Powering Your Car with Potholes
A new type of suspension called the GenShock will be able to use the bumps and potholes you encounter on the road into energy that will power your car, increasing efficiency by up to 6%.
Made by Levant Power, GenShock looks much like the typical hydraulic suspension you might find on any car on the road right now. However, they have attached an interesting addition to one end, which uses the flow of hydraulic fluid to power a small electric generator. The generator that harnesses this energy then transfers it to a "power management device" which reroutes the energy to things like electric motors or to provide power for secondary functions of the vehicle, like the radio or interior lighting. This device can also distribute power from other regenerative automobile technologies, such as regenerative braking. The shock absorbers can be used as replacements for existing ones, or can be outfitted on the factory floor, and are straightforward to install.
In addition to the regenerative aspect of the shock absorption, GenShock also functions as a sort of advanced suspension, which can adjust itself automatically to improve the performance and safety of your car/truck/armored assault vehicle while turning or moving over bumpy terrain at high speeds. Since it is not being manufactured yet, there isn't a price quote to go by, but Levant Power claims that the system will pay for itself in 18 months. The nature of the technology makes it most effective in heavier vehicles moving over rough ground, so unless you are a trucker or drive a military-grade vehicle, this might not be what you are looking for, yet. But it certainly could pave the way for an increasing number of technologies developed to help consumers squeeze all the power they can out of each gallon of fossil fuels they consume.
The video below seems to be one of Levant Power's "Invest-In-Us" type of informational blurbs, but gives a good overview of just what the product is.
Source: MIT Technology Review via Engadget
May 10th, 2010 - 20:17
the idea is impressive, the video a bit to long .. I want to see the shock in action show me power output!