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hyrdopiezoelectric

 Piezoelectric Generator in Streams and Waterfalls
 
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Piezoelectric energy is derived by inflicting stress or vibration on a flat crystall. There are metal on either side that pick up the voltage. Put several of these in a water tight sheet and put them in river beds (or at the bottom of waterfalls for more intense vibration) and they would pick up the vibrational energy of the water flowing though. They might be put to use in areas of high erosion to reduce the violent energy that is causing the erosion.

My other thoughts on this is that it might have less impact on the environment that other forms of hydroelectric energy.

—daniel_bingamon, Mar 09 2007

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       same problems as static electricity. is all or nothing boot. not like battery which lets out constantish stream of electrons. but could you put it under a road instead.
—the dog's breakfast, Mar 09 2007
   

       So, daniel, did you calculate the average power available from this, per square metre or whatever, using an official envelope back?
—MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 09 2007
   

       and, [TheDogs], I'm not sure that putting it under a road would work. How much energy do passing cars lose to the road surface in a way which could be recovered by such a device? My feeling is that it is negligible.   

       Of course, you could redesign the road to have more "flex", allowing more energy to be recovered as vehicles pass over it. But then you are simply stealing the energy from the vehicle (ie, the vehicle must burn more fuel), and wasting most of it in losses.
—MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 09 2007
   

       under road was just somewhere else to stick it like idunno insoles of shoes or under the space shuttle launch site, not necessarily a good place. squishy road idea might be the best. you could fit up some of nedlands suspension.
—the dog's breakfast, Mar 10 2007
   

       We've done piezo roads to death.   

       Succinctly:   

       - You can't create energy; the energy that your piezo road produces must be provided by the cars driving over it, thus forcing them to burn more fuel.   

       - Piezoelectrics aren't 100% efficient. Thus, they cannot extract all of the energy released by burning that extra fuel.   

       Hence, installing a piezoelectric system in the road would waste energy overall when compared to a conventional road design.
—david_scothern, Mar 10 2007
   

       Errr, yes. I wish I'd said that.
—MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 10 2007
   
      
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