Mechanical motion rectifier leads to better energy harvesting
(Phys.org) -- Mechanical energy is all around us, whether in the form of a vehicle's vibrations, ocean waves, or vibrating train tracks. However, much of this energy is irregular and oscillatory - for example, road bumps cause a vehicle to move up and down at random intervals - but energy harvesting works best with regular, unidirectional motion. To address this problem, a team of engineers from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook has developed a new type of energy harvester that converts irregular, oscillatory motion into regular, unidirectional motion, in the same way that an electric voltage rectifier converts AC voltage into DC. Among its applications, the energy harvester could be used in regenerative shock absorbers, which have the potential to save US drivers billions of dollars per year in fuel costs.