The power generated from millions of footfalls can be
used to operate a range of low-power applications, including lighting,
signs, digital ads, and Wi-Fi zones. …On average, one footstep generates
7 watts of electricity, though the amount varies depending on a
person's weight. Each step pushes the rubber down a mere 5 millimeters,
or a fraction of an inch. …The tiles have also impressed Matthew
Baxter, the head teacher (principal) at Langton Grammar—Kemball-Cook's
alma mater—who said his 1,100 "boisterous boys" have truly put them to a
punishing test over the past two years. "They've taken a pummeling, but
they're fine." While initially a novelty that students delighted in
jumping on, the slabs have since become a normal part of the
school—albeit one that's encouraged the boys to think about clean
energy. … Read the full article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/05/120518-floor-tiles-turn-footfalls-to-electricity/ |
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