A renewable energy harvesting system using a mechanical vibration rectifier (MVR) for railroads

Highlights: •A high-efficiency energy harvesting system is proposed for rail tracks. •A mechanical vibration rectifier is used to collect kinetic energy. •A comprehensive analysis and experiments are conducted on a prototype. •A portable and low-maintenance design is proposed for applied use. -- Abstract: As the demand for clean and sustainable energy increases, it is useful to explore alternative energy strategies, including harvesting the kinetic energy of vibration. In this paper, we design and characterize a renewable energy-harvesting system that collects energy from rail track vibrations by using a mechanical vibration rectifier (MVR). The MVR consists of meshing gears and one-way bearings, and it transforms bidirectional vibrations into unidirectional rotation to improve the efficiency of transmission. A DC motor is used as a generator, and a supercapacitor is used to store the electricity. The operation of the MVR was modelled and simulated including vehicle-track contact, track vibration, the dynamic response of the MVR and an electromechanical analysis of the generator. A prototype was manufactured to demonstrate the feasibility of the design. A peak voltage of 58 V comes close to meeting the requirements for practical usage in rail applications. These devices would be able to supply power for safety equipment and allow for emergency repairs in areas without power.