Noise utilization as an approach for reducing energy consumption in street lighting

Abstract

Noise is considered as one of the challenging problems in big cities. However, this noise could be utilized in producing energy especially in dense urban areas. Sound as a form of mechanical energy, it can be converted to electric energy through many approaches including heating, by using the diaphragm and through using piezoelectric materials. This research aims at utilizing noise through using piezoelectric materials as an approach of conversion to produce green sustainable electric energy that can be used to decrease the energy consumption from non-renewable sources and utilizing this energy in street lighting. The study was carried in three bus stations in Alexandria by having measurements during weekdays and weekends in order to study the noise produced in the selected stations and the amount of electric energy that could be produced and utilized in street lighting. The noise level index L DEN was calculated for each of the three selected locations. The equivalent noise level values were always exceeding the limits through the day, evening and night. At daytime they ranged between 75–85 dB which is higher that the permissible limit by 10–20 dB, at evening they ranged from 80–85 dB which is also higher than the permissible limit with 20–25 dB and at the night they ranged from 75–80 dB which is higher by 20–25 dB than the permissible limit. The research concluded that utilizing noise using the piezoelectric material is successful. The electric energy produced from an area of 1.45 m2 containing 690 piezoelectric QB220-503YB transducers at each of the selected stations was about 0.024 watt hr. This amount of electric energy is too small to be used in an application. So the application area should be maximized to hundreds of square meters to produce beneficial electric energy that can be used in lighting 1 LED street lamp or it can be stored and used when needed in applications that use greater amount of electric energy and this would help in reducing the energy consumed.

Design and Investigation of Energy Harvesting System from Noise

“…It can be said that different devices vibrate at varying levels and they can release different amounts of energy. Another graph confirms that various types of piezoelectric material can produce energy at different sound levels [9]. One of the piezoelectric materials (QB220-503YB) generated power at a measurement of 2057.2 (μW) at 96 decibels with a voltage of 3.894 (V rms ).…”

“…One of the piezoelectric materials (QB220-503YB) generated power at a measurement of 2057.2 (μW) at 96 decibels with a voltage of 3.894 (V rms ). The graph shows that more power can be obtained at high decibel [9]. Charan et al [10] discussed various methods, including the acoustic metamaterial sound energy harvesting method, the use of capacitor-like plates, and the electromagnetic method.…”

Sound to electric energy generating device

“…In addition, [18] piezoelectric transducer is affected by temperature variations and relative humidity, it operates with small electric charge and it has low output so some external circuit is attached to it. [19]- [23] showed the distinction of piezoelectric used for sound wave energy harvester. To make it comparable to that of environmental human sound which is at 50-100 dB, the experiment was set at range of 35-100 dB.…”

“…The finest performance was achieved when the piezoelectric transducer was connected to Villard voltage multiplier [16]. Farghaly et al [23] proposed a study regarding the use of piezoelectricity to harness sound energy to change it to electrical energy. The researchers concluded that utilizing the noise to create electricity from the selected places using the concept of piezoelectricity is effective [24], [25].…”

Noise Energy Harvester: Analysis and classification of frequency produced by boat engine

“…However, pollution is also caused by producing and using the same technologies humans have invented. To address the issues, a group of researchers conducted several studies in utilizing and recycling unwanted by-products, such as noise [1,2]. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, rising noise levels can have a negative impact on human health.…”