| The field of Engineering is called piezo-electric | | | | stresses, thermal strain caused by temperature |
| generation, and as Israel's tiny land and coastal areas | | | | differentials, plus controllable actuation-strain caused |
| do not have readily obtainable natural energy sources | | | | by electric voltage - all integrated into the |
| such as oil or gas fields, many Israeli companies are | | | | piezo-electric effect. (Strain is a physical dimension |
| innovating scientific technology in pursuit of the | | | | change in homogenous materials, from the application |
| "brass ring" of success. One such entrepreneurish | | | | of Force into Stress, and the Young's Modulous for |
| company is Innowattech, with patents for a unique | | | | the Material; Strain = Stress/Modulous.) |
| approach to harvesting commonplace urban center | | | | The piezo-electric generators are designed to various |
| activities - with the potential of generating storable | | | | dimensions from a few centimeters to large surfaces, |
| and re-usable energy from highways or roadways, | | | | and are imbedded below an asphalt topping layer. |
| railways, airport runways and even pedestrian | | | | The parasitic energy of busy roadways, railroad-track |
| sidewalks. | | | | beds and airport runways, all near population centers, |
| The system is called IPEG for Innowattech Piezo | | | | offers the potential of conversion into electrical |
| Electric Generator, developed by the company | | | | energy that can be supplied back to customers or to |
| (Innowattech), with the significant potential of | | | | a national electric grid. A normal vehicle-bearing urban |
| obtaining energy ordinarily wasted by commonplace | | | | road can be technically described as a |
| vehicles which abound in normal urban life centers: | | | | visco-elasto-plastic material, elasticity being the most |
| autos, busses, trains, etc. The engineering principle | | | | important parameter and physical characteristic. As a |
| involves weight changes, motions, vibrations and | | | | vehicle travels along the road, vertical displacement |
| temperature variations, the concept using | | | | occurs under the tires which transmit the vehicle |
| piezo-electric generators specifically designed for | | | | weight to the road - the reaction being thermal |
| application to highways, rail track beds, runways, etc. | | | | energy. With piezo-electric generators imbedded in |
| The general concept is the capturing or harvesting, | | | | the road material, part of the energy expended in |
| storing and then re-using parasitic mechanical | | | | road deformation can be transformed into electrical |
| energies; the piezo-electric effect of converting | | | | energy (piezo-electric effect) and recovered, instead |
| mechanical "strain" energy into electrical current or | | | | of just being wasted as heat. The principle and |
| voltage. The constitutive relations for piezo-electric | | | | technology are sound, developments in play will |
| materials are based on the total strain in the | | | | determine operational efficiencies and the limitations |
| actuator, the sum of mechanical strain induced by | | | | of practical applications. |